Around 300 people came to the Veterans Memorial Center in Davis on Nov. 8 to hear U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer speak at Davis’ annual Bean Feed.
The message of the night was to look towards the future of California and the country.
Boxer addressed many of the issues facing California as she runs for re-election in 2010. She talked about healthcare plans, education, the environment, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the economy.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Boxer said at the event, an annual fundraiser for the Yolo County Democratic Central Committee. “We have to invest in children because they are the future and we need to make sure there are jobs in place for them.”
Boxer said she is facing one of her toughest election battles.
“It’s going to be difficult because [after Obama’s election] people want change really quickly,” Boxer said. “My opponents Twitter about me and make phone calls about me, but as Democrats we will keep our promises.”
Boxer also addressed the current economic crisis.
“This is the worst fiscal situation since the Great Depression,” Boxer said. “Balancing the budget, achieving a world at peace and making life better for people in general are not easy tasks, but we know we can use our passion to get it right.”
In terms of issues such as global warming, Boxer said it was best to keep jobs in the country.
“You can’t put a solar rooftop in India or China to produce energy for the U.S.,” Boxer said. “We need American home-grown energy and green energy jobs.”
State Rep. Mariko Yamada (D-Davis) introduced Boxer and was passionate about making college more affordable.
“The costs of education should not be a burden for students and their families,” Yamada said. “We should be restoring monies to education. I’m not proud of the reductions made to schools and I will work harder to make sure education is at the top of the agenda.”
Held by the Yolo County Democratic Central Committee, the Bean Feed has been a tradition of the committee since 1970. It raises funds for the committee to promote voter registration and education throughout the county and region. The feed included dinner featuring barbeque and bean recipes.
“We are honored to have the courageous and dedicated Senator Boxer as our featured speaker at the grass-roots Bean Feed this year,” said Bob Schelen, chair of the Yolo County Democratic Central Committee, in a press release. “She has been a leader in the fight for greener energy policies, a strong reform of our national healthcare and for the working people of California. We know she will be facing a tremendous fight against whichever candidate the Republicans nominate. Precisely because of her strong stance on the issues we, as grass-roots Californians and Democrats care about, she is always a target of the National Republican Party.”
Davis College Democrats helped sponsor the event and strongly endorse Boxer.
“Boxer has done a lot to advocate college affordability federally,” said DCD’s vice president Kelsey McQuaid, a sophomore studying political science and Spanish. “She continues to support students and work with the regents.”
Others who spoke at the event also promoted their upcoming elections and addressed the future.
State Rep. Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) is running for California Attorney General and echoed Boxer’s positive outlook on the country.
“My father came to this county with no money and the dream that his children would be able to go to work and come home at the end of the day with a clean white shirt,” Nava said. “Hope, faith and entrepreneurship are all still alive.”
Others who attended and spoke at the dinner were candidates for statewide offices in the 2010 Democratic primary, including State Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter), running for Lieutenant Governor of California, and other local officials from Yolo County.
Boxer will run for re-election in the June 2010 primary. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina recently announced her bid to run for the Republican nomination.
ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.
