Political Organizing

At the Platform Committee meeting of November 18, 2011, in Burlingame, members discussed the many planks of the Platform for 2012 election season. Not the least important of the 20 planks of the platform is the Veterans Plank headed by Veterans Caucus past chair Bob Handy. The Platform Committee will present its recommended Platform 2012 for adoption at the Convention in February 2012 in San Diego.

At the Veterans Caucus meeting of November 19, Caucus members present voted unanimously to support the addition of the following Veterans plank items:

1. For military units that the Governor of California has authority, to upgrade the less-than-honorable discharges of those veterans who were involuntarily discharged under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell;
2. For the California Secretary of State to provide electronic (PDF) ballot access to overseas service members;
3. For the establishment of Veterans Courts in California; and
4. For military units that the Governor of California has authority, requirement to provide Lay Leaders for all service members no matter their faith affiliation or lack thereof.

Please consider writing to the Platform Committee in support of these items of the Veterans Plank. You can reach the assigned Committee Staffer Andrew Drabkin 916.442.5707 or andrewd@cadem.org. You can review the 2010 Platform here.

Karen Marie Otter
Second Vice Chair

From World War I to the end of the Cold War, Fort Ord was a major training ground for American Soldiers. For much of the 20th century, the Army utilized the Fort for basic infantry training due to its ideal topography and climate. The total number of soldiers trained at Fort Ord is estimated at over 1.5 million, reaching its peak during the Vietnam War. In September 1994, Fort Ord closed its gates and became a part of military history.

Transition to Public Lands
In 1994, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) was created by State legislation to complete the planning and implementation of a base reuse plan. In 1995, the Bureau of Land Management was selected to manage approximately 15,000 acres of land under the "Installation-Wide Multi-species Habitat Management Plan" and a memorandum of understanding between BLM and the U.S. Army (authorized by the Army Base Realignment and Closer Act). Currently, 7,200 acres have been transferred to BLM and are managed as the Fort Ord Public Lands. The remaining 7,500 acres will be transferred following the completion of the Army’s Ordnance Cleanup.

Recreational & Natural Values
The Fort Ord Public Lands support a beautiful and diverse group of plant and animal communities, including 35 species of rare plants and animals along with their native coastal habitats. For many of the rare plants, 50-90% of their worldwide habitat occurs in Ft. Ord. These lush landscapes are home to a range of wildlife including: mountain lion, black-tailed deer, bobcats, coyotes, badger, turkeys, golden eagle, red tailed hawks, Canada geese, California quail coast horned lizards, and gopher snakes.

The federal public lands in the former Fort Ord military complex are currently managed primarily for habitat conservation. Their continued management for habitat conservation is critical for the Fort Ord Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan to remain in compliance.

The Fort Ord Public Lands offer 86 miles of trail on 7,200 acres open every day from dawn to dusk for hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, wildlife/wildflower photographers, and nature enthusiasts. Ft. Ord’s single track trails, grassland hills and oak woodlands are surrounded by development and offer some of the last remaining open space in the Monterey Bay area.