Derek Cressman, Alex Padilla, Leland Yee, candidates for California Secretary of State, 8/1/13
Channel: Richard Tamm
Date: 2013-09-06

Tuolumne County Democrats hosted 3 SOS Candidates at a picnic, 8/1/13: Derek Cressman, Senator Alex Padilla, and Senator Leland Yee.  
This Video is their statements, plus introductions for Senators Padilla and Yee, and was taken with no prejudice for/against any of the candidates.  It is meant to help inform you about these three candidates.  Video has just a few very shaky moments.  Please don't let that distract you from the messages of the candidates.

Video misses introduction for Cressman. Find info on him at his campaign website: http://www.derekcressman.com/page/about-derek and at:  http://www.smartvoter.org/2012/11/06/ca/sac/vote/cressman_d/bio.html

And video cut off last few minutes of Leland Yee's statement.  The following notes were taken as well as I was able, and are supplied here for the part that is missing.  If there are any mis-statement, I take full responsibility and greatly apologize.
He got an online voter registration bill passed.  They never thought it would be that successful, but within the first 45 days after it passed 800,000 people used it to register to vote.  Because of the additional people voting, we were able to pass the ballot measure to raise taxes to help the schools, etc., stop an anti-union ballot measure, and have greater success in the counties. Now he is working on legislation to link every website of county Registrars with the Secretary of State's office, and with the voter registration websites. (?)
He is interested in getting more people to actually vote.  He believes that people want to, but are so busy with their lives that they do not have enough time.  How can we make it easier?  He has introduced a bill to allow voting on Saturday, to make it easier for many more people to vote.
He tries to analyze and understand the problems.  People may want to vote, but just cannot do it.  He wants to find solutions, find ways to make it easier.
He also wants to start with young children, help them to understand their responsibilities as citizens.
He will work with teachers, civic organizations, students, etc.  He'll talke about civic participation and responsibility.
He'll ask: who are your city council members, your county supervisors.  Write letters to them.  Set up projects where they practice their civic duty and possibly cause positive changes because of that.  They have responsibilities and also rights.  As they understand this in the primary grades, in high schools, and in college, they will feel more that they have a stake in the system and have more participation.
Any time you have an election where many people do not vote, you will have an election that is lacking.  We must get people involved and have a stake.