Convention Followup

For myriad reasons, more than 10,000 volunteers signed on to work with the Los Angeles Convention 2000 Host Committee, which put on the Democratic Party confab at Staples Center downtown this week. Since March, willing workers have done everything from recruiting other volunteers and data entry to greeting convention visitors and directing pedestrian traffic inside Staples Center and at other convention venues.

MICHAEL MARTINEZ spoke with a pair of volunteers.

EDYTHE SCHWARTZ

Retired federal court reporter; Studio City

I really wanted to be a part of this convention because I’ve supported the Democrats for a long time. I really believe it’s important to participate, and I got a great deal of satisfaction knowing I was helping.

[Since March] I’ve done a little of everything. I greeted delegates and other people at the airport who were coming in for the convention. I worked in the office, made calls trying to get people to come in and work at the convention and I helped out at the media party.

I’ve really met some wonderful people, and I’m really amazed at at how hard the committee worked to organize this thing. This was a very important experience.

After I retired, I had more time to get involved with the process. I worked on the last [presidential] election; I made calls, was part of the voter registration drive in the Valley and helped arrange transportation for people who couldn’t get to the polls.

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KIMBERLY HEE

Grants program specialist, L.A. City’s Criminal Justice Planning Office; Torrance

I have worked on a lot of campaigns before. I keep volunteering, but I always tell people that whomever I work for always loses.

I’ve worked on presidential campaigns for [the Rev. Jesse] Jackson, [former Mass. Gov. Michael] Dukakis, and they lost. I didn’t work on President Clinton’s campaign, though.

I hope things will turn out different this time.

I believe you have to be part of the democratic process to know what’s going on, to know how to cast your vote.

I also wanted to be a part of the process and I wanted to help make the convention a success for Los Angeles. I wanted everyone who comes to town to feel welcome. People across the country say many disparaging things about this city. I just wanted things to go right.

I think some people take voting for granted and need to be involved to understand how important the process is.