We want to express our gratitude with a sincere thank you to all our members and loyal non-members for your generous donations to LWV SJ/SC.

We succeeded in raising more than $6,095, exceeding our fundraising goal of $5,500 in a campaign that ran from late November until the end of February with 54 people donating.

As you all know, we cautiously use every penny of your donations for essential expenses that support the important work of our League. The expanded funding this year will make a huge difference to our efforts in support of voter registration and education, community affairs TV program production and airing with CreaTV, climate change education and advocacy, Coyote Valley open space awareness building, Lunch with League programs, website and VOTER communication outreach and our many other efforts to support a robust democracy.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR 2017 LIST OF ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DONORS:

Ellen Anderson	Robin Hayr	Rita Norton
Marie and Paul Arnold	Gloria Chun Hoo	Alan Pintacura
Phyllis and Eli Bail	Kitty Horowitz	Sally Pyle
Martha Beattie	Connie Hunter	Paula Radzinski
Claire Benson	Nancy Ianni	Pat Reardon
Joseph Boudreau	Ann Kline	Esther Rechenmacher
Ralph Campbell	Trudy La France	Sandra and Richard Remmers
Judy & Don Chamberlin	Virginia Larsen	Sandy Serpa
Kansen Chu	Carol & Jim Lathrop	Suzanne Sikora and Lora Kerr
Mary Collins	Patricia Linder	Florence Silverman
Caroline Cooper	Andrea MacKenzie	Kathy Sutherland
Susan Devencenzi	Sara Malaun	Carol Watts
Susan Ellenberg	Brenda McHenry	Edy Young
Jennifer First	Susan McKuhen	Rosaleen Zisch and Mary Hulbert
Leslie Hallenbeck	Sandy Mory
Joan Haperin	Karen Nelson & Bob Ruff

Karen Warner Nelson, Funding Development Chair

Jessie O'Malley Solis

Senior Real Estate Agent, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

Topic: VTA's Joint Development Program and Development Sites VTA is Moving Forward
with in the South San Jose Area

Thursday, April 19th, 11am to 1pm

During the month of April, we have the following voter registration events scheduled. Please let Suzanne Sikora know if you would like to volunteer to register voters. Additional details will follow regarding each event.

* Oak Grove High School (coordinated by Marie Arnold) -- April 20
* United States New Citizen Ceremony -- April 24

Volunteer to talk about the importance of Voting with seniors:

EAH Affordable Housing would like League to talk to senior residents about the importance of Voting. The talks will be at Palm Court (San Jose) and Gateway (Santa Clara) in May.

If you can volunteer for an hour either on a Monday or Friday in May, contact Liz Bogatin-Starr.

League hosts and supports many local candidate forums. Would you like to be part of these forums held in San Jose and Santa Clara neighborhoods? Below are scheduled April forums. Contact Sandy Mory to participate.

* District 9 San Jose City Council on Monday, April 2 at the Camden Library Community Room from 7-9 p.m.
Moderator: Gloria Chun Hoo

* District 7 San Jose City Council on Wednesday April 25 at the Franklin McKinley School District Board Room from 6-8 p.m.
Moderator: Barbara Marshman

*District 9 San Jose City Council on Thursday April 26 at the Camden Community Center 7-9 p.m.
Moderator: Rosaleen Zisch

*Board of Supervisors District 4 on Saturday, April 28 from 1-3 p.m, Location (tbd)
Voter Registration

Don't miss this opportunity to network with League members from throughout the nine Bay Area counties. Continental breakfast is served starting at 10:00 am with the Business Meeting beginning at 10:30 am and ending at 12:30 pm. More information and the registration form is available on the link below. 

The Convention kit describing the morning's activities should be available in the next few days. If you want more information contact Roma Dawson, board member for Housing.

If you want to be named as a voting delegate, please contact Mary Collins.

http://lwvbayarea.org/2018-bay-area-biennial-convention

How Healthy Soil Fights Climate Change and

Protects our Water Supply

May 16th, noon-1pm

Join via webinar or

Be part of the live audience at the Santa Clara Valley Water District,

5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA

Learn about the rapidly growing effort to fight climate change with carbon sequestration in soils and how healthy soils protect our water supply and increase agricultural production. You'll discover just HOW VALUABLE the soil under our feet can be to our future.

How can Soil Health benefit land, water, and residents around the state?

What can you do to help California remain a beautiful, bountiful and

prosperous place in the face of climate change?

Our Speaker:

Elizabeth Guimarin consults, advises, and educates on soils related to soil health, water, and carbon sequestration to support water abundance and climate stability.

With an education and background in environmental chemistry with a Master's degree in Soil Science, Elizabeth is an experienced program and project manager in science, technology, and education services for companies and nonprofit organizations. You can learn more about Elizabeth and the subject at her website; www.soilcarbonwatch.org.

In person attendance at the Santa Clara Valley Water District: Presentation in the Board room begins promptly at noon to accommodate the webinar attendees.

Webinar attendance: You can also join us via a webinar link.

Details about the location, the webinar link and other logistics will be provided in a future announcement.

Mayor Sam Licarrdo proposed new amendments to the San Jose City Charter at a Special Meeting of the San Jose City Council held on March 8. It passed and will appear on the June ballot. The new Article (XIX) is entitled "An Act to Limit Urban Sprawl and the Fiscal and Environmental Effects of Specified Development in Outlying Areas." While the title is complicated, the purpose is simple: Make it more difficult for developers to convert lands zoned for jobs to residential use.

The new Article XIX if approved by the voters requires the applicant for conversion of employment lands to pay for a "Fiscal and Jobs/Housing Balance Impact Study" to quantify the cost of the loss of jobs on the City's annual budget. As an example, if Measure B (see previous article) passes the loss of all now vacant industrial land to homes will cost the City's Operating budget $24 million per year. Residents living in homes need city services such as police and fire response, libraries, streets and well maintained parks, all of which cost money. Companies and businesses of all sizes generate tax revenue.

State Election Code now requires the same type of analysis (9212 Report) for fiscal and transportation impacts. Currently the taxpayers foot the bill. Article XIX names the applicant as responsible for covering the costs of the fiscal analysis. The right of a property owner (or one with an option) to take a dispute over zoning to the citizens for a vote is well established law adjudicated to the California Supreme Court.

Article XIX is an edge strategy to prevent urban sprawl and encourage smart growth. It affirms principles in San Jose's last two General Plans. It places strong emphasis on protecting employment lands and recognizes that conversions have negative environmental and fiscal impacts. It is triggered by the following:
* a parcel 5 acres or greater in size
* partially or wholly located within one mile inside of the City's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)
* located in any one of five Planning Areas: Evergreen, Coyote, San Felipe, Calero and Almaden
It also defines threatened employment lands by naming several land use categories currently in our General Plan, Envision 2040 including the newer Urban Village Commercial. There is a sunset provision after 20 years. The UGB was established by the voters by approving Measure A in 2000.

The League is currently reviewing this Charter Amendment and will post our findings and recommendation at a future date.

  

2017-2018

• Bill Status Report: Bills on which the LWVC has taken a position and recommends action.
• Bills of Interest 2017-2018: This report includes bills being "followed" by the League, on which no formal position of support or opposition has been taken, as well as bills on which the LWVC has taken a position and recommends action.  

Need help with legislative terms? Try this useful glossary .

Insights and Perspectives recorded broadcasts

April Airings

Monday, April 2nd, 16th and 30th

Gloria Chun Ho interviews Ben Grieff, Campaign Director, EVOLVE, about Reform of Prop 13 Initiative

VIDEO

Monday,  April 9th and 23rd

Rosaleen Zisch interviews Rocki Kramer and Kathleen Mangan about Assistance League of San Jose.

VIDEO

CREATV CHANNEL 30 Live Streaming from your computer

Watch CREATV Channel 30 shows on your computer with an internet connection. 

To keep our records current please send any changes to your address, email address, or phone number, to our Dues Secretary, Sandy Remmers.  The only updates she receives are on the renewal form which is only sent once a year.