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VOTER newsletter
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March 2018-Volume 70, Issue No.7
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| League of Women Voters San Jose / Santa Clara P. O. Box 5374
San Jose, California 95150 |
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President's Message
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Mary Collins President,
LWV SJ/SC
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We're off to the races! Election 2018 to be precise. Our League is already in the midst of preparations for this exercise in democracy. There are many opportunities to contribute in this process; we welcome your participation, and I am highlighting a few of these in this issue.
Voter's Edge, our premier information source for the electorate on ballot measures and candidates, can use volunteers to help input data into the website, and to roundup the candidates' statements for the publication. If interested in helping make this election information easily accessible on Voter's Edge, Contact Judy Conner.
Candidates' forums are important programs that we provide to give a space for civil and informative discussion of the issues important to our electorate. We are already being asked to provide forums for San Jose and Santa Clara County districts. District 9 is the first that is being organized. You can volunteer by contacting Sandy Mory.
We will provide PRO/CON presentations on ballot measures once they are developed by the appropriate level of League: League of Women Voters CA for state measures, for example. At these sessions we provide the major arguments on both sides of each measure, and questions from the audience are clarified.
While presenting arguments impartially at forums and presentations, the League does take stands on some issues on which we have stated policies. To volunteer for PRO/CON presentations contact Mary Collins.
Our LWVSJSC board strongly opposes the Evergreen Senior Homes Initiative. A primary reason for this is that the initiative changes the city's masterplan, developed by community study and involvement, and the measure will be decided in June 2018 by a ballot vote. In addition, it opens the entire city up to development while exempting itself from existing safety and environmental requirements.
Members continue to monitor the City of Santa Clara Constitutional Amendment June ballot measure changing the at-large voting method. At this time our board is neutral on the proposed changes.
The League of Women Voters CA is strongly supporting Make It Fair, now titled the California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act, asking members to assist with signature gathering, to secure other endorsements, and to reach out to the community and local officials to get this measure on the November ballot. If interested, contact Gloria Chun Hoo.
Happily, I announce that the board has appointed Gloria Chun Hoo as our action chair and a director of the board. She is already involved in the aforementioned Evergreen Housing Initiative, the state initiative and San Jose Clean Energy and Climate Smart issues-to name a few.
Unsure about how to get involved or who to contact with ideas, you can always contact me, and I will direct you to the appropriate person, Email Mary.
Thank you for making us a strong League, and working for a stronger democracy.
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Membership
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Welcome
to our newest
Members:
Teresa Alvarado, Janet E. Johnston
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Lunch with League - March 15th, 11am-1pm
Speaker: Pilar Lorenzana, Deputy Director, Silicon Valley @ Home
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Pilar Lorenzana, Deputy Director,
Silicon Valley @ Home, has extensive experience as a capacity building and technical assistance provider on public policies around health, community development, and affordable housing. Pilar's 20+ year career started in the private sector - designing architecture and master planned communities - and since that time she has worked in many communities and regionally across Northern California from Sacramento to Salinas. Pilar leads and participates in regional conversations and has advocated successfully for many housing policies including housing elements, impact fees, boomerang funds, and progressive land use and zoning regulations.
Pilar specializes in creating partnerships and collaborative action - creating safe spaces for a diverse range of partners to collaboratively address complex problems. She directs Policy and Advocacy for SV@Home - making room for solutions focused conversations between the private and public sectors and organizations representing housing affordability, homelessness, equity, development, and the environment.
Pilar has a Master's in Urban and Environmental Planning from Arizona State University and an Architecture degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines.
Pilar Lorenzana
Deputy Director, Silicon Valley @ Home
Topic: Advocacy, Affordable Housing in San Jose
Thursday, March 15th, 11am to 1pm
Please RSVP by Monday, March 12 by going to
lwvsjsc.org/lwlregister.html and filling out the form, including your choice of entree.. Beverages include coffee, tea, or soda. Select entree: Rookies Street Tacos (carne asada, chicken, shrimp); Burger with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ and French Fries; Garden Burger with French Fries; Caesar Salad with Chicken, Bacon, Avocado; Garden Salad with Shrimp. Or you may send an email to
lwl@lwvsjsc.org or call Marie Arnold,
629-5340.
We meet at 11:00am and are served lunch at 11:30am. The guest speaker begins her talk at noon for 15-20 minutes and then invites attendees to ask questions and give comments. LwL ends at 1pm.
The price of lunch is $20 payable in cash at the door or, if you don't want to worry about having cash, you can prepay just after you register by using PayPal which will take a credit card or a personal PayPal account. We charge slightly more to cover our small PayPal fee.
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LEAGUE MEETINGS AND OUTREACH
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Voter's Edge (formerly Smart Voter): Volunteer! Election information!
By Judy Conner, Voter's Edge
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Voter's Edge is an integral educational program for the League of Women Voters. This website is used by voters to research important issues and legislative priorities of their local, state and federal candidates.
We are reaching out to you and asking that you contact us if you are interested in volunteering.
The volunteer work can be done from your own home and on your own time schedule.
The filing deadline for candidates in Santa Clara County is mid-March and we should begin to receive information about candidates no later than the end of March. We want to be organized to go to work right away on populating the Voter's Edge site with content.
We need two types of volunteers: computer data entry and candidate outreach.
Computer data entry volunteers send out emails, manage the content submitted by candidates, resize photographs, and monitor the site. The formal Voter's Edge training is at capacity, but if you are comfortable with a web-based, content management system, it is pretty easy to become proficient. There will be support available for questions.
Candidate outreach volunteers are the ones that tie up the details. Often, the initial information received about candidates is incomplete. The candidate outreach volunteers telephone candidates, explain the benefit of being listed on Voter's Edge, and work with a computer data entry volunteer to coordinate when email invitations for participation on Voter's Edge are sent.
Your help is always welcome. If you have questions about volunteering for Voter's Edge, please contact Judy by email Judy Conner or 408-476-8056.
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LWV SJ/SC Coyote Valley Consensus Meeting, March 17th
Shall League of Women Voters SJ/SC Revise the Coyote Valley Position?
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League definition of Consensus - "Substantial member agreement preferably reached through group discussion". Discussion is based on information prepared by a study committee and is guided by consensus questions.
Coyote Valley Consensus Meeting
March 17, 2018
9:00 am - Lite refreshments and social
9:30-11:30 am - Meeting
Shall League of Women Voters SJSC revise the Coyote Valley Position?
Coyote Valley Position was originally approved in 2004 (
current and proposed position) long before any widespread concern about climate change was commonly discussed and what we could expect in the future if we did nothing. Fast forward to 2018 with new information and emerging trends coming forward on adaptation and resiliency to modify effects of changing weather. League approved revisiting our Coyote Valley Position in light of its potential for storing carbon, providing food and capturing and storing stormwater runoff.
On March 17th League Coyote Valley Study Committee will present findings and make a recommendation of a new Coyote Valley Position (
current and proposed position). Additional background reading material has been added to the previous resource list posted with article in February Voter.
BACKGROUND READING MATERIAL
Bay Area Monitor Special Edition, Feb-March, 2018
Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan
Sibella Kraus, Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE)
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LOCAL CITY/COUNTY/STATE/UNITED STATES ISSUES
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Proposition 13 Reform, Closing Corporate Tax Loophole - Nov. Ballot
The California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2018
LWV SJ/SC Action Committee |
This November, voters will finally have the opportunity to reform Prop 13--closing a corporate loophole that has allowed big business to pocket billions of dollars annually and restoring that funding to our local communities.
The California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2018 would reform large commercial property assessments - but preserve all protections from Proposition 13 that currently exist for residential, rental, agricultural or small commercial property. It would require property tax assessment of large commercial property every three years, but leave unchanged conditions of property assessment for small business owners, homeowners, renters and agricultural business owners, keeping all tax assessments at 1% and capping yearly increases at 2%. These changes would result in up to $10 billion in new revenue for K-12 schools and other essential government services. If the measure gets enough signatures, it will appear on the November 6, 2018 ballot.
The League of Women Voters of California has taken the lead in submitting this initiative for circulation on behalf of the many groups working together in the coalition.
Now we need your help to get it on the ballot and ensure it passes in November!
READ MORE:
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Legislation
Bill Status Report - LWV California
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Based on
our positions, League of Women Voters California (LWVC) periodically reviews bills before the California State Legislature and makes recommendations.
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
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League and Community Activities
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LWV Presents: Insights and Perspectives
Comcast Channel 30, Mon, 7:30pm and Sun, 4:30pm; Ch 27, Wed, 5:30pm
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The best way to describe Channel 30 and Bay Voice Channel 27 is TV "by the community for the community." Channels 30 and 27 air non-commercial, member-produced videos that educate, express views, and expose talents to the San Jose community and beyond.
Connect to our League Web Site for current and archived Insights and Perspectives broadcasts:
March Airings
Monday, March 5th and 19th
Rosaleen Zisch interviews Chris Funk, Superintendent of Eastside Union High School District.
Monday, March 12th and 26th
Gloria Chun Hoo interviews Bob Gliner, documentary film maker about vocational education and schools.
Watch CREATV Channel 30 shows on your computer with an internet connection.
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Calendar
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Information on many of these events is available in this newsletter. See our
website calendar
for current listings and more information. If you'd like more information but don't have web access, contact the League at (408) 271-7163.
| March 3 |
Board Meeting |
| March 15 |
Lunch with League |
| March 17 |
Coyote Valley Consensus Meeting |
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April 7
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Board Meeting |
| April 19 |
Lunch with League |
| May 5 |
Board Meeting |
| May 17 |
Lunch with League |
| May 19 |
Annual Meeting |
| June 28-July 1 |
LWVUS Convention, Chicago |
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Address / Email Change
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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.
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The Voter
Submissions due the 20th of the month
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The LWV SJ/SC Voter is distributed monthly. Article deadline is the 20th of the month. If you have questions or comments, contact
Liz Bogatin-Starr
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the Voter Editor.
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Democracy is not a spectator sport! Educate! Advocate!
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Join Our League
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Visit our
website to join and/or donate to our League.
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