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What's Inside?
- “We Defend Public Education” President's message
- "Defendemos la Educación Pública" President’s message in Spanish
- September General Meeting
- Donations Needed: Lotion and Sanitizer
- Meet Our Member: Rebecca McFerren King
- Upcoming Forums: Meet the Candidates
- August Program on Cross-Border Water Issues
- Legislative Committee Report: Sewage Pollution Solutions
- GO Team Report
- August Social Event: Fresh Air, Music, and Friendship
- September – Inclusion and Diversity Calendar
- Save the Dates!
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We Defend Public Education
Greetings Fellow Democrats,
As the summer ends, we will see more and more School Board candidate signs displayed in front yards. As a reminder, the CUSD School Board race is nonpartisan. Our club’s role will be to stay vigilant on key factors that truly advocate for academic excellence, inclusivity, invigorate success, and respect for all students in our public school system. We stand up for teachers, students, and public education. And because our students are more important than politics, we will remain apolitical, but vigilant of all candidates, analyzing goals and abilities that strengthen public school education.
I urge all Coronado voters to elect candidates who will create the propelling force needed to continue to guide our students beyond academic excellence, without instilling fears and false narratives of grooming and indoctrination. Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to talk about what matters to our students. This race is not about national news, but the future of our children.
In Coronado, a small but extremely vocal group is determined to turn our classrooms into battlegrounds for their vicious culture wars. The peddling of misinformation has led to an increase in threats and intimidation aimed at educators and school board members. We must NOT accept extremism in our schools! Read about candidates’ online opinions in our local newspapers, and pay attention to what they have said at local school board meetings by watching the meeting archives.
Here are some of the many important topics you must consider as you select your candidates:
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Respecting the needs of our LGBTQ+ youth by standing up against homophobia, incorporating appropriate topics in our curricula. Respecting personal pronoun choices is NOT indoctrination -- it is simply providing a safe and respectful place of learning for our students to thrive.
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By addressing the disturbing realities of our shared past, we not only show respect to our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students but inspire a sense of shared responsibility and diligence necessary for our future leaders. Teachers must continue to accurately address U.S. and world history.
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The CA Department of Education states “SEL reflects the critical role of positive relationships and emotional connections in the learning process and helps students develop a range of skills they need for school and life.” Be aware of candidates who claim that Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is “a diversion of educational resources into overtly grooming and Marxist programs they don’t support or want for their kids.”
Your vote will be the determining factor in launching our public school system toward victory! Choose candidates who demonstrate the utmost dignity, respect, tolerance, and civility. Vote and promote Get Out the Vote!
Feliz (Happy) Hispanic Heritage Month!
In solidarity,
Marely Ramirez
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September General Meeting
Our next General Meeting will be held on Saturday, September 10, in the Winn Room of the Coronado Public Library. Social time begins at 10:30 a.m., with the meeting following at 11 a.m. The agenda will include: (1) membership vote to approve a proposed bylaws change, postponed from August meeting (see below); and (2) membership ratification of the appointment of Rebecca King to fill the vacancy of Club Secretary. (See article in this Newsletter profiling Rebecca) Program will include hearing from candidates running for county-wide offices. Current Club requirements are proof of vaccination or masks to be worn.
Notice Of Proposed Bylaws Amendment
The Board has approved a proposed change to the Club Bylaws for the purpose of expanding the scope of the Legislative Committee’s work. The new Committee, more appropriately named the Public Policy Committee, will review the underlying principles, values, and objectives that inform proposed legislation, ballot initiatives, and propositions, as well as their impact. The Committee will provide information to the membership on these policies and outline steps that can be taken to impact policy decisions.
Currently, Article VII – Committees, Section 1 provides:
“D. The Legislative Committee shall study local, state, and federal legislation, both existing and proposed, analyze ballot measures, and report to the Board with any recommendations.”
The proposed change to that section is as follows:
“D. The Public Policy Committee shall review local, state, and federal public policies, both existing and proposed, and make recommendations to the Board.”
In accordance with Article XII, Section 1, “These bylaws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the Club by a two-thirds vote of the members in good standing and present. Notice of the proposed amendments shall be included in the announcement of the meeting at which the proposed amendments will be presented. The proposed amendments will be presented at the meeting and immediately after the presentation, a vote on the proposed amendments shall be held.”
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Donations Needed: Lotion and Sanitizer
Hand lotion and hand sanitizer (alcohol-free) are urgently needed by the women detainees at Las Colinas Detention Center. Please bring a donation of these items (no glass containers) to our next General Meeting in the Winn Room on Saturday, September 10.
Sometimes it is the little things that can make a world of difference.
Contact Susan Marrinan with any questions: spfinlay7@gmail.com
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Meet our Member:
Rebecca McFerren King
At our September General Meeting, club members will vote to ratify the Board’s appointment of Rebecca McFerren King as our club secretary. Rebecca is replacing former secretary Alexia Palacios-Peters, who is using her time and energy to campaign for Trustee of CUSD School Board in the upcoming election in November. Here’s an introduction to Rebecca:
Rebecca moved from Virginia back to Coronado in 2018 with her husband Brian and two sons (now ages 22 and 16), after having lived here previously from 2007 to 2010 when Brian, a physician, was stationed at Naval Medical Center San Diego. The family is here for the foreseeable future now that Brian is a partner with Kaiser Permanente.
Rebecca grew up in West Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Her mother took her to her first march for reproductive freedom in D.C. when she was approximately 12 years old. She’s been politically active ever since.
Rebecca attended the Washington & Lee University School of Law and practiced law as a litigator for nearly 12 years before deciding to stay home with her children. A self-described “professional volunteer,” she has worked with numerous nonprofits, both in Coronado and Norfolk, Virginia. She served as the Buyer/Manager of the Naval Officers’ Spouses Club of San Diego’s San Dollar Too gift shop on Naval Air Station North Island from 2019-2022 and on the NOSC Board. She serves currently on the Coronado School of the Arts Foundation Board and on the Coronado Democratic Club’s legislative (public policy) committee.
Rebecca was a Core Issues Group Leader for Motherboard757, a grassroots organization established by women at the January 2017 D.C. Women’s March to connect and elect progressives in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The group was instrumental in electing Rep. Elaine Luria and turning Virginia “blue” in the 2018 midterms.
We are so fortunate to have Rebecca as a member of our club, and appreciative of her willingness to join our Board.
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Upcoming Forum: Meet the Candidates
The Coronado Democratic Club will hold its election year Candidate Forums on Saturday, September 17th and Monday, September 19th. Both events will be in the Winn Room at the Coronado Public Library. The forum for the candidates for CUSD Board of Trustees will be held on the 17th at 2 p.m. and the forum for the candidates for Coronado City Council will be held on the 19th at 6 p.m. Both forums will be moderated by the venerable Carl Luna, Professor of Political Science and frequent speaker and writer on local elections. We hope to be able to record and stream the forums. More details to follow once candidates have RSVP’d.
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Club Hosts Enlightening Program on Cross-Border Water Issues
On August 10, the Coronado Democratic Club hosted a program on the issues of sewage, water quality and safety, and beach closures impacting both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The program took place on Zoom, and participants included Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey, Coronado Cays resident Lance Rodgers, and EPA staff members Doug Liden and Eric Dubinsky. Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina was scheduled to participate, but had an unanticipated conflict. The discussion was extremely informative and many attendees said it gave them much greater insight into the sources of the problem, the solutions being pursued, and the new water quality testing being used. For those who were unable to attend, the program was recorded and can be found at https://youtu.be/WX0tC4S00x0
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Sewage Pollution Solutions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a plan to address the transboundary water pollution from the Tijuana River Watershed. Officials have said projects could break ground in the next three to five years. What’s the time frame? What’s the cost? Where’s the funding?
UPDATE: Provided by the Office of Congressman Scott Peters
International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC):
- Pre-planning for the expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) expansion is set to begin at the end of 2022.
Binational Engagement:
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The U.S. EPA and Mexican National Commission for Water (CONAGUA) have come to an agreement to implement the comprehensive infrastructure solution to address pollution from the Tijuana River and urban wastewater.
- This agreement sets the framework to identify projects, resources, and timelines.
- This agreement also includes cost-sharing of capital projects on both sides of the border.
- This agreement is set to be signed on August 18, 2022.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- National Environmental Policy Act requires evaluation of environmental and related social and economic impacts of proposed federal action prior to making decisions.
- A Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIR) public review was completed in July 2022.
- The final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) is expected in November 2022, with a Record of Decision in December 2022.
Congressional Action
- Congress continues to work to pass language to authorize the EPA to transfer funds to the IBWC for the construction of the projects. The House has passed this language, but it has stalled in the Senate. Our federal California senators are helping to move this forward.
- This language is not holding up the work being done right now.
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Congress has to look ahead to funding the full comprehensive solution which is estimated to be at about $627 million, with $300 million already appropriated by Congress through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
- Congress has to also look ahead to providing funding for future operation and maintenance that is needed for the comprehensive solution with estimates still being worked on.
If you would like more information on the Tijuana River pollution issue from the Office of Congressman Scott Peters, please contact Cesar Solis, Director of Constituent Services for Congressman Peters, at 858-455-5550 or by email at Cesar.Solis@mail.house.gov.
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Message from GO Team Coordinator Frank King
On Sunday, August 7, I attended a GO Team Coordinators' summit at the home of past San Diego County Democratic Party (SDCDP) Chair and former Congressional candidate Francine Busby. Speakers included SDCDP Executive Director Ryan Hurd, Engagement Coordinator Dan Shook-Castillo and Director of Grassroots Organizing Cecily Resnick.
During the June primary election, more than 500 volunteers contacted their like-minded neighbors and urged them to get out and vote in the primary, where turnout usually is low. More than 50,000 door hangers were distributed. To sign up to become a GO Team Neighborhood Leader, please go to https://www.sddemocrats.org/goteam.html and fill out the online form. If you live in Coronado, your information will be forwarded to me, and I'll contact you for training, volunteer opportunities and our local GO Team kickoff.
Most Democratic voters have access to the information, through the media, that they need in order to make an informed decision on how they will vote in the races at the top of the ballot. They're going to vote for the incumbent Democrats who seek re-election and for other familiar names in top-of-ballot races. But many voters are at a loss as to whom to support on the down-ballot, such as judge, assessor, etc. That is where our GO Team comes in. Our Party's recommendations carry tremendous weight among Democratic voters and will make a difference in races for office or on propositions they might otherwise ignore.
This November, we need to reach as many Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters as possible, and we need to provide them with the information they need in order to cast their ballots in accordance with our shared Democratic values. We don't want them to leave the down-ballot races unmarked and allow a right-wing candidate to sneak into local office.
In the past, GO Team volunteers carried clipboards containing paper lists of their precinct's voters, which they marked and turned in for data entry. Today, we have a smartphone app known as MiniVAN, which is easier to use than a paper list, and it updates the central database in real-time, eliminating the need to turn in cumbersome printed lists for data entry. MiniVAN makes all of us more productive and gives us more time to contact additional neighbors. Fortunately, we have both in-person and virtual training available for new GO Team canvassers. To sign up, please go to https://www.mobilize.us/sandiegodems/ and fill out the form.
I look forward to working with everyone to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot.
Frank King, Coronado Democratic Club GO Team Coordinator
Franking48@gmail.com
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Fresh Air, Music and Friendship
Around 30 club members and their families had a wonderful time at Coronado’s Concert in the Park on Sunday, August 21. We enjoyed seeing old friends, meeting new ones, picnicking in Spreckels Park, and listening to the Afro-Cuban/Latin Jazz rhythms of Louis Cruz Beltran. Some of us, including our amazing club president, even got to show off their awesome dance moves!
This fabulous evening was part of what the Strategic Planning Committee has implemented in response to our members’ input about the importance of having social events throughout the year that include members’ children. It also gives us the opportunity to build community and club connections, and to attract new members. Stay tuned for more fun times!
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SAVE THE DATES!
Upcoming CDC
Meetings and Events
(Current Club Requirements:
Proof of Vaccination or Masks)
Saturday, September 10: General Meeting. Winn Room, Coronado Public Library. Social time at 10:30 a.m., meeting at 11:00. Program will include hearing from candidates running for county-wide offices.
Saturday, September 17: Candidate Forum, CUSD Board of Trustees. Winn Room, Coronado Public Library, 2 p.m. Moderated by Professor Carl Luna.
Monday, September 19: Candidate Forum, Coronado City Counsel. Winn Room, Coronado Public Library, 6 p.m. Moderated by Professor Carl Luna.
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Not a Member of our Club? Ready to Renew?
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2022 – 2023
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
President: Marely Ramirez
Vice President: Bill Seager
Secretary: Rebecca King
Treasurer: Patrick Callahan
Member at Large: Susan Marrinan
STANDING COMMITTEES:
Programs: Pro Tempore Brian Trotier
Hospitality: Jenna McIntosh
Membership: Tom Bernitt
Legislative: Susan Marrinan
GO Team: Frank King
Communications: Judy Bambace
Scholarship: Patti Flores-Charter
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