Educating Voters. Defending Democracy.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

The Voter

March 2024

President's Letter

Membership Musings:  How Sheila sows seeds that cultivate connections

Of all the things that help our League to thrive – volunteers of all kinds, donors, the respect of our elected officials, the cooperation of candidates – none is more important than new members. Most months our Membership Committee places a note in The Voter welcoming one or more new members. This month the committee asked that I also highlight the value of having our members invite visitors and prospective members to our events. Who better to hear from on this topic than Sheila Musselman? Sheila has distinguished herself with her ability to invite others to our League. I sat down to get her advice on how to duplicate her success.

She began by recounting how last year she met a prospective member while shopping at Trader Joe’s. While looking at a new product, she turned to the shopper next to her. “Have you tried this?” she asked. Sheila was wearing a pair of earrings that spell out the letters “VOTE,” which began a conversation about elections. And here is Sheila’s secret to success: she asked, “Have you heard of the League of Women Voters?”

Sometimes people say “maybe”, or they’re a little hazy, or maybe they have never heard of the League. No matter the reply, Sheila is ready with a brief explanation: we’re political and we’re non-partisan. She tells them a bit about our background, how we started 104 years ago, and why – to educate women who had just been given the right to vote throughout the U.S. She tells them the League is a great place to learn about our government and contribute to our democracy. Then she invites the person to a meeting. (If you look at our calendar, you’ll find we have between two and five upcoming meetings every month.)

Sheila cautions that we have to be aware that some people are undocumented or citizens of another country. But Sheila herself was a member of her local League in Virginia for many years before she became a U.S. citizen, and if it feels right, she will share her story.

During election years, Sheila is quick to volunteer to work at candidate forums. She is dedicated to voter registration and tabling events. She never twists anyone’s arm; high-pressure is not her way. But as she says, “I just try to plant the seed. Then follow up. I don’t mind ‘nagging,’” Sheila says. “It makes them feel special that you’re following up.”

Sheila’s is a winning formula to help others find the League. Maybe you’d like to email a neighbor to invite them to hear a speaker that might interest them. Or carry a small supply of League brochures with you to share with others, along with a warm personal invitation to pay us a visit.

And the next time you see Sheila at a meeting or event, thank her for keeping the League front and center when she meets new people. Let’s all follow her example.

Margaret Lukens, president

County League Day

Saturday, March 23

Advocacy on the Coast

What’s Working 

Learn

The Coast is an idyllic place well-known for its parks, beaches, hikes, and forests. Less well-known are the struggles of hundreds of farmworkers and low-income residents who make valuable contributions through their work and community efforts but live in harsh conditions with few services on the Coast.  

Puente de la Costa Sur is working to change that for the South Coast communities of Pescadero, La Honda, Loma Mar, and San Gregorio. Through its leadership development and advocacy program, Puente empowers communities to bring about change. Come hear from Rita Mancera, Executive Director, how farmworkers are advocating for better housing and providing immigration assistance on the Coast.  

Act

After we’ve heard from our speaker, participants from both Leagues will discuss what they see as county-wide priorities for action the coming year. We will vote on those priorities and take them to our respective Leagues for adoption at their annual meetings.

Attend

Please join us for this in-person event.

Date: Saturday, March 23

Location: San Mateo Library, 55 West Third Avenue, San Mateo

Time: 9:45 a.m. to noon

9:45 a.m. – Check in and refreshments

10 a.m. – Program 

11 a.m. – Business meeting

Please Register by Wednesday, March 20 by clicking on the link below.

Volunteer

If you can help shop for refreshments, check in attendees or set up/take down the room for this meeting, please contact eileen.easterbrook@lwvncsmc.org

Legislative Interviews:

Great Results, Great Thanks

In November we asked for volunteers to participate in Legislative Interviews, which are a significant input to the State League’s advocacy work. They also increase League visibility, raise awareness of key issues, and give members a personal connection to their state legislators.  

Our League shares responsibility with eight other local Leagues for interviews with two state senators and three assembly members. Success in this daunting project would not have been possible without the help of members from our League who gamely stepped up to the challenge. In return participants enjoyed learning about the interview topics, working with other League members, and especially hearing directly from our legislators.  

A special thanks to this year’s interviewers (in alphabetical order): Linda Blum, Donna Colson, Eileen Easterbrook, Margie Gater, Jackie Jacobberger, Edith Jones, Suzanne Roberts, Marlene Suliteanu, Diane Zingale.

Consider joining us next fall: Watch for our call for volunteers in The Voter, or reach out to me with your interest.

Two of the interview reports, with State Senators Josh Becker and Scott Weiner, are available for your review now in the folder at the link below. We will add additional reports to this folder after they are finalized.

Completed 2024 legislative interviews

Tina Doede, Board Member

February General Meeting Recap

San Mateo Resource Conservation District, Helping People Help the Land

On February 21, we were pleased to welcome Kellyx Nelson, executive director of the San Mateo Resource Conservation District (RCD), to our general meeting. The RCD is a public agency focused on helping people manage natural resources. The RCD works in partnership, providing technical advice and facilitating access to financial and other resources, and responds to diverse requests from farms, organizations, local government, and even ordinary residents.

Established in 1939 in response to the dust bowl crisis, recent RCD projects span

agriculture, forest health and fire resiliency, wildlife protection, water management, and climate change. Outcomes from RCD activities include removing 8 dams and restoring access to 118 miles of creeks for fish migration and spawning, helping 28 farms implement nature-based solutions to draw down carbon dioxide, and implementing the chipper program to help residents of Loma Mar and Butano Canyon hardscape their homes.

To learn more, you can review the 15-year RDC impact report here. For those who were not able to join us, or would like to see it again, the meeting recording is available here.

Linda Jansen and Eileen Easterbrook, Program Planning

Housing Caucus

Monday, March 18: Regular Meeting

Wednesday, March 27: Ask an Expert—Project Homekey

We will have two meetings in March. Read on for details and to register.

Monday, March 18 at 5 p.m. Register here.

At our regular monthly meeting we will prepare for our special meeting on March 27. Additionally, members who have attended events this past month will report on key takeaways and potential action items.

Wednesday, March 27 at 5 p.m. Register here.

Ask an Expert series: Project Homekey: San Mateo County Executive Mike Callagy will discuss Project Homekey, a statewide effort to sustain and rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

If you are new to our Caucus, please watch our April 11, 2023 General Meeting, Affordable Housing in San Mateo County: Behind the Numbers, to better understand some of the challenges and roadblocks our cities face, as they plan to reach the State's target of 48,000 new housing units--nearly 20,000 of which should be affordable--by 2031.

We meet monthly, on the third Monday at 5 p.m. Next month's meeting will be on April 15 at 5 p.m.

Elana Lieberman, co-chair, Housing Caucus

Climate Change Caucus

Next Meeting: Wednesday March 20 at 5 p.m.

Click on the link below to register for our next Climate Change Caucus meeting on Wednesday March 20 at 5 p.m.

Join us as we work to raise awareness and help League members and San Mateo County residents make informed choices on social, political, and personal decisions that impact climate at local and global levels.

We hope to see you then!

Tina Doede, Board Member

Gail Whipple, Board Member

Why we ❤️ Voter Service

We educate voters, and voters-to-be

On February 3, we tabled at the South San Francisco Library | Parks and Recreation Center, providing voter education and stickers for future voters. Thanks to Diane Zingale for noting this was a good high-traffic location and connecting the staff with our League. If you have ideas for tabling locations, please contact voterservice@lwvncsmc.org. While we don’t register many voters at these events, we are able to provide valuable election and ballot information.

Older voters get help they need

Margie Gater and Arlene Kace visited Atria at Foster Square on February 12. Senior communities are prime locations for our League to do great work. All new residents need to make sure their voter registration is current, and seniors have excellent questions about the ballot. If you know of senior communities who could use our services, contact us. 

We support democracy everywhere

The next day, February 13, we managed the election for the Shelter Creek Homeowners Association. Kathy Wheeler oversaw the count and paperwork. Many thanks to our volunteers: Margie Gater, Jackie Jacobberger, Edith Jones, Cynthia Robbins-Roth, Margaret Lukens, and Susie Raye. 

Come meet and greet voters this election year

Training and education for the November General Election will continue in the coming months.



If you are interested in helping at our events, email us at voterservice@lwvncsmc.org. 

Margie Gater and Kathy Wheeler, Voter Service Co-chairs

April Book Discussion (Start Reading Now!)

Inspired by the work of our Climate Change Caucus, our April book discussion will focus on a new release about climate change in our own backyard.

"California Against the Sea: Visions of Our Vanishing Coastline" by Rosanna Xia lovingly describes California's 1,200-mile coastline and asks, as climate chaos threatens places we cherish, will we finally grasp our collective capacity for change? Xia, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, talks to Indigenous leaders, community activists, small-town mayors, environmental scientists, and other voices who are forging a climate-wise future.

You don’t need to read the entire book to join the meeting. You may wish to read just Chapter 3, which focuses on Pacifica, home to several of our League members. Or dip into another chapter that interests you. Don’t have time to read a single page? You’re welcome to register, too, and we believe you’ll still find the discussion time well-spent. Everyone is welcome.

Discussion will be led by Margaret Lukens, LWVNCSMC president.

Our book discussion meeting will take place on Thursday, April 18 from 5 to 6 p.m. via Zoom.

Margaret Lukens, president

US: Many Threads, One Fabric

To represent everyone in our democracy we need to know what our neighbors value. With that goal, we offer cultural insights prompted by monthly events. 

March 2024: César Chávez Day and Ramadan

César Chávez was co-founder, with Dolores Huerta, of the National Farm Workers Association, the predecessor to the United Farm Workers Labor Union. In 1994 President Clinton posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. We honor César Chávez on his birthday, March 31.

Ramadan, a vital religious holiday of Islam, begins March 11 (in the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar year) and ends with the crescent moon. During the holy month of Ramadan, dedicated to prayer, reflection, and strengthening their connection with God, many Muslims observe a dawn-to-dusk fast. Breaking the fast in the evening becomes a joyous occasion for shared meals and community. This culminates in Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," celebrated globally for one to three days.

Marlene Sulitaneau, Member

The Wednesday Caucus

Wednesday, March 27, 10-11 a.m.

This informal meeting is all about conversation and camaraderie. Ask questions, share what you're working on, and gather inspiration.

All are welcome. Register here.

Welcome to Our New Member

Elaine Raisler

Mark Your Calendar

Stay Informed

Stay informed with updates and alerts from your state and national Leagues. Use these links to register:

• For California League updates, sent monthly: LWVC    
• For national League updates, sent twice a month: LWVUS (scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up for e-mail updates).
• Subscribe to Bay Area Monitor Notes here

Keep an eye on our website, https://www.lwvncsmc.org, for the latest on upcoming events.

Join the League

We love having new members join us and help with the important work we are doing. Click here to join online or print out a mail-in form. Scholarships are available for new members. Please contact us at membership@lwvncsmc.org.