PV Dems July 16 Picnic
Mark your calendar! We will be hosting our Annual Picnic and Board Installation, 5 – 7 pm, on the lawn of St Luke’s Presbyterian Church, 26825 Rolling Hills Rd, RHE. Featured speakers, entertainment, and pre-ordered box dinners available!
Confirmed speakers: Congressman Ted Lieu and TUSD Board Member Betty Lieu, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, LA County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, PVE Treasurer Kate Greenberg, RPV City Council Members Eric Alegria and Paul Seo, PVLD Board Trustee Zoe Unno, PVPUSD Board Member Ami Gandhi
Registration and order form for box dinners by Lunada Market and Deli is posted on PV Dems website. Or, feel free to bring your own food.
BEVERAGES for all attendees are included. Choices are: Lemonade, Unsweetened Iced Tea, Water, Flavored Soda Water, Diet Coke, and 7UP.
PRE-PURCHASED BOX DINNERS are provided with a suggested donation of $20 to our club. As in previous years, box dinners are provided by the Lunada Market & Deli and will contain a Choice of Sandwich, Potato Salad, Fruit, and Dessert. The three Sandwich Choices, all on ciabatta roll, are:
- Viva Italian: Pepperoni, capicola, ham, provolone, Italian aioli, lettuce, tomato, onions, and olives.
- Paseo de Capri: Grilled Chicken, buffalo mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, vine ripened tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and pesto aioli.
- Grilled Veggie: Roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, grilled yellow squash, spinach, and hummus.
Please feel free to BRING LAWN CHAIRS (or Blankets) as the number of chairs/seats provided by the church is limited.
PV Dems August 20 Meeting
The theme for this month’s meeting: Review of Supreme Court 2022-23 Decisions with Judge Tom Long
Join us for our August meeting at the Peninsula Center Library Community Room. Zoom access will be provided for those who cannot attend in-person. Our meeting starts at 2:30 pm, but join us at 2 pm to chat with other Democrats.
Our featured speaker is Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Thomas Long, who was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2015. Every August, since 2014, Judge Long has been sharing his insightful commentary on the cases highlighted in the University of CA, Irvine School of Law Annual Supreme Court Term In Review panel discussion (which is in its 13th year).
This year UCI Chancellor’s Professor Michele Goodwin will serve as moderator for panelists:
- Mario Barnes, Professor of Law, UCI Law
- Jamelle Bouie, Columnist, New York Times
- Jessica Clarke, Professor of Law, Vanderbilt Law School
- Moira Donegan, U.S. Columnist, The Guardian
- Mark Joseph Stern, Senior Writer, Slate
Please Renew Your Membership for 2023-2024
Our fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th and we depend primarily on dues to pay for vital donations to Democratic candidates, room and equipment rentals as well as always-appreciated refreshments!
Membership prices are:
- Individual $25/year
- Family $40/year
- Student $10/year
On our website, you can renew online or download the renewal form at: http://pvpdemocrats.org/membership/
June Meeting Report – Is involuntary psychiatric treatment the solution to the intertwined crises of untreated mental illness, homelessness, and addiction?
By Nancie Silver
The Palos Verdes Democrats met in person and on Zoom on Sunday, June 25. Three speakers shared their perspective on the complicated intersection of homelessness, untreated mental illness and addiction, and the best ways to address these issues.
- Alex V. Barnard, assistant professor of sociology at New York University. His research examines public policies and decision-making in public mental health care in France and the U.S.
- Ronson Chu, Senior Project Manager for Homeless and Senior Services at the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG). He is responsible for coordinating the South Bay region’s homeless response.
- Paul Stansbury, Board President of the South Bay Chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Alex’s presentation was fact driven, and he very succinctly shared a lot of data gleaned from hundreds of interviews with professionals, policy makers, families, and conservatees. He talked about California’s long-term disinvestment in the mental health system and highlighted the complex issue of conservatorships in California. The comparison between the approaches to managing mental health taken in France versus the United States was revealing. The French investment in universal healthcare, public housing, more hospital beds and psychiatrists, and public resources is much higher than in the US, and their outcomes are much better. To conclude his talk, Alex offered six thoughtful principles for reform. You can view Alex’s slides here.
Ronson Chu shared information about SBCCOGs regional approach to addressing both acute and non-acute homelessness. To highlight the work of his agency, Ronson shared the five-year story of one woman’s journey from homelessness to being housed, and the importance of court intervention. He mentioned Redondo Beach’s Homeless Court and purchase of pallet shelter units, and the COGs recent sponsorship of Rancho Palos Verdes’ Homeless Plan.
Paul Stansbury shared his experiences working with NAMI for the last twenty years, and his personal experience with his son who suffers from mental illness. He recommends better private and public mental health services for individuals and families, better housing options, and a wide-range of services rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
If you missed our June 25 meeting and are interested in these topics, I urge you to watch the video here. Each speaker brought these issues to life in different ways, and the Q & A session was also very informative.
From the Activism Chair
By Caryl Schwartz
In Ohio, there is a Republican initiative in August in advance of the November election that would change the threshold for passing a ballot referendum from the current simple majority to 60%. We need to prevent the August vote from passing to ensure a ballot initiative restoring abortion rights in Ohio passes this November.
In Virginia, the State Legislature has 140 seats on the ballot. Currently the Republicans control the Executive branch and the House of Delegates. We have to flip 5 seats Blue in House of Delegates and maintain a majority in the State Senate to prevent Republicans from voting against Women’s Reproductive Rights and Gun Safety Legislation – https://vademocrats.org/
For those who like phone banking with others you are welcome to join me Mondays, starting June 25th @ 2:15 PM at my house and Thursday’s at 2:15 PM. Learn more about all of this by clicking the Activism Tab.
News from LACDP
By Jon Munoz
The LACDP meeting, held on Tuesday, June 13, was light on major news. During the Chair’s Report, Mark Gonzalez mourned the loss of Gloria Molina. He also submitted a resolution, put forth during CADEM and approved, regarding undocumented workers getting unemployment benefits, which so many were denied during COVID. Tony Hale noted the Mayor of Torrance was ordering pride flags be taken down. A resolution put forth by Tony Hale regarding equity in the cannabis industry was approved. In budget news, it was noted that fundraising for the JFK Awards exceeded revenue projections, and that overall forecasts for 2023 are on track.
Climate Corner June 2023 – Home Insurance Rates Have Skyrocketed
By Fraser Perkins
The secondary effects of Climate Change have taken center stage in Florida and Texas – home insurance rates have skyrocketed. In Florida, insurer AIG stopped issuing new policies for coastal residents, while Farmers went even further and stopped writing any new homeowner policies. Factors cited for curtailment of policies include soaring replacement costs and rampant fraudulent claims, but the heart of the problem is Climate Change. Florida experiences 40% of the hurricanes in the US and as water temperatures rise, Florida will see more major hurricanes and suffer greater losses. Floridians pay an average of $6,000 per year for home insurance versus a national average of $1,700. This is projected to spiral up to $8,400 in the coming year. As private insurers exit Florida, the state-chartered Citizens Property Insurance Corporation has become the default insurer for an increasing number of homeowners. Citizens currently insures 15% of Floridians, but as this percentage grows, it will be exposed to a greater risk of catastrophic losses. In the event its reserves are exhausted by a major hurricane, the other Florida insurers, as well as the state and Floridians in general, will be called on to make up for losses.
Visit the Post to read more.
Leave a Reply