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Date: 3/15/2021
Subject: LWV of Piedmont - The Voter 03/15/2021
From: League of Women Voters of Piedmont



Political Responsibility through Informed and
Active Participation

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.


We Need You!

Democracy is a team sport and we need you on our team! We have one-time, low commitment jobs and larger commitment, recurring positions all furthering the goal of Making Democracy Work. We'll be talking about them at this morning's Coffee Hour at 10:00 a.m. and hope you'll join us for the discussion. Bring your questions, suggestions and ideas and get ready to roll up your sleeves! Can't make it to the coffee hour? Send an email to LorrelCathie or Hope to find out more. 

Save the Date! Annual Meeting, May 6th, 2021

Our Annual Meeting this year will immediately follow speaker Nancy O'Malley, Alameda County District Attorney, who will talk about "Perspectives on Women's Issues." The speaker presentation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and our Annual Meeting will be from 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. More information to follow.

Dr. Margot Kushel Gives Us Hope on Housing the Homeless

The League of Women Voters of Piedmont hosted a program on March 2nd on homelessness with Dr. Margot Kushel, the Director of the UCSF Center of Vulnerable Populations. Within the first few minutes of her presentation Dr. Kushel identified the root causes of homelessness and the known solution to homelessness. The three root causes of homelessness are: 1) lack of extremely low income housing (housing that is affordable to people who earn less than 30% of the median income), 2) income inequality, 3) the impact of structural racism. Homelessness is NOT caused by mental health instability and substance abuse. "We know what solves homelessness -- almost everyone can be housed if they have access to housing they can afford."

We hope that you can take the time to watch her presentation and forward to others who may be interested!

Some comments from viewers on Dr. Kushel's presentation:

  •     "I feel so much more optimistic about homelessness after hearing you speak! There are things we can do/that people are doing and know how to do! Thank you!"
  •     "You have given such good information and hopefulness (and good suggestions on what we can do even on a smaller scale!)"
  •     "This is wonderful data!"

You can also read more about Margot Kushel's work in this piece published by the New York Times in January.


Bay Area League Day: Equity in Action

Bay Area League Day was extremely popular this year with speakers giving insights and tools to foster racial equity in our communities. The entire presentation is worth watching, but if you are pressed for time, our YouTube channel provides timestamps for the various speakers and you will not regret watching the opening remarks of Fred Blackwell and Closing Remarks of Stephanie Doute. Prepare to be inspired and please dig into the two panel presentations for data, tools and action steps. You can also view the PowerPoint presentation here.

Essay Contest

The League of Women Voters of Piedmont is sponsoring its second annual essay contest. The contest is open to all high school juniors and seniors who are currently enrolled in Piedmont High School or Millennium High School or who are residents of Piedmont. This year's 250-500 word essay must be submitted by April 17, 2021 and will answer the question "Given the fragility of democracy as evidenced by the insurrection of January 6, 2021, how can your generation work to ensure that democracy in the United States is strengthened for future generations?" There is a $500 prize awarded to the first place essay. For more information and details on submission, please visit our website.


Piedmont Launches Community Fair Housing Survey

Visit the project website PiedmontIsHome.org to participate in the Community Fair Housing Survey and to comment on the Interactive Housing Map. The online and interactive "pinnable" Housing Map gives Piedmont residents the chance to identify sites for new housing development, including sites for new affordable housing development. These on-line community planning tools will be open until April 15, 2021.

Before taking the survey, read the following short and informative pieces on how housing policies relate to racial equity:

Next LWVP Board Meeting April 7, 2021 

The next Board Meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.  The meeting will be virtual.  
 
Please contact LWVPiedmont@gmail.com for details, or check our calendar.  All members are invited to attend.  


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The League of Women Voters of Piedmont is a tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law. Our federal tax ID is 94-6094831