Page March Meeting Recap 2 La Mesa Steps Up to Nazi Threat 3 2024 Dues Reminder 4 Supreme Court Takes On Abortion Pill 5 Support Free Speech in La Mesa 6 CADEM Applications 7 Meeting Photos 8 Officers and Board 9
June 7 7 PM MEETING La Mesa Community Center 4975 Memorial Drive (social time begins at 6:30)
The progressive VOICE voice
The Progressive Voice is the monthly newsletter of the La Mesa - Foothills Democratic Club, serving the communities of La Mesa, Mt. Helix, San Carlos, Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, and the SDSU and other East County areas since 1984.
APRIL 2024
La Mesa City Council Meetings Tuesday, April 9, 6:00PM Tuesday, April 23, 6:00PM Link for live stream available at: cityoflamesa.us/247/City-Council
Recap of March meeting of The La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club on March 6, 2024 Meeting called to order by President Tina Rynberg at 7:00 pm Tina remind all members that we must support democrats even if we disagree The agenda was approved by aclamation The LMFDC voted to endorse Seth Smith for Lemon Grove City Council by acclamation. Janet Castaños spoke about the hate groups at the La Mesa City Council meeting, In response to this, the La Mesa City Council voted to completely do away with public comments rather than go through the work of making some reasonable procedural changes. Janet asked to support free speech in La Mesa by implementing a few procedures that would move any hate speech to the end of the meeting when there is no audience left. An informational paper with comments on who to contact for objection to do away with Remote Public Comment was handed out to members and guests. Speakers from Casa Cornelia-Carmen Chavez-Executive Director. 501(c) non-profit organization that provides free legal services to victims of human and civil right violations. The organization has been in existence for over 30 years. Serve the entire county of San Diego and Imperial Valley. Anne Bautista, Esq.-Immigration Attorney. Carmen states that the organization assisted immigrants from over 50 different countries. Over 3 million backlog of cases because of the previous administration. Anne has been an attorney for over 20 years. Anne talked about many cases of abuse against women. The Provisions of the violence against Women Act of 1994 (written by Biden) and Anne talked about how the act has assisted many women victims. Anne explained that the organization has a large network of attorneys who volunteer-pro-bono who assisted with Casa Cornelia over 2,500 individuals last year. Anne explains that many are in desperate state that is why they leave their country. Anne and Carmen do what they do because they care! An organization called TRAC-Transitional Record Action Clearing who tracks the adjudication of cases. Carmen discussed the Afghanans that are seeking asylum, and their cases. Some children made it out of Afghanistan but their parents did not and these children have not been able to locate their parents. Casa Cornelia has assisted over 1059 unaccompanied children in 2023. How to help with immigration issues-a swell of goodwill and rationale, we must not give up. Carmen and Anne focus on the individual who needs their assistance. Gabriella Dominguez from Congresswoman Sara Jacobs’ office gave an update on what Sara Jacobs is doing. Sara led the San Diego Congressional Delegation and urged the IRS to extend the Federal Tax deadline following the FEMA disaster declaration after the January storms and the IRS approved this request on February 27th extending tax deadlines for residents of San Diego County from April 15th to June 17th. Sara joined the San Diego River Park Foundation at their Big River post storm cleanup and shared resources to apply for FEMA assistance for those affected by the January storms. Additionally Sara and the other Democratic members of the San Diego Congressional Delegation send a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandra Mayorkas urging to release money for the shelter and services program for incoming migrants at the San Diego Border. Chris Pearson spoke about the Primary election of March 5, 2024. Turnout in San Diego County was only 22%, but there are still 275,00 provisional ballots that need to be counted. Carl DiMaio will run against Democrat Kevin Juza in November. Colin Parent and Racquel Vasquez from the 79th Assembly District came in first and second, but it may turn over with 275,000 provisional ballots, once they are counted. Heather Ferbert won over Brian Maienschein for San Diego City Attorney. The statistics for 75th Assembly District turnout was only 27% and 79th was only 18%. 85% of voters in 75th Assembly District were white and over 50 years old and 60% over 65 years old. Where do the 85% of voters get their information from Social Media, HOA, Senior Centers? Candidates must find where the votes are meeting and get their information from to win an election. What is your win number is a question for candidates. Where are you going to get your vote, another question for candidates. Tracker for the results of the election must be studied by candidates. Chris comments about Samm Hurst losing by only 5 votes in Santee City Council. Remarkable accomplishment. There are 1,931,547 registered voters in San Diego and only 425,576 ballots counted. Brianna Coston is on La Mesa Spring Valley School Board, Area 3. El Cajon Valley School Board is an all Republican School Board. A member resigned and there will be a vacancy for the position. It will either be an appointment or a special election. Many Democrats registered in the area and Brianna is encouraging a democrat to run for this position, Jay Stieger candidate for Grossmont Union School Board, an endorsed candidate by LMFDC. Jay recently has a republican running against him, a Christian Heritage Academy candidate. Jay is asking for donations for his race. Lauren Cazares is LMFDC endorsed candidate for La Mesa City Council. Lauren won her seat at the San Diego Central Committee. Meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM
March Meeting Recap by Rosamond Trujillio Blevins
The rising tide of anti-Semitism came home to La Mesa in early February, when Nazis zoombombed a city council meeting. Nazis took over the remote call-in portion of the Feb. 13 meeting of the La Mesa City Council, phoning and Zooming in with vile bigoted conspiracy theories, part of a rising tide of American anti-Semitism that includes similar Zoom Bombing incidents and in-person appearances by Nazis elsewhere in California. Following the incident, I was physically afraid. Almost always in the US, Nazis only shoot off their mouths, but every so often they kill people—targeting Jews in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were killed in a 2018 synagogue death spree; in a synagogue shooting in nearby Poway, where one person was killed and three injured; and many other attacks. Additionally, ten Black people were murdered in a mass shooting in a Buffalo supermarket nine in a shooting at a Black church in Charleston and 20 people were killed in a Walmart killing spree targeting Texas Hispanics. The list goes on and on. The best way to handle that kind of fear is to lean into it. Resist the temptation to hide. Go toward the threat—not away from it. So I went to the next meeting of the La Mesa City Council, Feb. 27, determined to speak out. And the experience was great. Many people denounced anti-Semitism that evening. Here’s what I said, revised for clarity. “I’ve lived in La Mesa for more than 25 years, and I’m Jewish. I grew up in New York, on Long Island. When I was a kid in Hebrew School, the Holocaust was a living memory for our teachers.“I remember they told us kids that we needed to take anti-Semitism seriously. We needed to stop thinking something like the Holocaust could never harm us. They told us that we thought of ourselves as Americans first and immune from genocide—but that the German Jews of the 1930s had similar ideas about their identity. “My friends and I thought that was ridiculous at the time. We were comfortable on Long Island, which had a large Jewish population. We felt safe. “I continued to not take those teachers’ warnings seriously for 50 years, until Oct. 7, after and we started seeing anti-Semitism rising in the US. “One day in early February, I opened up my computer to check the news. Just part of my everyday morning routine. I went on a social media site, Reddit, to an international Jewish community there. That’s where I learned about Nazis speaking out freely in La Mesa. “This is how people from all over the world learned about La Mesa. “I am here to support my Palestinian neighbors, my Black neighbors, my Asian neighbors, and yes my white Christian neighbors. I support them and I require that they do the same for me and my fellow Jews. “A couple of weeks back I was listening to a sex and romantic advice podcast by a gay man named Dan Savage. (Don’t worry, this talk isn’t about getting R-rated.) He said he had heard from a straight man who asked how he could be a better ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Dan Savage responded: You can be a better ally by doing nothing. “Just do nothing. Don’t hate, don’t be a bigot, just go on living your life and let other people live their own. “That’s all you have to do. And that’s all I came here to say tonight.” I was heartened to hear many of my neighbors denounce anti-Semitism at that meeting—particularly when those neighbors identified themselves as anti-Zionists. These included Mejgan Afshan, a local civil rights activist and former candidate for La Mesa City Council, as well as a gentleman identifying himself as a Palestinian-American who came to the meeting wearing a keffiyeh, and a woman identifying herself as a member of the organization Jewish Voice for Peace. For Jews it’s often hard to distinguish between anti-Zionists and anti-Semites, so it was fantastic to hear voices raised in support from people I previously suspected of not being allies, and I am grateful to them. And I’m grateful to City Council member Jack Shu, who spoke out against anti-Semitism and took the time to talk with me on the phone multiple times prior to the meeting. Also, I’m grateful to the LMFDC board, particularly Janet Castaños, for overall support. Two final thoughts: Following the zoombombing incident, the City Council voted to close meetings to remote comment over Zoom and phones. I am appalled, outraged and disgusted by the slaughter of tens of thousands of civilians by Hamas on Oct. 7 and by Israel in following months. Beyond that, I don’t have anything useful to contribute to the public discussion; everything I might say is already being said by many people.
Candidate speeches and picnic
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NEWSLETTER
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La Mesa Steps Up To Nazi Threat by Mitch Wagner
2024 Dues Reminder by Katie Sigeti
This is your reminder that your 2024 membership dues for the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club was due in January 2024. We hope you plan to continue as a member of our club as every member is vitally important in reaching our progressive goals. We have collected 2024 dues in November and December 2023 and in January, February 2024. Thank you for your membership. If you have not paid your dues, please join us for our April 3, 2024 meeting. Our Congresswoman Sara Jacobs will be the guest speaker and we are honored. DO NOT MISS THIS! Please bring your completed dues envelope and cash or check to the April 3, 2024 meeting or https://lamesafoothillsdemocraticclub.com/membership-form/ We are proud to say many members have worked in various ways to make a difference in our political landscape. Many members pass on to their family and friends the valuable insights and information received at our meetings As a group we march in parades, have booths at loca events, attend fundraiser and work to collaborate with other clubs in an effort to increase Democratic visibility in East County. You should take enormous pride in the fact that , as a result of all this hard work by our members, our club was awarded 2016 Club of the Year by the San Diego County Democratic Party Council of Clubs, an honor we shared with the Dan Deigo Democrats for Equality. Please consider renewing your membership today at whatever level you can and continue to work towards a bright future with your friends at the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club. Katie Sigeti Vice President, Membership
On March 26th the Supreme Court will hear a case regarding the FDA’s judgment of the appropriate routes to prescribe abortion medication. By the end of June, we will hear a ruling on what the Supreme Court believes about the legality of receiving abortion pills via mail, leaving big questions about accessibility of abortion medication across all 50 states. Mifepristone, a known safe and effective abortion medication, has become a more-easily accessible since being approved by the FDA in 2000, due to the FDA’s confidence in the safety of using Mifepristone after decades of research and safe use. As of 2021, the FDA approved the prescription of abortion medication via telehealth then sent through the mail in order to provide access to abortion to women in all 50 states. The legal case was brought forward by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an anti-abortion conservative group of medical professionals who believe that the FDA’s judgment on the accessibility of the drug is not safe, but rather that it is incredibly harmful to the health of United States Citizens. The plaintiffs do not prescribe mifepristone nor have personally used it. Rather, the plaintiffs use two scientific case studies to plead their case, both of which have been retracted due to their lack of validity and poor peer-reviewing. Across 780 medical reviews and 630 published clinical trials regarding mifepristone, there showed to be few minor complications from the drugs and rather that the risk of death is “almost non-existent.” Should the lawsuit succeed, such accessibility of mifepristone in all 50 states will end, even those where abortion rights are protected. It will also undermine the judgment of the FDA regarding future decisions of medication regulation.
The Supreme Court Takes On Abortion Pill Next by Trinity Debrow
Please raise your voice in SUPPORT of CONTINUED REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT by sending an email to La Mesa City Council members! BACKGROUND On February 13th 2024, the La Mesa City Council meeting was verbally assaulted by a hate group that misused remote public comment to spew ugly antisemitic and racial hate speech. The response by Council members in a 4-1 vote on February 27 was to cease ALL public comment over zoom*. This was in spite of overwhelming public comment to KEEP remote access. SUGGESTED COMMENTS Our community deserves access:By banning remote access for public comment, the La Mesa city council has limited free speech for those who for many reasons may not be able to attend city meetings in person including parents, caretakers, people with disabilities or medical issues and others. Households with children, seniors and those with disabilities make up over 50% of La Mesa residents! All citizens deserve a voice. More engagement means better government:Research from Common Cause shows that a majority of California cities report that remote public comments have led to an increase in civic engagement and greater diversity of public views. More participation from the community means better government. Virtual meetings are the norm:One of the few good thins to come out of the pandemic has been increased remote access for all types of gatherings, including city meetings. This is, quite simply, how business is done these days. We can’t let hate mongers win:We can’t let a group of people with vile beliefs force us into giving up our civil liberties and closing off access to our government. Written comments are not the same:They may not be shared with the community and may not even be read by our elected officials. We should fight hate by standing up for our values:When the City of San Diego was similarly attacked last September, they issued a statement saying in part “…we speak in solidarity that there is no space for hate speech and violet misinformation in our city.” San Diego has retained remote public comment. It is reasonable to add some Rules of Procedure for public comments:Rather than simply cutting off live remote access, why not put some effort into well thought-out alternatives, such as requiring speakers to identify their name, city and topic; requiring speakers to comment only on city work and governance; allowing La Mesa residents to speak first and adhering to a 15-minute limit on non-agenda comments. *Note: The public may continue to submit written documents to the clerk. These comments will not be read aloud.
Support Free Speech in La Mesa
Democrats, The application to become a Democratic National Committee (DNC) member for the 2024-2028 term is open! There is still time to apply at cadem.org/dnc-members until April 17, 2024, at 5PM. Every 4 years, the California Democratic Party’s Executive Board elects 20 new DNC Members. Members have the opportunity to advocate for issues that matter most to California while representing our state's diverse perspectives at the national level. DNC Members vote on the policies and priorities of the Democratic Party, serve on various Committees and Caucus leadership positions, and elect the officers of the Democratic National Committee. Any individual registered to vote as a Democrat in California can run to be a DNC member. Candidates may be nominated by self-nomination or by another member of the CADEM Executive Board. The delegation will be split between 10 Self-Identifying Females and 10 Other Than Self-Identifying Females. Incoming DNC Members will be elected at the May 18, 2024, CADEM Executive Board Meeting. All registered Democrats are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to build a Party that is accessible and inclusive. APPLICATION OPENS: January 18, 2024 APPLICATION CLOSES: April 17, 2024 at 5PM DNC MEMBER ELECTION: May 18, 2024 ELIGIBILITY: Any registered Democrat in California may apply APPLY: cadem.org/dnc-members Thank you, CADEM Team
CADEM Applications
March Photos Photos
Board Members at Large
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www.lmfdems.com
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The La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club represents the communities of San Carlos, Del Cerro, Santee, La Mesa, Mt. Helix, Allied Gardens, College Area, Casa de Oro, and other nearby communities. Monthly meetings of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club typically feature office holders, candidates for office, community leaders and subject matter experts.
Tina Rynberg President
About the Club...
Janet Castanos Trinity Dubrow
OFFICERS President: Tina Rynberg Vice President, Membership: Katie Sigeti Vice President, Political Action: Chris Pearson Vice President, Programming: Brenda Miller Secretary: Rosamond Blevins Treasurer: Gene Mullaly Assistant Treasurer: Rosamond Blevins Special Events Coordinator: Merrill Perry Past President: Linda Armacost
La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club Claude and Beverly Cassirer, Founders