A Voice for Citizens, A Force for Change
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization
encouraging informed and active participation in government and influencing public policy through education and advocacy.
Unit Meetings:
Unit Meetings are repeated in 8 locations around the city the second week of the month. See the Voter newsletter or google calendar for details of meeting times and locations.
May units will show and discuss the film, "The Healthcare Movie"
Upcoming Events
May 30 - Education Tour of Neighborhood House's Kitchen and two Headstart schools, 8:45 am - noon
Click here for flyer
June 1, 9:45 am - 12:45 pm, League of Women Voters of San Diego Annual Meeting, Hera Hub, speaker is Rumman Chowdry, Political Science Ph.D. Candidate, UCSD, "Engaging Tomorrow's Leaders: The Future of the League and the Evolving Female Demographic", reservations required
Click here for flyer
Reflecting on a Successful Earth Day Event
The LWV North County San Diego joined forces with LWV San Diego City to set up a highly-attended booth designed to entice both young and older participants to take part in two activities related to water.
One side of the table asked people to vote for an alternate name for the toilet-to-tap project, a popular discussion item especially among young adults and San Diego Mayor Bob Filner when he stopped by. He cast his vote for Showers to Flowers his personal write-in choice.
The other side of the table appealed to families who would spin a wheel that landed on a question about water. Though the questions were challenging, the smiles and laughter were apparent when each child or adult was awarded with a potted home-grown succulent plant. The plants were a huge draw to the table, so when the young people and families stopped to look and spin the wheel, it kept them engaged enough to pick up some information about the League.
To continue the EarthFair fun, in case you missed visiting the LWV booth, we invite you to vote in our "re-name our water" election. View poll on GoPollGo and cast your vote. After you vote just close the window.
California Public Utilities Commission Rejects Quail Brush Power Plant
On March 22, 2013, the PUC unanimously rejected the construction of a power plant near Mission Trails Regional Park after listening for two hours to many environmental groups in opposition, including the League of Women Voters of San Diego County. They said that San Diego needs to develop more renewable energy locally. It also would have been very costly to the ratepayers. You can read the League's arguments against the plant by clicking on Quail Brush below.
Judge Rules that the Mayor Does Not Need to Sign the TMD Contract
The Tourism Marketing District (TMD) five-year contract that was approved by the City Council and had Mayor Sanders' support last Fall has not yet been signed by the current Mayor. The TMD has sued the City and stopped its convention center advertising and issued lay-off notices because of lack of funds. Judge Timothy Taylor decided on March 22, 2013 that the Mayor does not need to sign the contract. The TMD would impose a 2% fee on hotel rooms and use the money to promote tourism and the convention center; the city would have no control. The League of Women Voters of San Diego thinks this tax is in violation of new state laws approved by the voters and has spoken against the TMD. More details are below under the Tourism Marketing District.
Judge Strikes Down Plaza de Panama Approval
A Superior Court judge struck down a years-in-the-making plan to remake Balboa Park's western entrance Monday. Judge Timothy Taylor upheld his earlier tentative ruling that the city broke its own law in approving the project.
Click to Read Article League of Women Voters-San Diego current issues of interest:
« Health Care:
The law contains a number of provisions that are changing the rules of health care for consumers LWVUS on the decision
« Redevelopment: Where do we now get funds for affordable housing?
« Embarcadero: Keeping the Embarcadero a place for citizens and tourists to enjoy our harbor views
« Human Trafficking: Do our students know how to keep safe from the predators who are seducing our young women into a nightmare life?
« City Planning: Where is our City Planning Department? How can a City make reasonable plans without one?
« Privatization of City services: What oversight is being built into the proposals to privatize our city services? What services will we be giving up in exchange for possible savings? What proof is there that there will be savings? Will the contracts be competitive and is there a way to go back to public control if these contracts are a "bad deal" for our citizens?
« Balboa Park: The League opposes building a garage and elevated roadway to it from the Cabrillo bridge in the middle of the historic district and supports adding a garage built into the hillside at Inspiration Point. The new Conservancy raising money to rehabilitate and/or fund new projects for Balboa Park has little transparency. The League has also commented on the Memorandum of Understanding with the Centenniel Committee.
« Managed Growth Initiative Review: Due to possible encroachment of the Rancho del Mar retirement home on floodplains in the San Dieguito River Valley Park, the League has asked for a review of the voter-approved Managed Growth Initiative.<br/>
« Early Childhood Education: A coalition of agencies serving preschoolers is headed by the LWVSD and working to improve services and funding for quality education at the preschool level.
« Quail Brush Genco: An electric generating peaker plant with eleven 100 feet high stacks is being proposed to be built near Sycamore Landfill and on the edge of Mission Trails Regional Park. Rezoning of land is being discussed again at the Planning Commission; the League was there to testify against it. The City Council did not approve this proposal which goes onto state review.
« Initiative and Referendum Update Study: an Update of the League's position on Initiative and Referendum is underway
« Tourism Marketing District (TMD) - The lodging industry association has developed a proposal to renew the TMD tourist tax for 39.5 years and has developed a draft District Management Plan to spend the 2% (less for small hotels) assessment on hotel rooms largely on marketing and sales activities which will benefit the assessed businesses. The vote to add this assessment would be taken by the hoteliers in secret and weighted so that larger hotels have more say. The proposal has been approved by the Committee on Budget and Finance and is expected to come to the San Diego City Council soon. We are also concerned that a tax is being called an assessment to get around Proposition 26 and that a 5-year plan has been increased to a 39.5 year plan. Those being assessed are not the beneficiaries as required by law. This item was approved by City Council but is being challenged in court.
« I am Mahala
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