Dear Neighbors, Friends & Fellow Democrats,
While we are disturbed by the number of Americans who decided to cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris this year, we remain encouraged by the enthusiasm and hard work performed by dedicated volunteers within our Malibu community and across the nation to help elect Democrats. The fight continues onward, and we are prepared to do our part to defend the inhabitants, institutions, and interests of the United States and our allies abroad.
This election cycle, over one hundred volunteers from Malibu hand-wrote over ten thousand postcards, called hundreds of thousands of voters, canvassed across neighboring battleground congressional districts and swing states to knock on many additional thousands of doors, and helped raise over one million dollars for Democratic candidates. Additionally, Malibu Democrats spent hundreds of hours speaking directly with voters and distributing voter registration forms and election information on Sundays at the Malibu Farmers Market.
Congratulations to Malibu’s U.S. Representative Brad Sherman (CA-32), California State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (AD-42), our newly-elected U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, Congressmember-elect George Whitesides (CA-27), and all other victorious candidates who voters entrusted with the great responsibility of representing our shared values and accomplishing our common goals. We look forward to continuing to work with Sen. Schiff, Rep. Sherman, Asm. Irwin, and our other elected officials to address ongoing local issues such as improving PCH and public safety, strengthening fire prevention and response, and protecting our environment and open spaces.
Locally, while county election officials will continue to count votes until the end of the month, Bruce Silverstein, Steve Uhring, and Haylynn Conrad currently lead the field of Malibu City Council candidates. We thank each of the candidates who participated in our Malibu Democratic Club forum in October, congratulate the to-be-certified winners, and trust that they will each do their best to serve Malibu. We also congratulate the committee supporting our local school facilities bond, Measure MM, which appears to have passed.
We extend our gratitude to President Joe Biden, California’s own Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and all of the Democratic candidates and grassroots volunteers across the country for their service and commitment to defending democracy. Faced against candidates promoting hate, division, and falsehoods, history will remember that Democrats stood on the side of justice, unity, and truth.
We especially thank our partners at Grassroots Democrats HQ and Westside Democratic HQ for all of the incredible work that they do, and for consistently supporting our volunteer efforts in Malibu.
If you are feeling afraid or vulnerable in the aftermath of this election for any reason, please know that we at the Malibu Democratic Club are here to foster community, support those at risk and in need, and provide information on other helpful resources and organizations.
We will continue to host monthly Board meetings and organize regular events throughout non-election years, and invite you to join the club or renew your annual membership to support our ongoing efforts to be of service while fighting to protect our democracy, our rights, and our freedoms. We will soon resume our monthly hikes and gatherings to more closely unite our Malibu Democratic community, and continue to send out periodic email updates highlighting upcoming events and other useful information.
We wish you joy over the final months of 2024 and during whichever holidays you choose to observe and celebrate.
In solidarity & with gratitude,
Gina Muscatel, Co-President, Malibu Democratic Club
Hap Henry, Co-President, Malibu Democratic Club
Marilyn Green, Volunteer Chair, Malibu Democratic Club
Do you all know Laura Mannino? If you don’t, you need to. Laura founded DRAIN THE NRA, an organization that’s helping to end gun violence by boycotting NRA coprorate partners. They also partner with other gun reform groups to support federal and state fun reform legislation. Drain The NRA is holding its first general interest meeting of the year, where they’ll be going over their plan for the year. If gun safety is your issue, you shouldn’t miss it.
DRAIN THE NRA
GENERAL INTEREST MEETING
Wednesday, February 27
7:30 – 9pm
HANCOCK PARK
Address provided upon RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScM5AVtUX8Q8vrsoFHxIPBn5JFWUUd-AOmamhjaDhrTjYl6NQ/viewform
For more info on “Drain the NRA” visit: http://www.DrainTheNRA.com
LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and a task force of more than two dozen county, city, state, and federal agency and community leaders will be present during two public Listening Sessions on February 23 and March 3 to hear from residents affected by the Woolsey Fire.
Two public Listening Sessions will be held on February 23 and March 3 to capture the experiences of residents affected by the Woolsey Fire. In December, the LA County Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive review of the Wolsey Fire response and recovery. The motion asked for a specific assessment about emergency notification and procedures, strategic communications during the fire and its aftermath, and community repopulation notification and procedures.
The public testimony during the Listening Sessions will inform the report being prepared by LA County, so that it can accurately reflect the experiences of those most affected, and gather recommendations for improvements that could be put into place for every stage of such a wildfire. LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and a Task Force of more than two dozen community leaders will be present during the Sessions to listen to the public testimony.
The Listening Sessions will be held on Saturday, February 23rd from 10am-3pm in Malibu at Elkins Auditorium at Pepperdine University, and Sunday, March 3rd from 10am-3pm at King Gillette Ranch.
The Woolsey Fire, a fast-moving brush fire that was 14 miles wide, with a footprint of 150 square miles, and driven by gusts of up to 70 mph, was the most destructive fire L.A. County has ever seen. It moved from the 101 Freeway to the Pacific Ocean in just five hours. Seventy thousand homes, businesses, and other structures lay in the fire’s path, and a quarter of a million people were evacuated.
The Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains
invites you to join them for a
Special Town Hall & Bagel Brunch
with
Congressman Ted Lieu & State Senator Henry Stern
Saturday March 9, 10:45 am – 1:00 pm
Topanga Library Meeting Room
122 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd
______
Congressman Ted Lieu will speak on
the Green New Deal, the Trump Investigation and Gun Safety
_______
Henry Stern will be here to speak on
the Woolsey Fire, the environment and a Green New Deal for California.
Bring your questions – there will be Q & A
_______
RSVP to: Dorothy Reik at dorothyreik@pdsmm.org, or
Cell: 310-291-1300
Dorothy Reik
President, Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains
More info @ PDSMM.org
Follow me on Twitter @DorothyReik
Follow PDSMM ON Instagram @PDSMM90290
Follow PDSMM on Twitter @PDSMM90290
Please Join HODG’s TEAM 2020
Sonja Berndt / Doreen Braverman / Linda Burstyn / Christy Callahan / Helen Eigenberg / Julie Hermelin / Karen Hermelin + Mark Borman / Mickey Katz / Moira Kelly / Jennifer Levin / Steve Lichtman / Julie Milligan / Rene Mochkatel / Lauren Petkin / Lizzie Schwartz / Heidi Segal / Sarah Timberman
With Special Guest
US SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW
For coffee and conversation in support of
ONE MICHIGAN
SUNDAY, MARCH 10th
9:30am – 11:30a,
at Karen Hermelin + Mark Borman’s Home
345 S. Lucerne Blvd
HANCOCK PARK
RSVP: email seldengu@gmail.com, or
To register and contribute online: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/stabenow-hermelin#
Activist: $100 / Sponsor: $ 250 / Host: $ 500 / Chair: $ 1000
Turns out Team 2020 isn’t just interested in winning the White House. They also have their eyes on the Senate, the house, and turning as many key states BLUE as they can. Among those states is MICHIGAN. Michigan was one of 3 pivotal states that went for Trump in 2016. After getting shellacked in 2016, the Michigan Democratic Party’s launched a year-round, full-time field operation, called “One Michigan”. By engaging voters year round, Dems won all state wide elections in 2018: Governor, Senator, Attorney General and Secretary of State. They flipped 2 US House seats and made gains in the state legislature. They plan to stay the course in 2019 and 2020, but that takes funding. To wit, this fundraiser.
Join Universal, Mother Jones, and PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) for a special screening of “The Public,” a film by Emilio Estevez. Film screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director Emilio Estevez and Mother Jones’ editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery.
Film synopsis: In “the public” an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. The story revolves around the library patrons, many of whom are homeless, mentally ill and marginalized, as well as an exhausted and overwhelmed staff of librarians who often build emotional connections and a sense of obligation to care for those regular patrons. At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, the Patrons turn the building into a homeless shelter for the night by staging an “Occupy” sit in. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what’s really happening. This David versus Goliath story tackles some of our nation’s most challenging issues, homelessness and mental illness and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.