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Our household back to school schedule began this week with my daughter Annie heading off to her first day as a junior in high school. This year my mood borders on a more somber note as I contemplate what her future holds. What kind of California will she inherit?
In California, our summer began with one of the biggest budget battles in the history of California. The mounting deficit wrought massive cuts to many state services. How the cuts will affect us remains to be fully realized, but one thing is clear - those cuts will affect every Californian.
I have not written a newsletter in awhile because I am at a loss for words with the state of our State. The bottom line is simply that I really have not known what to write. While the unemployment rate continues to increase, new home “for sale” signs pop up in the neighborhood almost daily, and our local shopping district loses one business after another. With this kind of economic climate, to encourage equality (equal representation in government) somehow doesn’t appear to be an immediate concern, but it remains of vital significance.
In my heart I understand that Annie’s future, as a Californian, and young women like her remain an important and intricate part of our future.
Reading the Los Angeles Times a few days ago, I learned that California’s jobless rate reached a fresh post-World War II high in July, climbing to 11.9 percent, a sobering reminder that California is in dire straits. Another article in the Los Angeles Times reported that the job losses are highest among men with one in four men in California joining the ranks of the unemployed. Women are faring better and so far have retained a higher employment rate than men.
This reminds us why equality is a pertinent issue. The loss of a man’s earnings makes it hard for middleclass families to make ends meet because the average female worker earns just 78 percent of what a man earns in a similar occupation. Two income families are a necessity, especially here in California, and in many cases families cannot subsist on the woman’s wages alone. Lack of equality in pay is not only discriminatory, but today women’s wage deficiencies may mean the further erosion of the middle class family.
This is the relevancy that many miss on the surface of feminist fight for equality. Women’s rights are important to our families, our economy, and the future of our nation. Electing women is one way to ensure that the rights of women are protected. We need more women to run and win.
Where are all the women leaders of tomorrow? California is facing a crisis in the feminist fight for equality. Only 33 women currently serve on our state legislature and just six women have ever held an Executive Branch office. Each election cycle we lose more women to term limits and the pipeline of new women leaders has slowed to a trickle. There are many reasons, but research shows women are choosing not to run because of the daunting hurdles facing our female candidates. Raising huge amounts of money to run a viable race, making personal sacrifices, and all too often they are forced to defend themselves from gender based biases from their opponents.
Unfortunately, the pipeline for future women leaders is dwindling on every level. City councils, supervisory boards, and boards of education are all reporting fewer numbers of women running and winning locally. Watching Rep. Chu being sworn reminded me once again how important it is to elect women at each level of government.
One bright spot this summer was the election of Dr. Judy Chu to Congress. Together with family, friends and staff, we watched Dr. Judy Chu being sworn in as the Congressional representative for California District 32 on Thursday, July 16. Congratulations to Representative Judy Chu! And congratulations California - we are fortunate to have such an experienced, dedicated elected official representing our state in Congress, especially during these difficult times.
ON THE HORIZON
With the primary for 2010 less than a year away, CALIFORNIA LIST is busy working to identify, train, and support candidates to help them run and win. We held our first candidate training in Sacramento on June 18 with a luncheon reception beforehand. Although in the fight to close the budget gap, many of our elected women and men turned out to greet the candidates who came to the training. It was a great opportunity for our candidates.
Thank you to all who came to support the women who are beginning their campaigns on the road to Sacramento.
We have four more training seminars planned with the next scheduled to be in East Los Angeles in October. Please contact CALIFORNIA LIST Administrator Lisa Sanow at lsanow@californialist.org if you have any suggestions where we should hold the Los Angeles training session.
HELP US BUILD OUR NETWORK FOR WOMEN CANDIDATES
Early in the spring we held five house parties hosted in the homes of members and friends. We are looking for volunteers who would like to host a party in the spirit of activism. Renee Brown Holt is coordinating these community gatherings throughout California where we can come together and talk about what we call Pink Collar Politics: 2010 Election Preview. It’s an opportunity to share ideas and meet some of the local elected officials and 2010 candidates.
Would you be willing to host a small get-together and help us begin to identify, support and elect Democratic women to state office? Please contact me at bduval@californialist.org to receive more information on this exciting and fun opportunity.
Now is the time for action! An infusion of member support will help the CALIFORNIA LIST rebuild our resources and continue our important work, so please renew as soon as possible.
