Category Archives: Solano County

PDB URGES SOLANO VOTERS TO OPPOSE EAST SOLANO PLAN/CALIFORNIA FOREVER DEVELOPMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 20, 2024

BENICIA – The Progressive Democrats of Benicia (“PDB”) stand with the Solano Together coalition of individuals and organizations, including the Greenbelt Alliance, Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club California, and others, in opposing the California Forever’s East Solano Plan.

PDB’s mission is to promote equity, justice, and environmental stewardship in our community. We advocate for democratically determined, sustainable, and inclusive solutions that honor both the needs of Benicia and Solano County residents and the preservation of our natural environment. 

The proposed development by California Forever contradicts these core principles. The project’s glossy marketing and recent rebranding cannot hide the reality that its leaders have failed to fully answer questions about how to provide for the Solano County community’s present and future needs. PDB must therefore urge a “NO” vote on the initiative, should it qualify to appear on the November ballot.

PDB acknowledges the urgent need for affordable housing for Californians; however, California Forever has provided no clear commitment to addressing this issue, referring to home prices in the millions. The East Solano Plan also risks vital water and land resources, our air quality, and the future of Solano County’s agricultural economy without adequately addressing serious infrastructural concerns around the city’s accessibility or impacts to neighboring cities. Moreover, California Forever’s East Solano Plan ballot measure threatens to cause irreversible damage to Solano County’s unique conservation areas and jeopardize the future of some of California’s most resilient farms and rangelands. Finally, the nature of the proposed city’s governance is unclear, generating real concerns about whether residents in this new city will have the ability to participate democratically in their governance.

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia urge voters to support the development of genuinely affordable housing, safeguard our environment, and protect Solano County’s democratic values and future by voting NO on the California Forever/East Solano Plan measure in November.

For media inquiries: Kathy Kerridge, Chair ([email protected])

To download a PDF copy of this release, click this link: Progressive Democrats of Benicia News Release re. California Forever’s East Solano Plan (6.20.24)

Meeting Reflections – August 8, 2023

MEETING REFLECTIONS
AUGUST 8, 2023


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Our August general membership meeting was held on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 7pm, via Zoom.

Agenda:

  • Call to Order
  • Quorum
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Acknowledgements/Announcements
  • What are Advisory Boards/Commissions?
    • Ramon Castellblanch, Ph.D. ED ADAB
    • Monica Brown, Solano Co. Supervisor, Dist. 2
  • Jonathan Cook, ED Solano Pride Center
  • Endorsement Poll – membership
  • Wrap Up – Next Meeting 9/13 at 7:00 pm

Announcements

  • Mayor Steve Young reported on:
    • City Council appointed Mario Giuliani as City Manager
    • the City Council meeting on August 15th – topics to be discussed: shutting off water for non-payment; resolution in opposition to SB 532 on bridge toll increases
    • Sept. 5th meeting: two-step request to drop Wells Fargo as City’s bank
    • Concern about Flannery Assoc. buying up land around Travis Air Force Base
  • Supervisory Brown gave a quick report on today’s board meeting
  • PDB is looking for members to join the ByLaws Subcommittee and the Steering Committee
  • United Democrats of Solano County are holding in-depth, hour-long interviews with each state senate candidate. Recordings of these interviews will be made available on their Facebook page.
    • August 9 – District 3 Senate Candidate  Christopher Cabaldon, former mayor of West Sacramento
    • Sept. 6 – District 3 Senate Candidate Rozzana Verder-Aliga, Vice-Mayor of Vallejo

Program

We had a discussion about the Advisory Boards and Commissions in Solano County. Maggie Kolk described the role played by the County boards and commissions.  Supervisor Monica Brown and Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board (ADAB) Chair Rámon Castellblanch, Ph.D. discussed the future of the boards. Both fielded questions.

Steering committee member Jack Kolk shared more about the PDB Google Group and why you should sign up to join it.

Our featured speaker was Johnathan Cook, Executive Director of the Solano Pride Center.  He described the meeting he attended in Vacaville organized by a conservative group speaking out against recognizing June as Pride Month and against raising the Pride flag.  He also spoke about:

  • the numerous anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country in 2023.
  • AB 1314 mandating that teachers “out” students to their parents. Solano Pride Center opposes this bill.
  • Similar battles going on in school districts throughout the state.
  • HR 734 banning trans and intersex students from participating in sports. Solano Pride Center opposes this bill.
  • AB 957 introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson: TGI (Trans Gender-Expansive Intersex) Youth Empowerment Act seeks to update the Family Code allowing judges to take into consideration in custody hearings a parent’s or guardian’s  acceptance of a child’s gender identity. Solano Pride Center supports this bill.

Membership Poll

The membership poll favored voting on which candidate to endorse via the PDB website.

Here is the link to the video recording of this important meeting! If asked, enter the passcode:   %!gQaHZ9

Sept. Meeting Date Moved for State Senate Endorsements

Our September meeting will be on Wednesday, September 13 to accommodate our speakers.  We will be hearing from all three candidates who are running to replace Bill Dodd in the State Senate.

We will offer members an opportunity to vote on which candidate to endorse via the PDB website.  The bylaws state “New Members shall be entitled to vote on all Club matters sixty (60) days after payment of dues. Existing members, upon payment of membership renewal dues, shall be eligible immediately to vote on all Club matters.”

In other words, if you haven’t yet renewed your membership, please do so as soon as possible to ensure you are eligible to vote on the endorsements in September.

An endorsement from the Progressive Dems is important both to candidates and to our club, and there may not be unanimity in our membership regarding who we support.

Don’t miss this important meeting!

 

Our Next Meeting – Tuesday, August 8

MEMBER MEETING
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2023, 7:00 PM

ZOOM MEETING

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Our next general membership meeting will be on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 7pm, via Zoom (scroll down to find the link, which will be included in a reminder email as well). We have a program lined up that could not be more pertinent to the times we live in.

Our feature speaker will be Johnathan Cook from the Solano Pride Center.  He’ll be speaking about the attacks on the LGBTQI+ community.

We will also have a discussion about the boards and commissions in Solano County.  Supervisor Monica Brown and Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board (ADAB) Chair Rámon Castellblanch, Ph.D. will discuss the future of the boards.

Steering committee members will also be on hand to share more about the PDB Google Group and why you should sign up to join it.

Sept. Meeting Date Moved for State Senate Endorsements

Our September meeting will be on Wednesday, September 13 to accommodate our speakers.  We will be hearing from all three candidates who are running to replace Bill Dodd in the State Senate.

We want to give our members an opportunity to exchange ideas about who to endorse, but we won’t have time at the September meeting itself to do that.  At our August meeting, we will ask current members to vote on whether to have a separate, follow-up meeting or carry on that discussion over our Google Group.  We will also ask the members to approve a questionnaire that will be sent to the candidates.

Our bylaws state “New Members shall be entitled to vote on all Club matters sixty (60) days after payment of dues. Existing members, upon payment of membership renewal dues, shall be eligible immediately to vote on all Club matters.”

In other words, if you haven’t yet renewed your membership, please do so as soon as possible to ensure you are eligible to vote on the endorsements in September.

The United Democrats of Southern Solano are holding in-depth, hour-long interviews with each state senate candidate.  The recordings of these are or will be made available on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UnitedDems.  They have already interviewed Jackie Elward, a City Council Member from Rohnert Park (here is the video).  In August, they will interview Christopher Cabaldon, former mayor of West Sacramento.  Their last interview will be for Rozanna Verder-Aliga, Vice-Mayor of Vallejo, and will take place in the first week of September.

An endorsement from the Progressive Dems is important both to candidates and to our club, and there may not be unanimity in our membership regarding who we support. Watching these interviews in advance, reading the questionnaires and seeing all three on the same night should give you the information you need to make an informed decision.

Our Zoom meeting details are below.  Our Zoom link and sign-in details will be the same through October if you would like to save them to your calendar.

Join PDB Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82362109045?pwd=bG9SMzE3RnA5VlJWeXhUMWhUNjk5Zz09

Meeting ID: 823 6210 9045
Passcode: 039610

One tap mobile
+16699006833,,82362109045#,,,,*039610# US (San Jose)
+16694449171,,82362109045#,,,,*039610# US

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdtJHvmFU6

Don’t miss this important meeting!

See you on Zoom, Tuesday, August 8 at 7:00 PM!