February 2025 Club Newsletter

Upcoming Meeting

—by Tim Dixon

Join us for our hybrid (In-person and Zoom), club meeting which will be held at the Peninsula Center Library, 701 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, California, 90274 on February 16, 2025.   Our meeting starts at 2:30 pm but join us at 2:00 pm to chat and network with other Democrats.

Michael Hiltzik

Joining us in-person will be Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Hiltzik. Mr. Hiltzik has written for the Los Angeles Times for more than 40 years and will be our keynote speaker at the meeting. His business column appears in print every Sunday and Wednesday, and occasionally on other days. Hiltzik and colleague Chuck Philips shared the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for articles exposing corruption in the entertainment industry. His seventh book, “Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America,” was published in 2020. His forthcoming book, “The Golden State,” is a history of California. Mr. Hiltzik received his bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and his master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Fire Relief Effort: 

Joining our meeting via zoom will be two speakers, including a board member from the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club who will speak on the devastating impact of the recent wildfires, relief efforts that are in progress and ways that our members can help with the recovery effort.

For more information, or to register to attend our meeting, click here.

President's Report

—by Robert Wynne

In just a few short days, the presidency of Donald Trump has been marked by destruction, incompetence, scapegoating and racism. In just one week, Trump did the following: 

  • Blamed DEI hiring practices and the Democrats for the plane crash January 29 at Reagan National Airport

  • Claimed he invented an imaginary spigot full of millions of gallons of water that he personally turned on after his visit to inspect fire damage in Los Angeles

  • Threatened tariffs against Colombia for not accepting immigrants who were shackled

  • Unveiled plans to conquer the Panama Canal and Greenland

  • Cut funding for Medicaid, food stamps, school lunches and other social safety programs to pay for additional tax breaks for his donors, corporations and billionaires.

As Americans, Democrats, and Californians, it is our duty to fight back against fascism and support democracy. History shows weakness and appeasement, as evidenced by Neville Chamberlain and Merrick Garland, only serves to strengthen dictators. Democrats need more warriors and fewer placaters; more sharks and fewer jellyfish.

Some democrats, such as Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, bowed and scraped for Trump, with predictable results. In addition to losing his dignity, he gained nothing for his constituents. This is why our Senators, Adam Schiff, and Alex Padilla, disappointed all of us by voting to confirm one of Trump's unqualified cabinet members on Friday, January 31.

Have they learned nothing? Cowardice doesn't work. The resistance cannot proceed with leaders who defy the will of their voters by offering concessions to a despotic leader. This is where courage comes in. Which is why we can all be proud that of the 34 candidates running to represent the 66th Assembly District of the California Democratic Party, nine are members of our club. Arohi Sharma, Tony Hale, Ann Sadye Gotthoffer, Michael Yeijun Lee-Chan, Caryl Joy Schwartz,  Scott Houston, Tim Dixon, Bridget Lewis and Jeannie Hahn are the leaders - and the warriors - California needs. 

The battle for democracy will be extremely difficult and requires commitment, strength and courage. There is no room for appeasement. The stakes are much too high.

January 2025 Club Meeting Report

—by Tim Dixon

On Sunday. January 19, 2025, the Palos Verdes Democrats held their monthly meeting at the Peninsula Center Library and via Zoom. Palos Verdes Democrats Vice President Tim Dixon moderated an expert panel discussion that covered the topic, “Reproductive Rights in the New Administration.”  

On the panel we had Sylvia Castillo, the Executive Director of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom. Ms. Castillo became executive director in 2024 and is a champion for reproductive health, rights, and justice, with more than a decade of experience in coalition building. A native of Los Angeles, she received her Bachelor of Arts in History and Latin American Studies from UCLA and attended the University of San Francisco Public Affairs graduate program. 

We also had Minouche Kandel on the panel. Ms. Kandel is a Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Southern California specializing in the LGBTQ, Gender & Reproductive Justice Project. Ms. Kandel received her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

The panelists engaged in an in-depth discussion of what California has done to shore up access to reproductive justice post Dobbs and in advance of the Trump administration and ways in which a Trump administration could affect access to reproductive justice in California. The panelists also covered areas that California could improve its access to reproductive justice. The engaging presentations resulted in a lengthy question and answer session with the members present in person and via zoom. 

Both speakers work for non-profit organizations and if members are inclined to support these organizations, you can donate to the California Coalition for Reproductive Health at the following line: https://www.reproductivefreedomca.org/donate.html. Members wishing to donate to the ACLA can do so at this link:: https://www.aclusocal.org/en/ways-support-aclu-southern-california

Russ Baker

Russ Baker joined our meeting via Zoom. Russ grew up in California, received a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA and a master’s degree in journalism from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. Baker worked as a metro reporter with Newsday in New York City and other news organizations.  He covered the fall of the Berlin Wall for CBS Radio and The Christian Science Monitor, and, for a variety of publications, the fall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. 

Baker founded an independent, nonprofit news organization, WhoWhatWhy. WhoWhatWhy accepts no ads and is funded entirely on reader contributions and the work of "a mix of paid journalists and skilled volunteers.”  WhoWhatWhy covers national and international topics, with an emphasis on politics and power, the environment, and war and peace." 

Mr. Baker focused his discussion on the last presidential election and his views concerning the incoming Trump Administration and protecting democracy in America.

From the Activism Chair

—by Caryl Schwartz

As dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn warned in 1974 about the Soviet Union, “the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State.” So too here, it will be a pillar of Donald Trump’s second term.

The first week of Donald Trump’s term has been a whirlwind of activity, massive Executive Orders, pardoning of the insurrectionists, firing the Inspectors General, challenging the Constitutional Right of Birthright citizenship, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and WHO, implementation of Project 2025 agenda all of which threatens our Democracy.  My personal mission is to keep sane and look for truth and not be distracted by distortion and lies from Trump in the media. 

As I have said before:  Activism is the antidote to anxiety, you can make a difference, so volunteer.

There is a very thin majority in the House of Representatives.  April 1st there are 2 special Elections in Florida and a State Supreme Court Race in Wisconsin.

Gay Valimont is running in Florida’s District One.  To volunteer or donate to her campaign visit https://gayforcongress.com/. 

 By January 28th we will know the Democratic candidate for Florida District 6.  

There will also be a special election in New York 21 when Elise Stefanik is confirmed as Ambassador to the United Nations. Flipping any of these 3 Congressional seats will be a victory.

The most critical action is to get involved in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court Race to fill an open seat. Judge Susan Crawford is running against MAGA Republican Brad Schimel. If Susan Crawford is elected, pro-democracy judges maintain their 4-3 majority.  If she loses, Wisconsin Republicans regain a majority on their Supreme Court and they would rule against the fair state legislative maps that resulted in Democrats picking up 14 state legislative seats in 2024.

This is what’s at stake:

  • Protecting fair state legislative maps in Wisconsin.

  • Preserving the Wisconsin Supreme Court's ability to get rid of gerrymandered congressional maps.

  • Preserving reproductive rights in Wisconsin

As of January 30 2:30 PM, I began phone-banking every Thursday at 2:30.  Please feel free to join me at my house or via Zoom.  Here’s the link to register in advance:

 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1TvaM7LUT7io0IB90ESN_g

You can also sign up to volunteer or donate at https://wisdems.org/

Notes from the LACDP January Meeting

—by Jon Munoz

The LACDP meeting was held on Tuesday January 14th. The beginning of the meeting was taken up with discussion of the Palisades and Altadena fires and the Trump Administration’s threats of conditioning aid. It was noted that $80 billion is sent from the state of California to the US Federal Government and that the amount of money LA County sends exceeds what several states send. In news related to AD 66,  the LACDP voted to approve the below listed recommendations for the Redondo Beach Municipal Election.  The election is taking place March 4th. 

Redondo Beach City Council District 1:
Brad Waller

Redondo Beach City Council, District 2:
Chadwicke Castle

Redondo Beach City Council, District 4:
No Endorsement

Redondo Beach Mayor:
Georgette Gantner

Redondo Beach City Attorney:
Joy Ford 

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday February 11th.