Newsletter

Community Service…Marilyn Clough

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In order to have better insight into our members’ volunteer service(s) in our greater community, we are adding a line at the bottom of our monthly volunteer hours slip in the Dispatch.  Please write in the name(s) of the organization(s) where you volunteer.

“To serve, not to be served” is AARP’s motto.  Our chapter over the years has reported thousands of volunteer hours served in many capacities.  We’d really like a clearer picture of the variety of services/ organizations enhanced by our members, and we thank you for doing your best during these recent difficult times!

Funnies

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Some Grins (That You Might Have To Be Older To Really Appreciate) … Marilyn Clough

I’m on two diets.  I wasn’t getting enough food on one.

Don’t irritate old people.  The older we get, the less “Life in prison” is a deterrent.

Do you ever get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and think, “That can’t be accurate”?

More Grins … Shelly Schwartz

A husband is throwing darts at his wife’s photo and not a single throw is hitting the target.

From another room, the wife calls: “Honey, what are you doing?”

Husband: “MISSING YOU…”

My boss calls me “the computer” — which has nothing to do with intelligence:  I go to sleep if left unattended for 15 minutes.

Observations … Veronika Phillips     and     Conjecture … Marilyn Clough

In America they call it “lobbying.”  Everywhere else in the world they call it “bribery and corruption.”

A new study found that people who take their coffee black are more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits.  And people who order quad shot, not-fat, vanilla soy, extra foam, light whip with caramel drizzle are more likely to be their victims.

Aliens probably fly by earth and lock their doors!

Signs of Life …Lynda Martinez

IN A SHOE-REPAIR STORE:  “We will heel you.  We will save your sole.  We will even dye for you.”

IN A VETERINARIAN’S WAITING ROOM:  “Be back in 5 minutes.  Sit…  Stay…”

Legislative News…Daniel Nnorth & Claudia Schott

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There’s a lot going on now that everyone is back from vacation!  AARP needs your help to influence our State Senators and Assembly Members.  Please ask them:  “Can AARP California count on your AYE votes for these bills?”

California Housing Bills

SB 9 and SB 10:  The California Housing Opportunity & More Efficiency (HOME) Act

  • People of all ages and ability levels need safe, decent, and affordable housing that will enable them to continue to live safely in their homes and communities as they get older – but, unfortunately, this is not a reality for many Californians.
  • For many older adults, the current housing crisis in California is an extreme burden.  Research from UCLA found that 78 percent of low-income older adults in California are “rent-burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing – and more than 55 percent of low-income older adults spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing.
  • California cannot afford to have another year with no housing legislation passed. That is why AARP is fully supporting SB 9 and SB 10.

SB 9 will promote small-scale neighborhood residential development by streamlining the process for a homeowner to create a duplex or subdivide an existing lot in residential areas.

  • This bill builds on the successful approach of making accessory dwelling units (ADUs) easier to build, and it expands options for homeowners who wish to be part of the solution in solving California’s housing crisis.
  • ADUs provide a variety of benefits for people of all ages and can be adapted for different household types, income levels, employment situations, and stages of life.

SB 10 will authorize local governments to rezone neighborhoods for increased housing density, up to ten homes per parcel. This authorization will require that a legislative body pass a resolution to adopt the plan and exempts that zoning action from being considered a project under the California Environmental Quality Act.

  • This bill does not change local height limits, setbacks, objective design standards, historic standards, or demolition restrictions.
  • BUT what SB 10 does do is create a critical path to adding modest density to address California’s housing shortage, preserves significant control for local jurisdictions, and makes it faster, less expensive, and less risky for a city to undertake a community process to increase housing density in our communities.

Family and Medical Leave: Family-of-Choice Bill

AB 1041:  Employment Leave

AB 1041 allows workers who wish to take time off to care for extended family and those with close-affinity relationships [who are not defined as a family member under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)] to designate the individual they care for.

  •    The employee can designate one individual a year.
  •    It would allow for *unpaid* leave of up to 12 weeks a year to care for the designated individual.
  • Job protections apply to workers in firms with more than five employees.

There’s a lot going on now that everyone is back from vacation!  AARP needs your help to influence our State Senators and Assembly Members.  Please ask them:  “Can AARP California count on your AYE votes for these bills?”

California Housing Bills

SB 9 and SB 10:  The California Housing Opportunity & More Efficiency (HOME) Act

  • People of all ages and ability levels need safe, decent, and affordable housing that will enable them to continue to live safely in their homes and communities as they get older – but, unfortunately, this is not a reality for many Californians.
  • For many older adults, the current housing crisis in California is an extreme burden.  Research from UCLA found that 78 percent of low-income older adults in California are “rent-burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing – and more than 55 percent of low-income older adults spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing.
  • California cannot afford to have another year with no housing legislation passed. That is why AARP is fully supporting SB 9 and SB 10.

SB 9 will promote small-scale neighborhood residential development by streamlining the process for a homeowner to create a duplex or subdivide an existing lot in residential areas.

  • This bill builds on the successful approach of making accessory dwelling units (ADUs) easier to build, and it expands options for homeowners who wish to be part of the solution in solving California’s housing crisis.
  • ADUs provide a variety of benefits for people of all ages and can be adapted for different household types, income levels, employment situations, and stages of life.

SB 10 will authorize local governments to rezone neighborhoods for increased housing density, up to ten homes per parcel. This authorization will require that a legislative body pass a resolution to adopt the plan and exempts that zoning action from being considered a project under the California Environmental Quality Act.

  • This bill does not change local height limits, setbacks, objective design standards, historic standards, or demolition restrictions.
  • BUT what SB 10 does do is create a critical path to adding modest density to address California’s housing shortage, preserves significant control for local jurisdictions, and makes it faster, less expensive, and less risky for a city to undertake a community process to increase housing density in our communities.

Family and Medical Leave: Family-of-Choice Bill

AB 1041:  Employment Leave

AB 1041 allows workers who wish to take time off to care for extended family and those with close-affinity relationships [who are not defined as a family member under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)] to designate the individual they care for.

  •    The employee can designate one individual a year.
  •    It would allow for *unpaid* leave of up to 12 weeks a year to care for the designated individual.
  • Job protections apply to workers in firms with more than five employees.

Transparency (PROTECT) Plans

As mentioned in the last few Dispatches, AARP supports the transformational package of nursing-home bills called the PROTECT Plans (Prioritize Responsible Ownership, Treatment, Equity, and Corporate Transparency Plans).  AARP is fighting to protect nursing-home residents from sickness, isolation, and neglect.

Nursing- Home Transparency Bill

SB 650:  Corporate Transparency in Elder Care Act of 2021

AARP is a proud co-sponsor of SB 650.

  • The time is now to hold nursing-home operators accountable.
  • This bill will create more accountability for California’s 1,227 nursing-home operators via new reporting requirements, including if any funds are going to “related party” businesses they own or control.
  • This critical bill is more important than ever, and AARP believes it is one of the most significant nursing home reform bills in 2021.

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

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Happy birthday to the United States Coast Guard (founded 1790).  That’s about the most significant event that occurred in the “Dog Days” of August.

At this time, we believe we will be able to begin in-person meetings in Room Q 80 of the Campbell Community Center on September 21st.  As we know, all information regarding COVID-19 is subject to change.  As of now, all participants will be required to wear a mask, both those who have been vaccinated and those who have not, at all indoor meetings.  We are unsure as to whether or not we can have coffee yet.  I expect to have more information from the Adult Center as we approach the date.

Many, many thanks to the telephone committee and to our ZOOM participants and officers who have held our chapter together during these past difficult 18 months!

I am including important information regarding a Virtual Lobbying Day on Aug. 18th for the P.R.O.T.E.C.T. bill for nursing home reform.  Please read the information in the box below and register for training if you want to get involved.

President’s Message – Virtual Lobbying Opportunity … Margaret Schieck

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Greetings AARP California Volunteer,

AARP California will host a Virtual Lobby Day on Wednesday, August 18th, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT to help pass six critical nursing home reform bills.  This package of bills is known as the P.R.O.T.E.C.T. plan or Prioritize Responsible Ownership, Treatment, Equity, and Corporate Transparency Plan.  As cosponsors of Senate Bill 650 (Stern), the keystone bill in the P.R.O.T.E.C.T. Plan, we need your help to make this bill into law.

Our lobby day will start with a virtual rally on our nursing home reform bills at 9:00 AM and conclude with a debriefing of our meetings with legislative offices at 4:30 PM.  Between 10:00 AM and 4:30 PM, volunteers will meet with members of the legislature or their staffs to help get the votes necessary for SB 650 to advance to the Governor’s desk.  Additionally, volunteers will also advocate for the five remaining P.R.O.T.E.C.T. Plan bills; AB 279, AB 323, AB 749, AB 849, and AB 1042.

TO PARTICPATE IN VIRTUAL LOBBY DAY TAKE THESE TWO ACTIONS:

  1. Register to participate in Virtual Lobby Day on Wednesday, August 18th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT here: (https://aarp.cvent.com/VLD)
  2. If registering for Virtual Lobby Day, you will also be required to attend one of three advocacy trainings listed below. Please register for one of the following trainings:

Materials such as talking points, legislator information, and leave-behinds will be provided to you during your training.

We especially encourage volunteers from Assembly Districts 2, 4, 22, 27, 31, 34, 36, 38, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 53, 57, 59, 63, 64, 66, 71, 75, 76, 78, 80; and Senate Districts 6, 10, 11, 20, 21, 23, 25, 31, 33, 35, 36, and 39 to participate. If you are unsure of what district you reside in use the link below.

District lookup: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the disparities that exist in nursing homes and the time is NOW to advocate for change.  We need your support and hope you can join us on Wednesday, August 18th, to advance the P.R.O.T.E.C.T Plan and reform nursing homes.

For questions regarding Virtual Lobby Day, please contact Christian Landaverde at clandaverde@aarp.org.

AARP August Meeting … Paul Levine, and Kathy Mattingly

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The speaker for our Aug 17, 2021 meeting will be Rovina Nimbalkar, the Executive Director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) Santa Clara County.  Her presentation will cover the mission of, and services provided by, NAMI-SCC.  Rovina brings expertise in nonprofit leadership and a passion for mental health advocacy.

Before coming to NAMI, Rovina led diverse non-profit organizations that worked with vulnerable women, children, and families from different religious, socio-economic, and ethnic backgrounds. She has focused her career on issues related to the impact of trauma on women, children, and young adults from underserved communities.

She has over 10 years’ experience in fundraising, community relations, marketing, outreach, financial management, and strategic planning.  She is passionate about mental health issues and is an advocate for people whose lives have been affected by mental health conditions.

Legislative News … Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott

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So far, it’s been a good year, budget-wise. We got most of our funding asks, so the programs for which we advocated will do well for the rest of the year.

In Washington D.C., we are still working on H.R.2062 – Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act of 2021 (POWADA).  As of 6/24/2021 – it has been received in the Senate, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.  Let our Senators know that we still want this to go through, and are thankful for their support. 

Also, the Credit for Caring Act (S. 1670/H.R. 3321) has been stuck in committee since May 24th; the House bill is in the Ways and Means Committee and the Senate bill is in the Finance Committee.  This bill would provide a new, nonrefundable federal tax credit of up to $5,000 annually for eligible working family caregivers, help address the financial challenges of caregiving, and help working family caregivers remain employed.

Please thank Representative Ro Khanna and Senator Feinstein for signing on as co-sponsors.  Also, please urge Senator Padilla and your local Member of Congress to support and co-sponsor these bills.

State Legislature:  We are still advocating for SB 650 (see page 2) and need your continued help.  This is the Nursing Home Transparency bill and is now in the Assembly and would increase corporate transparency requirements for nursing homes.  So far, it has gone back and forth between the Committee on Health and the Appropriations Committee, with several amendments from each.  Please urge our Assembly members to support this bill.

Earthquake Safety While Driving … Barb Robinson

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Pull over to the shoulder of the road as soon as you can safely.  Be mindful of other drivers who may panic and become distracted.  Avoid parking under trees, tall building, power lines, and overpasses; or on bridges and within tunnels.  Turn off your engine, set your parking brake, and keep your seat belt on.  Wait out the quake and possible aftershocks, then proceed cautiously when it’s safe to do so.