California NOW

Give Your Mom a Real Gift - Acknowledgment!

Flowers? Check. Chocolates? Check. Restaurant reservations for Mother’s Day brunch? Check. A repeat of last year’s Mother’s Day? Check. This Mother’s Day, do something original, authentic, and cost-effective. Give the gift of acknowledgment!

What is it about your mother, wife, or daughter that you appreciate and admire? What about a female mentor or adult friend who has helped you through difficult times? Delivering a heartfelt acknowledgment is a meaningful and sincere way to show her how she has contributed to your life. Give the best, most affordable gift that will last a lifetime: the power of acknowledgment.


My Mom is an Inspiration from Center for Reproductive Rights on Vimeo.

Show your mom the world recognizes her as Mom of the Decade!

Take action against maternal death worldwide.

Give your mom the gift of equality, with a membership in CA NOW or a donation in her name!

The Problems We Mothers Wish We Had

By Sharon Lerner of the Women's Media Center

While the media focus on “Work-Family Dilemmas of the Rich and Famous,” the average employed mother has few resources and fewer choices, says the author of a new book, The War on Moms: On Life in a Family-Unfriendly Nation.

I confess to enjoying celebrity mom coverage, by which I mean not just the articles about how Jennifer Lopez lost the baby weight and Maggie Gyllenhaal finds time to be in films now that she has a two-year-old, but also vast literature that examines—and reexamines—the decisions of elite professional women. You know the stuff: should she or shouldn’t she leave her partnership at the white-shoe law firm to stay home with her kids?

According to Jody Heymann, The Widening Gap, 71% of the poorest adults employed in the U.S. cannot take days off to care for sick children; only 34% of those in the highest income bracket have the same problem.

Diapers: A Scarce Resource This Mother’s Day

Did you know that at some shelters, the #1 need is not food or clothing– but diapers? Did you know that diapers are not covered under public assistance programs, such as SNAP (food stamps) or WIC? As a result many mothers are forced to choose between affording diapers and other basic human needs: food, shelter, even medicine. It is heartbreaking to learn that many mothers are forced to keep their children in the same diaper for extended periods of time, which can lead to severe diaper rash and other major health problems such as staph and urinary tract infections. 

In addition to the health risks associated with a lack of diapers, the impact of a low income family can mean the difference between attending school or being gainfully employed since the majority of childcare centers require parents to provide disposable diapers.

Enter Help a Mother Out (HAMO), a California based a grassroots advocacy and direct action campaign dedicated to improving the lives of mothers, children, and families in need one diaper at a time. HAMO started in spring, 2009 by two San Francisco Bay Area moms, Lisa Truong and Rachel Fudge, after learning about needy mothers having to choose between diapers or food. With an initial investment of just $100, and primarily utilizing online tools such as Facebook and Twitter, the group has collected more than 175,000 diapers and mainly distributed them through a variety of California agencies. 

Smoking Takes a Greater Toll on Women - Quit for Mothers' Day!

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in America, and its toll on women—including mothers—is tragic. Many women underestimate the damage smoking does to their health. Each year more than 170,000 U.S. women die from smoking-caused diseases. While lung cancer death rates are decreasing for men, lung cancer death rates have yet to decline among women. Contrary to popular belief, breast cancer is not the leading cancer cause of death among women – four times as many women die from tobacco-related disease than from breast cancer every year. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is primarily caused by smoking, is the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S., and it affects women more than men.

“Quitting smoking is the single most important step a smoker can take to improve the length and quality of her life. You can also save a considerable amount of money,” said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. “Helping your mother kick the habit is one of the best ways to make sure your mother is around long enough to become a grandmother.”

Additional reasons to mark Mother’s Day by quitting smoking:

• Moms who don’t smoke have an easier time keeping up with their kids!
• Mothers who smoke are more likely to end up with kids who smoke. One of the best ways for moms to make sure their kids don’t smoke is to quit smoking themselves.
• Secondhand smoke from mom can affect the health of the whole family.
• If you smoke, the best gift you could give your mom is a smokefree you.
• Helping mom quit this Mother’s Day can help you celebrate many more Mother’s Days together.

Take the pledge to protect the women you love from smoking-related disease! 

Why Marriage Equality Matters: Harold & Clay

Clay Greene and Harold Scull were committed same-sex partners in a 25-year relationship, who had completed wills, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives which should have ensured their ability to be treated as their relationship deserved despite their inability to legally marry. However, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors separated the couple, sold their belongings, and confined them to separate facilities, keeping Harold from being with Clay for the last two months of Clay's life.

Clay now has a court case against Sonoma County which will be held on July 16, 2010 at the Superior Sonoma Courthouse. Between now and then we must raise awareness of this case and the grave injustice done to this loving couple. 

Contact the Media:

Comprehensive list of national media contact phone numbers and email addresses. 

The local paper in Sonoma County is the "Press Democrat" (which is owned by The New York Times). Ask them to perform investigative reporting on the Greene v. County of Sonoma case.
Catherine Barnett, Executive Editor
Newsroom: 1-800-675-5056
Other contact info

Contact Gay Sonoma and ask them to run an article on this.

Contact the Government:

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors:
Phone: (707) 565-2241
You can submit comments to the Sonoma Board of Supervisors regarding the case of Clay Greene and Harold Scull and contact the Supervisors individually.
Supervisor Paul Kelley 
Supervisor Mike Kerns 
Supervisor Efrin Carrillo
Supervisor Vallerie Brown 
Supervisor Shirlee Zane

and call the Sonoma County Administrator:
Veronica Ferguson
Phone#: (707) 565-2431
FAX #: (707) 565-3778

ALSO CALL AND WRITE:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841

CA Senators Barbara Boxer  and Dianne Feinstein.

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (6th District: Marin County and Sonoma County)
Washington DC Office: (202) 225-516
Marin Office: (415) 507-9554
Sonoma Office: (415) 507-9601

New York Times coverage 
Update from the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) http://bit.ly/9hK5jY
Original Bilerico Project article that broke the story
PDF of legal complaint
Sonoma County Board meeting notes from 2009. Greene is noted at #3 and #4 under closed session on the PDF.

Feminist Film Review: How to Train Your Dragon (to be a Feminist)

As a feminist mother of a young daughter, I am always on the lookout for movies with a positive message. As a mom who is a geek, I'm always looking for sci-fi and fantasy movies that are kid-appropriate. As an intelligent woman, I'm always looking for entertainment that is good storytelling.

Luckily for everyone like me, How to Train Your Dragon fits all three categories.

First of all, the movie is great storytelling, with fantastic visuals (especially in 3-D) that will keep everyone from a 3-year-old to an adult interested and engaged throughout the whole film. The pacing is excellent, without any dragging moments or exposition that will bore young kids, and with enough depth that parents won't get bored either.

But much more importantly, the story gives a great message for kids of any age. I'm going to go into a lot of plot details below, but for those who don't want to have the movie spoiled for them, here's the basic rundown: strong female characters (women & girls), great attitudes towards disability, support for flexible gender roles, good messages about accepting people as they are, underlying message about understanding and peaceful solutions as opposed to conflict.

Now, on to the details...

The Politics of Immigration Reform

 With the push for health insurance reform, we've barely had time to touch on one of the other big issues which Congress will soon take up: Immigration Reform. (Read our previous piece on Immigration Reform.) 

This past Sunday saw the 200,000 person-stong March for America: Change Takes Courage in Washington D.C. to demand comprehensive immigration reform that protects and promotes family unity, protects workers and helps with economic recovery, enhances our security, protects the rights of all, and creates millions of new taxpayers. More than 900 buses came from at least 35 states, including California, to a march far larger than any tea party or health care rally - an enormous number for an event organized in less than six weeks. Last year, the UFW’s nationwide campaign “Con La Union de Campesinos Tendremos Papeles” (With the United Farm Workers We’ll Get Our Papers) attracted more than 20,000 people to events across California. Please stand with Sunday's marchers -- urge America's leaders to fix our broken immigration system.

It is clear that the country is ready for serious and meaningful reform to immigration policies which have been detrimental to workers and families for years. The Washington Post published an editorial on Sunday by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) showcasing their plan for immigration reform legislation, and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) has promised floor time for the legislation once it comes out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. President Obama met with leaders of the immigration reform movement, and reiterated his "unwavering" commitment to achieving comprehensive immigration reform. He also endorsed the Schumer-Graham bipartisan framework and pledged, "to do everything in my power to forge a bipartisan consensus this year on this important issue."

The reform proposal rests on four ideas: ending illegal employment through use of biometric Social Security cards, enhanced enforcement of immigration laws, intentional management of immigration labor flows, and creating a workable path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the country. The current comprehensive immigration bill includes AgJOBS legislation, which would allow farm workers to earn the legal right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture. There are additional elements that are absolutely essential to workable immigration reform like family unity, and the DREAM Act.

A new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute of American voters on immigration reform found broad support across religious groups for a comprehensive approach. Two-thirds of Americans support a comprehensive approach that offers illegal immigrants an earned path to citizenship. Overwhelming majorities of Americans also share a strong belief that immigration reform should be guided not only by values such as promoting national security and ensuring fairness to taxpayers, but also by the values of protecting the dignity of every person and keeping families together.

This issue becomes even more important as we move toward the mid-term Congressional elections. Latino voters are poised to play a major role in politics in 2010 and beyond.  A new poll of Latino voters in twelve states  found the vast majority of respondents (78%) said the issue of immigration is important to them and their family, and by a 77%-11% margin respondents favored comprehensive immigration reform over deportation-only alternatives.  The Power of the Latino Vote in the 2010 Elections examines trends in Latino voting patterns over time, and tracks more than forty battleground races where these voters will play a key role in 2010.  Latino voters are also driving population growth in the states poised to gain representation in Congress and helping to stem further losses in states that are poised to lose seats. Another report by America's Voice, The New Constituents: How Latinos Will Shape Congressional Apportionment After the 2010 Census, examines how Latino residents will shape the results of the 2010 Census, and reveals some surprising likely “winners” and “losers” in the subsequent congressional reapportionment.

With Latino voters likely to swing so many races, neither party can afford the kind of stalemating and roadblocking so recently seen in the health insurance reform effort if they want to be able to win in battleground states.  However, as we also saw during health insurance reform rallies and debates, there is a rising undercurrent of racism that We'll be keeping an eye on the process, and working to help ensure passage of a bill that helps undocumented workers and their families to remain together and work towards citizenship.

Working for Working Families

Today we will be attending the California Working Families Policy Summit. The theme for this year’s half-day Summit is Our Common Cause: Confronting Current Crises & Forging a New Vision. Leading advocates will offer proposals and long-term agendas to preserve the safety net, build family economic security, and promote family-friendly workplaces. We will also get to hear speeches by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and a taped message on working families from First Lady Michelle Obama. 

We look forward to sharing with you the results of this day, and having your support in moving forward on policies that will help Californian families during this recession.

If you are attending the Summit, please meet up with us during the networking period before the luncheon.
 

Woman, Warrior, Mother: Claudia Zamorano

 This is the testimony of Claudia Zamorano, a parent leader with the Marin Chaper of Parent Voices, at the hearing of the California Assembly Labor Committee with the Women's Caucus on "A Woman's Nation Changes Everything" How the Shriver Report Impacts California Working Families held Wednesday, February 17th. We are honored to be able to share her words, and hope to bring you more of the courageous stories of Parent Voices members who we heard that day.

Thank you for allowing me to speak before you today. My name is Claudia Zamorano. I am the mother of two beautiful children, Alicia Daniela, age 11 and Alexander, age 4. Never in my life did I expect to be standing before you telling you my story. Just two years ago I had a family, a home, a business – the so-called American Dream but since then it has taken a 180 degree turn. Now I stand here empty handed because I lost it all in a divorce.

I did not understand how hard people really had it until I had to live it. I am not a woman that likes to just sit around, so I enrolled myself in cosmetology school and completed it. However, I have not been able to continue with my training and apply for the state board license because I spent my savings on my schooling and now I struggle to pay for the license and finish what I studied so hard for. I went to school to get us out of where we are today. But in order to complete my license I would need to attend classes that are only offered in the morning, the same time when I have to work. Even if I had my license I would have to be away from my children 40 hours a week to build a clientele and I cannot afford the cost of childcare while doing it! So right now I work 32 hours a week as a nanny to make ends meet – and it is a struggle everyday. That is the irony of it all. I work to support another family so they can have work/life balance, but I do not have that same option for myself. Since last January I have been on a list waiting to receive child care assistance. How long must I wait? If I had child care I could work more and I could pay more taxes. The money I made I would spend on bills, groceries, rent, which are all things that help my local economy. And my son would be in an environment where he can develop and be with qualified caregivers who would give him the necessities when I cannot be there.

How "A Woman's Nation" Impacts California Families & Workers

 Yesterday California NOW attended a hearing of the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment dedicated to The Shriver Report, A Woman's Nation Changes Everything.

Over the coming week, we hope to be able to share with you some of the touching, inspiring, and enlightening stories shared by members of Parent Voices at the hearing. Today we will share with you some of the facts that came out of the hearing.
(Interestingly, some similar stats were recently covered at Feministe, so go take a look at the back-and-forth there as well.)

• 6 million employees do not have even a single sick day. 
• Equal Pay for women would increase women's average income by $4,000, and that amount would be enough to cut poverty rates in half. These figures took into account job position, education level, hours, region, and other factors, so they refer to cases where we can directly compare men and women's wages. 
• "Traditional" 2-parent & child(ren) families are now the minority of U.S. families. 
• 50% of workers are not protected by family leave laws. 
• 25% of families are single-parent families. 
• Only 28% of Californians know about our state's Paid Family Leave law. Only 15% of low-income workers know about the law. 

What can we do to help take care of workers and their families? Assemblymember Fiona Ma has a Paid Sick Leave bill currently on-hold due to the state's financial crisis, and there are efforts underway to expand Paid Family Leave to cover grandparents, siblings, and other extended family members.

We must work to ensure that our laws to protect workers do not interact in ways that remove protections. For example, a right to family leave is meaningless without job protection to ensure that a worker who takes leave can return to their job. We must continue to spread the word on Paid Family Leave so that all Californians know about the program and how to use it. We must prevent Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed raid of SDI funds to pay for yet another job training program. We must work to promote awareness of Family Responsibilities Discrimination among both workers and employers.

And we must continue to work towards accessible, affordable, quality elder, disabled, and child care to enable workers to contribute to our state's economy without sacrificing care for family members.