Outreach to the Hispanic Community

by Linda Brodman

We joined several events where our specific goal was to outreach to the Hispanic community in Watsonville.

• May 2: Cinco de Mayo Celebration
• September 12: Mexican Independence Day Celebration
• November 18: Health and Wellness Fair, Cabrillo College, Watsonville campus

Our booth was in English and Spanish. Amelia Koenig, who speaks fluent Spanish, spearheaded these events providing strong leadership, and wonderful needed assistance in getting out our population message. Many other activists participated for an overall successful campaign. Huge thanks go to Amelia, Royce, Pat, Keresha, Wes, and Linda. We have passed out thousands of brochures, mostly in Spanish on reproductive healthcare, as well as information on overpopulation and the environment. Watsonville has a population explosion whereas surrounding communities are losing young people. New schools are required in Watsonville to house the increasing number of students. It is so important to make new immigrants and young people aware of the impact of overpopulation on their quality of life and the environment while urging them to consider only two or less children. We feel we have made big inroads in the Watsonville community, and the message is getting out.

Amelia continues to represent our organization at Population Services International’s (PSI) Teen Pregnancy Coalition meetings in Watsonville. The purpose of the coalition is to share resources and information among local organizations and community leaders working to lower teen pregnancy rates in the region. The quarterly meetings usually include two presentations on topics of interest, as well as an opportunity to share agency news.

Amelia Koenig speaking with young Latino students
at the Watsonville campus of Cabrillo College
about overpopulation and sexual responsibility,
and the connection between the environment
and quality of life.

Saturday, January 22, 10 am

In observance of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established the right of women nationwide to choose safe, legal abortion Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Population Connection Monterey Bay Chapter and the Reproductive Rights Network invites you to attend the annual Santa Cruz County

Pro-Choice Brunch

Introduction by Assembly member John Laird

Featured Speaker: Betsy McCarty, RN, MS
Newly retired Chief of Public Health,
Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency

Women’s Choices, Women’s Lives: Our Challenges Past and Future

Betsy McCarty joined the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency 32 years ago around the time of the historic Roe v. Wade decision. Throughout her career she has been recognized as a dynamic leader and passionate advocate for reproductive choice as a cornerstone of maternal/child health and the status of women. She has brought legendary professionalism and positive energy to issues ranging across the full spectrum of reproductive health including family planning, teen services, HIV/AIDS, prenatal care, tubal ligation, emergency contraception, accurate sex education, and abortion. At a time when the pro-choice movement feels unprecedented threats to its hard-won gains, Betsy will share her observations about the ongoing struggle to ensure choice — what it means to women and families in this community, our nation and around the world — and the commitment required to protect it for the future.

United Methodist Church, 250 California Street, Santa Cruz
Sliding scale donation: $10–$25; Students free
For information: 425-1551 ext. 29

April 25 — March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C.

by Linda Brodman, Chapter Chair

The March for Women’s Lives in April, said to be the largest American rally in the history of the nation’s capitol, focused public attention on current threats to reproductive rights, healthcare access, global justice, and the environment. With over a million people from all walks of life, it gave a loud wake-up call to our nation’s leaders, and energized a new generation of activists to continue the fight — many, many young people were there.

It was an extraordinary event to have been part of and one I will remember for years. Population Connection was a national sponsor, and I represented Population Connection, Monterey Bay Chapter, marching with the Santa Cruz County Delegation from California. Planned Parenthood was one of the primary organizers and sponsors of the march, mobilizing masses of people to stand up for women’s reproductive freedom. Many local and diverse Santa Cruz groups were represented as part of the pro-choice coalition, the Reproductive Rights Network, of which our chapter is a member. Our delegation of nearly 100 local residents carried a huge banner.

Before heading back to California after the march, longtime member Santa Cruz City Councilwoman Cynthia Mathews and I visited with National Field Director Jay Keller at Population Connection in Washington D.C.

Jay toured us through National headquarters and we got to meet some of the folks behind the scenes. We spoke about what National is up to and caught up on activities on the chapter level.

Cynthia Mathews, Sara Smith and Linda Brodman
getting prepared to march and having fun doing it!

Some signs seen at the march

Bush — Keep away from mine
Your Bush is not the Boss of Mine
Get Your Rosaries Off My Ovaries
Women’s Bodies — All Rights Reserved
Terminate Unwanted Presidency — Abort Bush
No Bush Control
Abstinence Funding = Ignorance Training
The only bush I trust is my own
No Restrictions, No Compromises, No Apologies
Put a Bush and a Dick in the White House

and you’re going to get screwed

Linda and Cynthia helped Jay with a mailing.
Hey, the work of activists is never over!

More exciting news . . .
Monterey Bay Chapter receives second distribution
from Jean B. May Trust

by Linda Brodman

Last month, our chapter received a second distribution check for $9,000 from the Jean B. May Trust Fund. As you may recall, in December 2003, the chapter initially received a check for $14,000 from the trust.

The board met in March 2004, brainstormed ideas, and came up with a substantial wish list. Now we are in the process of whittling down our suggestions towards a feasible and realistic goal. We want to try to reach as many people as possible. Our thoughts are heading towards some kind of project or two having to do with media; either community TV, ads, radio.

As Jean said so eloquently, this donation gives “a boost to the effort and purpose for which the organization exists.” Here’s where all of you come in; we need to hear from you that we are at least heading in the right direction. We will be meeting again towards the end of January or early February. You can call, email, or write me or any of the officers. Our email addresses are listed on our web site at www.zpgmb.org. My phone number is 831-462-4041. Our address is P.O. Box 1733, Aptos, CA 95001.

Chapter Highlights of 2004

The Overpass

Linda Brodman took a drive during commute time and photographed our Suffering From Overpopulation? banner from the driver’s perspective. As you get closer, you can make out what it says. We got some car honks and thumbs up. Robbin Anderson and Keresha Durham assisted with holding the banner. We plan to do it again since the suffering from overpopulation is nowhere near over!

Feb 4: A Mother’s Promise

Our chapter signed on to a national campaign resolution called “A Mother’s Promise” in support of agreements made at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt, 1994.

Freebies for teachers

Are you anxious to teach your students about the relationship between the earth’s limited resources, the environment and population, but unsure about where to find relevant activities. Population Connection is a gold mine for the instructor who wishes to enhance his or her curricula with meaningful and fun population exercises and teaching aids. We are here to help you.

Population Connection has made lesson plans for all grade levels and we have them right here in Santa Cruz to make it easy for you. A few of the many titles are:

The lesson plans include games with concepts, objectives and skills spelled out. We also have some great books for you or your school library. Let us know your needs. We’d love to hear from local teachers as well as those who live in Monterey, Carmel, Salinas, and south to King City. You are all in our chapter. Call Pat Smith at 831-425-8599.

Our 6-minute video on overpopulation and exponential growth showed at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History most of last year.

Election Results

Chair: Linda Brodman
Vice Chair: Royce Fincher
Secretary: Robbin Anderson
Treasurer: Kaye Beth

The officers elected board members Bruce Bridgeman, Jeannine Cutter, Keresha Durham, Pat Smith and Dan Doxtator. Thanks to Keresha Durham, Pat Smith and Robbin Anderson of the Nominating Committee.

We Write Letters

August 14: Letter to the Editor, San Jose Mercury News

by Keresha Durham

Sadly, Ken McLaughlin’s critique of Santa Cruz traffic (Less Stress At a Price, Mercury News, July 21) fails to recognize that Santa Cruz (and many once–desirable places like San Jose) is simply showing the effects of overpopulation and unchecked growth.

Traffic, job and housing competition, a decrease in quality of life and stress are obvious symptoms of overextending the carrying capacity of a region. We can not have exponential human growth without major impacts on our environment and lifestyle. A better alternative to covering the earth with ugly, highway–dominated landscapes is to live near where we work. Lest we forget that most Santa Cruzans are refugees of traffic–filled cities. If we want less traffic, we need to stop creating it! Demand better alternatives so we can get out of our single occupancy vehicles. Even better yet, let’s go to the source — have two or less kids per family and adopt youth so we will suffer less car–fill in the future.

The World Is Too Crowded, by John Stossel:
Response to TV program

by Bruce Bridgeman

Aired on ABC’s “20/20” program January 30, 2004, John Stossel attempted to debunk the myth that the world is too crowded or overpopulation is a problem. His whole script was full of half–truths, outdated “information,” misleading inaccuracies, and biased opinion. Bruce Bridgeman wrote a letter to the TV program on February 6. Here is what Bruce had to say.

“John Stossel’s recent assertion that we need not worry about population growth is almost criminally irresponsible. In the 1970s population grew about 2%/year, and everyone perceived it as a crisis. Now growth is ‘down’ to about 1.3% and the crisis seems to be over. But in the 1970s, growth was about 70 million/year — now it’s 78 million. Stossel is failing to take into account the power of exponential growth. This is about a new California every 5 months. How long can the environment stand this? No one knows, but we all know it can’t go on forever. Countries like Haiti, Somalia, and India have fast growth and widespread hunger; starvation is always assigned to some trigger such as a drought or corruption, but these things wouldn’t cause starvation if the population weren’t already on the edge. John, what do you think the optimum world population should be?”

Read the previous newsletter!