SITUATION: San Francisco approved a comprehensive Climate Action Plan in 2021, with a top-line goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. But the City’s recently approved 2-year budget revokes virtually all funding for programs critical to implementing that plan.

San Francisco must get serious about implementing its Climate Action Plan and must move forward with real urgency to demonstrate the will, create the necessary government structure and allocate the funding needed to meet our climate goals.

SOLUTION: San Francisco Climate Emergency Coalition has created an easy way to tell Mayor Lurie to get serious about implementing San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan. It is simple as signing SFCEC’s Move On petition, telling the Mayor to prioritize Climate Action Plan goals as he works to restructure City government.

Click HERE to sign the petition.

Also: Please share this message with friends, family and colleagues in San Francisco. 

OUR VOTES ARE OUR VOICES
Speak up in the November 4, 2025
California Special Election!

Important dates and protocol, with links below:

• The last day to register to vote is October 20, 2025.
• You can “conditionally” register and vote at your county elections office after the 15-day voter registration deadline. 
• Your county elections office will begin mailing ballots by October 6, 2025.
• Ballot drop-off locations open on October 7, 2025.
• Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned by mail, at a drop-off location, or your county elections office.
• Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties beginning on October 25, 2025.
• Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by November 12, 2025.

HERE is a link to register.
HERE is a link to same-day voter registration.
HERE is a link to the voter guide online.
HERE is a link to find the ballot drop-off locations in San Francisco.
HERE is a link to find ballot drop-off boxes by county outside of San Francisco.
 

POWER TO THE PEOPLE:
RESTORE PUBLIC FINANCING OF
CALIFORNIA POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

SITUATION: The Political Reform Act of 1974 banned public campaign finance in California in order to clean up election spending. However, today—because of that ban—big money in politics is drowning out voters. Mega-donors and corporate-funded independent expenditures are dominating our elections.

SB 42 would lift California’s outdated ban on public financing of campaigns. It has passed the Legislature, and now we need the Governor to sign it to put the measure on the November 2026 ballot.

Restoring public financing of campaigns will amplify the voices of small donors, lower barriers to running for office, and restore trust by reducing the stranglehold of wealthy special interests on our political system.

ACTION: Call, email or write to Governor Newsom and urge him to sign SB 42 now. 

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues in California. 

Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 445-2841a

Click HERE to email Governor Newsom

WE STOPPED AT&T and SAVED LANDLINES!

The OWL Alert of July 19 urged people to call California State Senators and exhort them to vote against AB 470, AT&T’s attempt to abandon their role as carrier of last resort for landlines. 

GOOD NEWS! AB470 is DEAD!

Today, we celebrate a meaningful win for all Californians, especially our seniors and most vulnerable communities.

This is more than just a legislative win. By stopping the bill:

• Universal access to emergency and essential services is preserved.
• Rural and underserved communities are protected.
• Affordability and equity are upheld. and
• Good jobs in the telecommunications industry are protected.

The San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) provides vital funding for a variety of community organizations, including our good friends at Community Living Campaign. Every four years, DAS conducts surveys to assess needs.

Click HERE to take the survey.

Ways to participate: 

1) Take the survey!

2) Attend a community forum.

2) Share this information with your friends and neighbors

More information, email dfcna@sfgov.org, or call 415-355-3555.

Thank you for making your voices heard!

SITUATION: Landlines are the most reliable form of communication, especially for people who live in rural communities that lack alternatives. About 500,000 Californians receive landline services from AT&T, including many older adults and people with disabilities.

As “Carrier of Last Resort,” AT&T is required by California law to provide land line service throughout the state. Through bill AB 470, AT&T is now attempting to abdicate its role as Carrier of Last Resort, which would lead to land line service being phased out.

ACTION: Call your State Senator and tell them to vote NO ON AB 470. Urge the PUC to ensure that affordable and reliable landline service is available to all Californians!

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues in California.

Click HERE to contact your State Senator.

SITUATION: In San Francisco Mayor Lurie’s proposed 2025/26 budget, programs that are crucial to our most vulnerable residents face having funds either eliminated or drastically reduced. In addition to reducing the The Dignity Fund’s budget, cuts will affect programs serving such issues as food security, legal services, healthcare, homeless outreach, and immigrants and worker’s rights.

The Board of Supervisors is now considering the Mayor’s proposed budget.  

ACTION: Monday, June 23 is Public Comment Day regarding the budget. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Legislative Chamber Room 250 of City Hall, the Board of Supervisors Budget and Appropriations Committee will hear public comments regarding the proposed budget.  

SHOW UP and SPEAK OUT for our most vulnerable residents.  If you cannot attend in person, immediately email your Supervisor and Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair, Connie Chan and tell them to fund the Dignity Fund and stop cuts to other essential programs serving vulnerable San Franciscans.

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues.

See below for links to The People’s Budget outline of proposed cuts, information about Public Comment Day, and contact information for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. 

Click HERE to contact Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair, Connie Chan.

Click HERE to contact all members of the SF Board of Supervisors.

Click HERE to read The People’s Budget outline of proposed cuts.

Click HERE for instructions on participating in Public Comment Day.

SITUATION:  Since the beginning of the current President’s second term, America’s Democracy and Constitution have been under attack by an attempted executive seizure of power.  It’s time to let those in power know that this cannot stand! 

There are three separate and coequal branches of government—the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.

THERE ARE NO KINGS IN AMERICA!!!

ACTION: Be one of the millions of Americans, including older women, who demand that our Democracy be restored and our Constitution upheld! 

Let our voices be heard!!!

Join OWL-SF, hundreds of other organizations and thousands of people as we take to the streets this Saturday, June 14, 2025 to protest the corruption, cruelty and incompetence of the current administration and advocate for Medicare, Social Security, immigrants’ rights and other issues.
 
In SF, there will be a march from Dolores Park to the Civic Center. Meet at Dolores Park at 11:30 am.  For more information, or to locate an event in your area, https://www.nokings.org/
 
ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues in and near San Francisco. 

SITUATION: The Federal Budget Bill which just passed the House by a single vote contains a sneaky provision which would exempt the President from the authority of the Courts, thereby shattering our historic checks and balances and giving the Administration virtually unlimited and unchecked powers.

ACTION: Contact your Senators immediately telling them to exert every effort to defeat this terrifying section of the Budget Bill.

ALSO: It is critical that you contact friends, family and colleagues across the country about this blatant power grab.
 

In California:

ALEX PADILLA
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3553
Click HERE to email

ADAM SCHIFF
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
Click HERE to email 

Click HERE to find contact info for U.S. Sentators in other states.

SITUATION: As U.S. lawmakers look to enact a new legislative tax package, two crucial programs affecting our most vulnerable citizens—the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Medicaid—are poised to see big cuts that experts say could put benefits at risk.

With the proposed changes:

• More federal food assistance beneficiaries would be subject to work requirements.
• States will be on the hook to pay more toward the program.
• Health coverage for millions will potentially be reduced.
• Access to care will be reduced.

All of which will drastically impact older adults, people with disabilities and low-income families, and are being made to offset tax cuts for the wealthy.

ACTION: These cuts are in the budget bill which is now in the Senate. Contact your Senator and tell them to STAND UP for increases to SNAP and Medicaid!
 

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues

Fundamental Civil Rights and Individual Liberties
Presenting a Panel on our Rights and Actions
 

When: Saturday, May 24, 11 AM to 12:30 PM
Where: IN PERSON, Rhoda Goldman Plaza, Olive Room
2180 Post Street at Scott (directions below)
please RSVP by Thursday, May 22

Tanisha Humphrey is the Organizing Manager at the ACLU of Northern California, where she manages local policy campaigns in San Francisco and Vallejo, focusing primarily on criminal justice reform, police accountability, and open government.

Tanisha will be joined by a representative of the League of Women Voters (to be determined), and members of the OWL-SF Political Advocacy Committee. Together they will inform guests of the ways current U.S. Government policies and actions have eroded our rights—especially those affecting Older Women—and discuss ways we can fight to get them back, while protecting the ones we still have. 

What’s at Stake for Older Women and other seniors?
 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The Olive Room is on the ground floor of Rhoda Goldman Plaza, look for signs directing you how to get there when you enter. 

Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by Thursday, May 22 to:
info@owlsf.org or (415) 712-1695.

DIRECTIONS:

• Post Street is one block north of Geary Boulevard; Scott is one block east of Divisadero.
• Accessible within two blocks by Muni Lines 2, 22, 24 and 38.
• Street parking within two blocks is reasonably easy. 

SITUATION: Current law stipulates that California residential care facilities (RCFs) have a plan in place to deal with emergencies for at least 72 hours, but does not specify mandatory power supplies for that time. 

State Senate bill SB 435 would require RCFs for the elderly licensed for 16 or more residents to have an alternative source of power, to protect residents’ health and safety for no fewer than 72 hours during any type of power outage.

ACTION: Contact your State Senator today and tell them SB 435 is a no brainer: support this legislation to bolster the safety of residents in RCFs. 

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues in California.

Click HERE to find addresses, phone numbers and email opportunities for your California State Legislators.

SITUATION: The tumultuous and chaotic stream of news coming from the White House on a daily basis makes it difficult to understand and meaningfully respond to the policies, executive orders and mandates that affect our lives daily. 

Where are our leaders who should be fighting for our priorities and concerns?
 
ACTION: Contact Senator Chuck Schumer and tell him that as Minority Leader we need him to take a more forceful role in leading the Democratic Party to respond strongly to President Trump’s policies, especially as they affect older people, their health and their financial security. Write to him and briefly describe your own personal concerns in regard to recent actions coming out of Washington.

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagus.

Senator Chuck Schumer
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
Click HERE to email.

SITUATION: Nearly all of us are covered by Social Security because nearly all of us contributed. But we don’t all contribute equally. High earners and wealthy individuals–like CEOs and corporate shareholders–effectively pay a lower Social Security tax rate on their income. Social Security taxes are collected only on the first $168,200 of earnings this year. That tax ceiling–known as the “cap”–is inequitable and unfair. 

If we simply “Scrap the Cap”–getting rid of the ceiling altogether–millionaires would pay the same tax rate as middle-class families, which would make our economy more equitable, and dramatically improve Social Security’s long-term finances.

The Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 4583) would not entirely scrap the cap, but is a strong step in the right direction. This legislation proposes increases in benefits across the board, plus enhanced cost-of-living adjustments, and a host of other improvements.

ACTION: Write or phone your Congress Member. Urge them to support the H.R. 4583! This would increase benefits across the board and improve cost-of-living adjustments, boosting benefits for low-income seniors and widows/widowers.

ALSO: Please share this message with friends, family and colleagues in the U. S.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
90 7th Street Suite 2-800
San Francisco, CA  94103
Phone: (415) 556-4862
Click HERE to email.

Congresswoman Lateefah Simon
1023 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515
Phone: (202) 225-2661
Click HERE to email.

Congressman Kevin Mullin
 528 S El Camino Real UNIT 307
San Mateo, CA 94402
(650) 342-0300
Click HERE to email.

Click HERE to identify and contact other members of the House of Representatives.

OWL-SF is proud to support the efforts of the California Alliance of Retired Americans (CARA) in their efforts to prevent devastating cuts to healthcare programs in the U.S.

HUGE MOMENT TO JOIN THE FIGHT
TO PRESERVE MEDI-CAL

Wanted to help but don’t know how? Now is the time to get started – right from home!

About this event

Congress is proposing to make devastating cuts to healthcare programs which could impact 15 million Californians, including children and people with disabilities! And they’re making the cuts to give huge tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.

To stop the cuts and save lives we need to get a handful of Republican Congress members to vote NO on the proposed healthcare cuts. CARA is making calls to voters in Congress members David Valadao’s, Young Kim’s, and Ken Calvert’s districts to encourage them to call their offices and patching them through right then!

CARA will be using a dialer system to make the calls so you will need a computer or laptop. There will be a short training on Zoom at the beginning of the call shift and then folks will start making calls.

You do not need to live in one of the key districts. Choose a district below to get started!

CD 22 – Valadao – Fight for Our Healthcare Phonebank

CD 40 – Kim – Fight for Our Healthcare Phonebank

CD 41 – Calvert – Fight for Our Healthcare Phonebank

Contact CARA

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 23754, OAKLAND, CA  94623/ 510-663-4086 / www.californiaalliance.org

STAFF CONTACTS:

Executive Director:  Rob England, rob@californiaalliance.org 661-364-7101

Administrative Director: Cynthia Lopez, cynthial.cara@gmail.com/ 510-663-4086

Digital Specialist: Vidy Pugalenthi, vpugalenthi@californiaalliance.org/ 213-648-9000

REGIONAL ORGANIZERS:

NORTH (Bay Area and North State):

Daisy Oram, doram@californiaalliance.org/  707-815-2143

CENTRAL VALLEY:

Yesenia Cuevas, ycuevas@californiaalliance.org/ 209-354-7489 (Stockton-Bakersfield)Sacramento/Yolo counties, and Placer County

SOUTH: 

LA COUNTY/ INLAND EMPIRE/ORANGE/SAN DIEGO:

Vidy Pugalenthi, vpugalenthi@californiaalliance.org/ 213-648-9000

SITUATION: In addition to owning Tesla, Inc., Elon Musk is an unelected senior advisor to the current U.S. President. He has been given control of a newly created—dubiously legal— initiative called the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and is using his position to decimate the federal workforce, including, but not limited to: scientific research, veterans services, public education and foreign aid—all of which are essential to stability and growth in the U.S.

The President and Elon Musk have created chaos and unease around the country, especially for the most vulnerable citizens who rely on government funded programs for housing, health care, food, informational services and others.
 

ACTION: Join the protest at the San Francisco Tesla showroom on Saturday, March 1 at noon, 999 Van Ness Avenue at O’Farrell. Tell Musk and the President that we do NOT support their policies, and will make our voices heard in the 2025 mid-term elections! 

MUNI LINES: 38 and 49 go directly there; 2 and 19 within two blocks.

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues in and near San Francisco. 

SITUATION: Previously, members of the public have been able to make comments remotely at SF Board of Supervisor Committee Meetings.

However, the BOS voted to end remote public comment for everyone—except, we later learned, people with disabilities—who are willing to disclose details of the nature of their disability publicly. 

This effectively punishes hundreds, if not thousands, who want to participate remotely in our local government, whether or not they have a disability. Even worse, it will force those who have disabilities to disclose in advance what their special needs are. In order to call in remotely, people living with disabilities—including old age—must seek burdensome “reasonable accommodation” exceptions. Or else they must face the burden of traveling to City Hall to attend in-person meetings.

ACTION: Ask your supervisor to remove the obstacles to remote comments in public meetings—for everyone, especially older women and men, and all people with disabilities. 

ALSO: Share this message with friends, family and colleagues in San Francisco.

Click HERE to find the contact information for your SF Supervisor.