EDC Democratic Party continues to advocate for fire insurance relief for rural Californians

Special Edition Newsletter - August 14, 2019
FOR RELASE ON: Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 9:30 PM
Contact: El Dorado County Democratic Party
Phone: 530-919-5289
Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to meet with leaders in El Dorado County
Placerville, California, August 15 2019:

The El Dorado County Democratic Party (EDCDP) applauds news of California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s confirmed commitment to visit El Dorado County on Thursday August 15th to establish a relationship with local government leaders and discuss plans for public outreach regarding access to fire insurance.

The EDCDP has led persistent engagement and grassroots advocacy, including initiating bi-partisan collaboration on the local level to ensure our community can have a unified voice on solutions that will provide access to affordable and protective fire insurance.

Commissioner Lara’s planned meeting with local leaders is an important step and action that the EDCDP has consistently pushed for over the past four months. In May, EDCDP leadership took action to bring a voice to this crisis by speaking directly with Commissioner Lara as well as the Governor’s office. In the process of our outreach and research, we found that there had been recent state-level task force reports, commissions and legislative hearings where our rural community's voice was notably absent on the record.

To make certain that El Dorado County representatives would be included as collaborative members in stakeholder discussions at the state level, we wrote to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (EDC BOS) on June 17^th and coordinated a community call to action before the board at the June 25^th EDC BOS meeting. In our letter and public testimony, we urged the board to take action, formally expressing concern over this issue in writing to appropriate state government leaders, including Insurance Commissioner Lara. The EDCBOS followed through on this request, sending a letter to Commissioner Lara on July 25^th. In addition, members of EDCDP will be conferring with Commissioner Lara at the California Democratic Party Executive Board meeting on August 23 in San Jose to press for further assistance in dealing with the fire insurance crisis for rural Californians.

There are three main takeaways that EDCDP has consistently communicated through outreach and advocacy:
1. Outreach: Coordinated outreach from the appropriate impartial, expert consumer agencies is needed ASAP (townhalls, mailers, media, etc.)

2. Data Tracking: The absence of a centralized consumer access tracking system must be addressed ASAP. Action is needed to develop a centralized means of measuring consumer access to insurance coverage that aggregates an insurer’s willingness to offer coverage in a given area, which the Senate Committee on Insurance Update on Wildfire and Homeowners Insurance: Access and Affordability Report highlighted as a current gap. This is despite the passage of SB 824 (Lara) in 2018 that authorizes the Department to conduct a biennial data call on insurers’ losses related to fires and wildfires but who’s first round of data will not be due until 2020.

3. Transparency: Increased transparency and uniform risk modeling standards need to be applied across the Insurance industry that takes into consideration a) individual homeowner fire mitigation efforts (i.e. vegetations management and home hardening), local certification programs (i.e. Boulder Colorado's Wildfire Partners Program, Fire Wise, etc.) c) neighborhood mitigation programs (i.e. Firewise Communities, etc), and d) regional fire mitigation activities at the local and state levels (i.e. CalFIRE firebreak projects, increased County hazardous vegetation inspections, etc.).

We urge you to support our firefighters -
...Vote YES on B - Return Ballots ASAP!

We want to alert you... there's a Special Election, Measure B, to support our local firefighters in providing emergency, rescue, and wildfire response and prevention services. Ballots were mailed on July 29th. Ballots need to be returned no later than August 27.

Measure B will provide revenue directly to our local El Dorado County Fire Protection District to maintain excellent paramedic and fire response. Measure B will cost property owners only $8 per month, a worthy investment to save lives and property in our community.

A YES Vote for Measure B will:
* Restore needed firefighter and emergency responder positions, maintaining emergency rescue, wildfire response and fire prevention services
* Help to keep firefighting lifesaving equipment and facilities up-to-date
* Maintain rapid response times for fire protection and 9-1-1 emergency services by preventing further cuts to first responders.

For more information go to: [link removed]
Are you experiencing 'Trump' overload? It's time to talk and with like minded friends and neighbors. You can make a difference in the 2020 election!

Coffee and Conversation

When: SATURDAY, August 17, 10am to 11:00am
Where: Joe's Coffee & Deli, 2531 Merrychase Dr., Cameron Park, CA
Sponsored by the El Dorado County Democratic Party

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Upcoming Dates & Events.....
* Saturday, Aug. 17, 10am - 11:00am, Coffee & Conversation, Joe's Coffee, 2531 Merrychase Dr., Cameron Park.
* Tuesday, August 20, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, EDC Democratic Central Committee monthly meeting, Location: El Dorado County Office of Education, (Conference Room G), 6767 Green Valley Rd, Placerville, CA
* Tuesday, August 20, 6:00pm to 8:00pm, Indivisible El Dorado Hills meeting. Location; El Dorado Saloon, 879 Embarcadero Drive, El Dorado Hills, Speakers: CD - 4 Candidate Brynne Kennedy & Chair, El Dorado County Fire Safe Council, Steve Willis
* Sunday, Aug. 25, 5:30 - 9:00pm, Island of Black and White Concert, Cielo Winery, Shingle Springs, (See newsletter article for details.)
* Tuesday, Sept. 3, 5 -6:30pm, Campaign Services Committee Meeting, Bel Air Market Community Room, 3510 Palmer Dr., Cameron Park.
* Tuesday, Sept. 3, 7:00 - 9:00pm, Democrats After Dark - Hot Topics, Location: Raley's Community Room, 166 Placerville Dr., Placerville.
* Sept. 7-8, EDC/California Away Team(CAT) Canvassing, South Lake Tahoe (Information and RSVP at www.calawayteam.com)
* Sunday, Sept. 15, 10am to 2:00pm, EDC/California Away Team(CAT) Canvassing, El Dorado Hills (Information and RSVP at www.calawayteam.com)
* Thursday, Sept. 19, 6-8:00pm, Democratic Women of El Dorado County, Location: Cameron Park (TBD)

Notes:
* Check the "Events" Calendar at ** [link removed] ([link removed])
for more information about the above and future events. If you have a correction or addition to above list of upcoming events, please send it to [email protected]
* For South Lake Tahoe Democratic Club events, go here: ** [link removed] ([link removed])

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Too busy to volunteer time to help elect Democrats and support our focus issues?.... Consider making a financial contribution to the El Dorado County Democratic Party. All donations go directly to support the El Dorado County Democratic Party!
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Copyright © 2019 El Dorado County Democratic Central Committee
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Our mailing address is:
PO Box 1126
Diamond Springs, CA 95619

Phone: 916-312-3008
Website: www.edcdems.org
Facebook: @edcdems
Twitter: @EDC_Democrats
Email: [email protected]
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