By Jo Moreland
Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce
For The Alpine Sun
If you want a democracy to continue, get involved.
Guest speaker Jeanne Brown, San Diego League of Women Voters president, explained how important that is on Election Day, Nov. 8, at the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce monthly Hot Topics Breakfast meeting.
By Jo Moreland
Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce
For The Alpine Sun
If you want a democracy to continue, get involved.
Guest speaker Jeanne Brown, San Diego League of Women Voters president, explained how important that is on Election Day, Nov. 8, at the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce monthly Hot Topics Breakfast meeting.
“One of my favorite sayings is that democracy is not a spectator sport,” Brown said at the Alpine Woman’s Club at 2156 Alpine Blvd. “You need to get involved in democracy every day.”
When democracies fail, she said, it’s usually because people aren’t going hungry and they’re being entertained so they don’t pay attention to what leaders are doing.
With a handful of major corporations controlling this nation’s broadcast media, the U.S is ranked 36th in press freedom and 17th as an effective democracy, Brown said. She added that a Pew report shows California is 47th out of the 50 states in voting.
Brown urged people to become informed and to support the politicians they elect. That helps avoid gridlock when it comes to maintaining government checks and balances, she said.
Acknowledging that Americans are angry about a changed economy that makes it difficult to “even keep food on the table,” Brown said that anger causes change “and moderate change is productive.”
“We need to learn how to use our anger,” Brown said, encouraging civil discussion.
The speaker said the League of Women Voters, formed in 1920, looks at both sides of ballot issues, then provides information to voters. The nonpartisan league doesn’t support or oppose candidates, she said.
As membership director of the League of Women Voters of California, Brown said the League would like to have members in Alpine and the Mountain Empire.
Brown fielded questions about such issues as how to change daylight savings time, early media release of national vote counts that discourages West Coast voting, and the national Popular Vote Movement to get around the Electoral College system.
During other business, the Chamber learned more about the historic Alpine Town Hall maintained by the Alpine Woman’s Club. Upcoming events include the Dec. 10 Alpine Woman’s Club “Christmas in Alpine Home Tour.”
Chamber President/CEO Mary Rynearson reminded everyone for the Chamber’s Alpine holiday decoration contest will be judged on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The winner will be announced at the free Dec. 2 Snow Festival after the annual Alpine Village Christmas Parade of Lights.
Candidates for the 2017 Alpine Honorary Mayor’s Race will be revealed at the December Hot Topics breakfast. Holiday street banners will be hung soon in Alpine.
The family of Kylie Rowand, who lost their tot to cancer, won a “Red Hot & Moving to the Top” event to promote the Kylie Rowand Foundation. Carlette Anderson of the Alpine Woman’s Club had the winning ticket for a free Hot Topics Breakfast.
For more information about Chamber and member activities, call (619) 445-2722 or visit www.alpinechamber.com. Contact the League of Women voters at (858) 483-8696 or visit www.lwvsandiego.org for their information.
