Dear Friends,

Election day is around the corner and I urge you to vote. Voting is the most foundational right in our democracy, and now our democracy depends on your participation more than ever. Take the time to educate yourself on the items on the ballot. There are many this year and some of them are complicated. You can find helpful election information on the San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer website and the California Secretary of State website, including locations for voting in-person, via drop boxes, or by mail. The League of Women Voters always offers neutral explanations and helpful pros and cons on state and local propositions.

Make a voting plan now to ensure that your vote counts.

Preparing for El Niño

On October 20, the board proclaimed a local emergency to ensure the county prepares early for an historically wet El Niño season. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts that this El Niño could become the strongest since records began in 1950.

This is not a time to panic, but to prepare. The county will create an interdepartmental El Niño Preparedness and Response Task Force, led by the Department of Emergency Management. The Task Force will bring county departments together with cities, towns, special districts, and partners such as PG&E and Caltrans to ensure a coordinated approach to preparedness and response. That work will include clearing drains and culverts, preparing public alerts in multiple languages, informing residents where to pick up sandbags, and reaching out to residents who may need additional time or assistance to prepare, including older adults, people with disabilities, people living near our waterways, and those experiencing homelessness. 

We don’t know when and where individual storms will hit, but we do know that we will have very high tides around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Storms coinciding with high tides can increase the possibility of flooding or mudslides. 

There are several steps you can take now to protect your family. Start with insurance. Standard homeowners or renters policies don’t cover flooding, landlords' policies typically won't cover a tenant's belongings, and flood coverage usually doesn't begin until 30 days after purchase. Renters can insure their belongings for up to $100,000. FEMA's free quoting tool will produce a quote in less than 10 minutes and you can email it straight to your agent or insurance provider. Then take photos or a quick video of every room, your valuables and your essential documents.

Look at your auto policy too. Comprehensive coverage is optional, and it's what can pay when floodwater reaches your car. The state's free consumer hotline at (800) 927-4357 will help you sort through all of this.

Make a plan on where to meet and who to call. If your kids are in school, confirm that their emergency contacts and the adults authorized to pick them up are current. Pack a go bag with water, medications, chargers and copies of important documents, and keep a backup power source charged.

You can find more information on preparing your home, including signing up for alerts, making a plan, building a kit, and checking on flood insurance on our Winter Weather Preparedness page.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In October, we promoted awareness of two important issues: breast cancer and disabilities. 

More than 300,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. One in eight women will develop it during her lifetime. I was one of them in 2024. 

It was caught early. I was lucky. Early detection saved me. 

I almost didn’t go to get my mammogram appointment because I was “too busy.” My doctor’s office called me to remind me to come in and not skip the mammogram. 

On October 20, the Board proclaimed October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and hosted a resource fair outside in the courtyard. The Sheriff’s pink patrol car was on display next to resource tables from the San Mateo County Medical Center, UCSF, Kaiser, Stanford, Ravenswood Family Health Network and the American Cancer Society, all of which provided great resources on breast cancer screenings and treatments.

A concerning trend we see are younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer. About one in ten women diagnosed are younger than 45. Scientists think that trend might be related to excess body weight, having fewer children, or having the first child after age 30.

The good news is that the chance of surviving breast cancer is much higher. Between 1989 and 2023, death rates declined by 44%. Treatments are more targeted and precise.

Recent research on breast cancer is focusing on precision diagnostics, targeted therapies, and new ways to prevent drug resistance and metastasis. For example, there are multiple clinical trials underway for vaccines that target specific proteins to train the immune system to prevent or fight cancer. New oral options are alternatives to traditional injectable hormone therapies. There is research targeting pathways to restore sensitivity to antibody-drug conjugates in resistant metastatic breast cancers. The list goes on.

The most important advice is to not skip your mammogram. It could save your life.

Disabilities Awareness Month

As the liaison to the Commission on Disabilities, it was particularly meaningful to celebrate the extraordinary contributions of people with disabilities, as artists, advocates, workers, students, caregivers, neighbors, and leaders in every part of our community. 

At the board meeting on October 6, we had the great honor to hear from Lincoln Elementary School teacher Alicia Stein who also authored the book “Winnie’s Way,” the story of a girl with hemiplegic cerebral palsy who finds her own path. Alicia herself has hemiplegic cerebral palsy. It was deeply moving and inspiring to hear her read about friendship and inclusion which helped Winnie find the power of doing things in her own way. 

Alicia’s words are a powerful reminder that inclusion is a value we need to live every day, not just a word we put on this year’s Disability Awareness Proclamation. This also was my message at the Disabilities Art Showcase at the Center for Creativity a few days later. The Commission on Disabilities put on a beautiful art exhibit, including one piece honoring the late Dolly Parton.

Art reaches people in ways that words cannot. I quoted some famous artists describing art.

• Pablo Picasso: Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
• Georgia O’Keefe: I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.
• Edgar Degas: Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
• Frida Kahlo: I never painted my dreams, I painted my own reality.

Adding Child Care Capacity

It’s a spectacular facility with classrooms, playgrounds, and a kitchen to prepare organic and sustainable food. It also represents an acknowledgment that we need to provide accessible and affordable child care in San Mateo County. As I often say, child care is a workforce crisis that starts in the crib. Child care in the county can easily cost a family more than $30,000 per year. That’s more than tuition at a public university or housing costs for many families. For parents, especially those with young children, child care is not a luxury. It is one of the largest expenses they face. Child care is not simply a family issue, it’s a critical infrastructure issue.

Before I Go…

The County Elections Office is still looking for election volunteers. If you are passionate about our democracy, this is a fantastic way to serve your fellow citizens. The Vote Center Volunteer positions are compensated. You can find more information and apply here. 

If you are a resident of Burlingame, you will receive a special “I Voted” sticker. The City of Burlingame has an annual contest for students and adults to design “I Voted” stickers and this year, I had the honor and pleasure to meet the winners at a Burlingame City Council meeting. Look at these great designs! I was very impressed with the students’ and teachers’ artistic talents. 

Please vote. 

All the best,

Contact Us: 650 363-4571

SMCSupSpeier@smcgov.org