DODD: Longtime state legislater shares his perspective

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Alliance, $15,000; and Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center, $15,000; Progress Ranch, $22,000.

“These funds will support their critical work and help them reach children in need. We are proud to stand with these organizations united and dedicated to protecting and empowering our community children I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all of our sponsors and donors and volunteers who made this event possible,” LeonGuerrero said.

Dodd secured $1 million toward the construction of YCN’s expansion of services. He said, “All of these non-profits provide critical services to our most vulnerable amongst our communities.” Last week, Dodd’s office notified Progress Ranch that they are Yolo County’s nonprofit organization of the year.

A new member of Rotary, Dodd comes from a family of Rotarians; his father was a Rotary Club president in 1955 and ’59, and his son is a member.

After Davis Rotary Club President Peter LeonGuerrero introduced Dodd by reading the bio, the congressman said, “I appreciate that. I will say it’s a little dated. We got to work on that. I have 12 (rather than nine as stated) grandchildren, and the 13th is on the way. So we’re pretty excited.”

Dodd said he welcomes the end of his term to spend more time with family.

Pandemic playbook

Coming out of the Covid19 Pandemic, Dodd stressed the importance for California to create a nonjudgmental “post-mortem” playbook for future generations. “It’s not to criticize, or it’s not the pat on the back, is to really analyze what the overall problem was, what the state response was, what our medical team’s response was.”

He said while underfunded public health departments have ramped up funding since 2020, it’s something that we need to continue to do. “If we didn’t learn that during the pandemic, I’m not sure we learned enough,” he said.

State Budget

Despite the $300 deficit in Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revise and no raise in taxes, Dodd said California is in a “strong position” due to the state’s “thoughtful budgeting over the last three, four, or five years” and being “good fiscal stewards of the money of the state of California.”

“(The May Revise) does not call for any real deep cuts, but I think the Governor has been very thoughtful.”

Dodd said during the previous economic downturn under former Governor Jerry Brown, the legislature still invested heavily in services like public schools and wildfire prevention, while addressing the necessities and public safety, affordable housing projects, and economic development.

“When you have one-time money, you pay down debt, which we did. You put money in the rainy day fund.”

Dodd said he appreciates Newsom not backing down on wildfire prevention.

Homelessness

Calling homelessness “one of the great failings of our society,” Dodd said Newsom has done a “good job, and the legislature has done a good job in terms of getting monies there.”

Dodd said, “It’s all about accountability at the local level.” He added county and city officials point to the mental health crisis among the unhoused. “Most of the time, you know they’re not fit mentally to make decisions to help themselves,” he said.

He referenced the establishment and planning behind the state’s “CARE Court,” which pairs an unhoused person untreated with a mental illness with a court-ordered Care Plan for up to 24 months. It includes interventions, medication, a housing plan, a public defender, and a supporter to help them make decisions for their care.

Artificial intelligence

Dodd said even though he thinks artificial intelligence is crucial, there must be guardrails, including disclosure. “If we’re not communicating with our constituents, personally, you ought to know it. And we ought to disclose that we’re using AI. So, my bill is not intended to stifle innovation, but it’s certainly designed to protect consumers as we move on.”

Senior protections

Dodd said scammers are often “aided and abetted by bankers or shopkeepers, allowing them to continue perpetrating these crimes without asking them a solitary question.”

As explained in a press release, when victims attempt to sue their bank for assisting in a scam, the institution can avoid responsibility by claiming it did not have actual knowledge of the fraud. “Senate Bill 278 would clarify that victims of financial elder abuse can continue to hold institutions accountable when they should have known of the fraud but negligently assisted in the transfer anyway. The clarification would support victims of financial elder abuse in meeting their burden of proof.”

Dodd told the Rotarians that most banks and credit unions are doing a phenomenal job in their communities by asking questions to the consumer, such as: Do you know who you’re sending this money to? Do you know why you have somebody trusted that I may be able to call on this? “But unfortunately, there’s far too many they’re not doing that’s why this bill is necessary,” he said. He added they’re working on a safe harbor for banks already doing that.

“The same thing with insurance,” he said. “We’ve got lots of great insurance and annuity writers, but not all are looking out for the best interest. And unfortunately or fortunately, we can do a better job of helping seniors and