THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS - · PDF filePublished by The League of Women Voters of Saratoga...
Transcript of THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS - · PDF filePublished by The League of Women Voters of Saratoga...
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
BULLETIN
Issue 5 March, 2013(Min. 6 issues per year) Editors: Barbara Thomas and Cliff Ammon,
Art Director: Margot Ammon. Bulletin E-mail: [email protected] Our website: www.lwvsaratoga.org Published by The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County, PO Box 1029, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
MARCH 2013
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan
political organization,
encourages informed and
active participation
in government,
works to increase
understanding of major
public policy issues,
and influences public
policy through
education and advocacy.
The League of Women
Voters of Saratoga County,
in both its values and
practices, is committed
to inclusion and diversity.
This means:
There shall be no barriers to
participation in any activity of
the League on the basis of
economic position, gender, race,
creed, age, sexual orientation,
national origin
or disability.
We recognize that diverse
perspectives are important and
necessary for responsible
and representative
decision-making.
We believe inclusiveness
enhances the
organization’s ability
to respond more effectively to changing
conditions and needs.
We affirm our
commitment to
reflecting the diversity of
Saratoga County.
John & Abigail Adams in
A Marriage of Two Minds
Starring Bill Hickman & Rita Russell
Watch for your invitation to our
annual fundraiser and see page 7.
RSVP by March 15th.
See you there!
Thanks to the grant we have launched our
Project Informed Citizens.
See Project Informed Citizens on page 3.
Women’s Equality Agenda? See page 3.
Saturday,
March 23rd 9am The Gideon Putnam
Breakfast Buffet with
League of Women Voters
of Saratoga County (NY-639) Official address: LWV of Saratoga County
PO Box 1029. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
www.lwvsaratoga.org (518) 728-0237
Board of Directors
President
Patricia Nugent, Chair, Program and Public Relations
20 Secretariat Lane, Saratoga Springs—584-4255
1st Vice President
Ann Kril, Chair, Voter Services
60 Hillcrest Drive, Saratoga Springs—584-1436
2nd Vice President
Darnell Rohrbaugh, Chair, Youth Programs
6 Almeria Drive, Clifton Park—371-2588
Secretary
Donna Dardaris, Chair, Membership
64 Middle St. Ballston Spa—884-9070
Treasurer
Mary Lou Classen
4 Blue Spruce Lane, Ballston Lake—877-8874
Directors
Amy Durland, Co-Chair, Action & Issues
33 Lakewood Drive, Saratoga Springs—583-0646
Patricia Garrett, Chair, Special Events, Social Media
537 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs—584-4271
Louise Golub, Co-Chair, Action & Issues
10 Hathorn St., Saratoga Springs—584-7518
Barbara Murphy, Chair, Good Government
2 Granada Drive, Clifton Park—371-6534
Peter Neenan, Chair, Observer Corps
24 Secretariat Lane, Saratoga Springs—587-9698
Ann Sheppard
9 Kirby Road, Saratoga Springs—583-6318
Schedule of LWVSC Board Meetings
Ballston Area Community Center (BACC)
6:45-8:45pm
1st Tuesday of each month
September 4, October 2, November 13 (Election
Day is 1st Tuesday), December 4, January 8,
February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4.
League of Women Voters of New York State or
League of Women Voters of New York State
Education Foundation
62 Grand Street, Albany, NY 12207 465-4162 www.lwvny.org
Executive Director: Laura Bierman, [email protected]
Administrative Assistant: Mary Barthhelme [email protected] President: Sally Robinsonn, [email protected]
League of Women Voters of the United States
1730 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-4508
202-429-1965 www.lwv.org
From the President...
The Little Engine that Could
I’m tired. It could be my 60th birthday becom-
ing a distant memory as time marches on. But
I suspect it’s more that there are SO many
issues, so much to do in leading this incredi-
ble organization that I feel immobilized at
times as to where and how to begin.
I’ve been a member of our League since
the 1970’s. I remember (fondly) the days of just sitting home and
reading my Bulletin….maybe. Of attending (some) events –
mostly the “fun” ones. And of marveling at how much this or-
ganization got accomplished. I imagined they must have dozens
of people working on stuff – they didn’t need me. One day I said
that to Janice Burns – how lucky LWVSC was that so many peo-
ple were actively involved. She laughed wryly and said, “If you
only knew how few people are making all this stuff happen….”
Well, now I know.
I declined board membership until I retired; I then declined
the presidency until it was clear that no one else felt ready to as-
sume it. So here I am, so proud of the organization and what we
are accomplishing…yet so tired. My inbox is FULL with ques-
tions and comments, and the issues that the LWV cares about –
that I care about – abound. If you watched the State of the Union,
you no doubt realized that so much of the President’s agenda is
OUR agenda. “Now is the time,” the President reminds us.
That’s true. Now IS the time. But we need all our members to
heed that call to action: Do you care about gun violence in
schools ? How about equal pay for equal work? Protecting vot-
ing rights? Campaign finance reform? GMO’s in your food?
Health effects of hydrofracking?
I write this plea not to make you feel guilty if you too are
just a Bulletin-reader for now; I‘ve been there too. I write this
because I believe we really COULD tip the scale in the right di-
rection if we all got a little more involved, if we all attended
more events, if we all donated when asked, if we all recruited
members. Many opportunities to assist are listed on page 5.
I thank heartily all those who comprise “the little engine
that could.” Their enthusiasm and commitment to League issues
is amazing – although they also confess to being tired. We are
ready to add a few more cars to this train of justice, equality, and
freedom – ALL BOARD? I think we can, I think we can...
Pat
Welcome New Members
Susan Abrams Kathleen Donahue Michelle Slone
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3. Stop Sexual Harassment in all workplaces re-
gardless of the size of the workplace.
4. Allow for the Recovery of Attorneys' Fees in
Employment and Credit and Lending cases,
because over 75% of the employment and credit
and lending cases in this State are filed by
women, who currently have to pay their attor-
ney’s fees out of their settlement.
5. Strengthen Human Trafficking Laws by
strengthening the existing law to remove the
requirements that "coercion" be proven when
the victims are minors, increase penalties for
trafficking and create an affirmative defense in
prostitution prosecutions that the defendant's
participation was a result of having been a sex
trafficking victim.
6. End Family Status Discrimination by amend-
ing the current law to prohibit employers from
denying work or promotion to workers simply
because they have children.
7. Stop Source-of-Income
Discrimination by
amending the Human
Rights Law to prohibit
landlords from discrimi-
nating against tenants
based on lawful sources
of income (such as Section 8 vouchers).
8. Stop Housing Discrimination for Victims of
Domestic Violence.
9. Stop Pregnancy Discrimination by creating a
specific protection in the Human Rights Law
requiring employers to provide a reasonable ac-
commodation for pregnancy-related conditions.
10. Protect Victims of Domestic Violence by al-
lowing them to provide all required testimony by
video-conference instead of having to be in the
courtroom with their abuser.
By Barbara Thomas
In his 2013 State of the State Address, Governor
Cuomo announced a Women’s Equality Agenda to
break down barriers that perpetuate discrimination
and inequality based on gender. The next day (as the
pay equity specialist for LWVNY) I was thrilled to
be part of a group meeting with the governor and his
staff to figure out how to achieve those goals. It is so
exciting to know that the governor is committed to
getting this done.
LWVNY and LWV Saratoga, along with most of
the other local Leagues, have signed on as supporters
of the principles outlined in the Agenda, which are:
1. Protect a Woman's Freedom of Choice by en-
acting the Reproductive Health Act which will
protect the fundamental right of reproductive
freedom and a woman's right to make private
health care decisions.
2. Move towards Pay Equity by prohibiting em-
ployers from terminating or retaliating against
employees who share wage informtion, a practice
that enables wage disparities to persist undetected
and by increasing damages and eliminating loop-
holes that make it difficult to win a settlement
when a worker has not received equal pay for
equal work.
Project Informed Citizens continued from p.1
Project Informed Citizens will bring
unbiased digital recordings of educa-
tional events (including candidate fo-
rums) produced by the LWV Saratoga
to the general public in the Saratoga
County Region, allowing us to extend
our reach beyond those physically in
attendance at our events.
With the funds from TheAlfred Z.
Solomon Charitable Trust we were able to order and
receive the camcorder, microphones, laptop and edit-
ing software that the grant covered in time to record
our January 24th forum, Keeping Our Children Safe
from Gun Violence in Schools. There is a Digital Library page on our website
www.lwvsaratoga.org where you will find links to
the various segments of the forum – and where, in the
future, you will find links to video recordings of
events yet to come.
AGRICULTURAL FORUM Saratoga Springs Public Library
Community Room—7pm
PLEASE SAVE THE DATE:
Tuesday, April 23rd
Local experts will present background
information in preparation for our
upcoming study.
4
On January 24th, an impressive panel
addressed the issue of gun control
and methods of keeping our children safe
in school.
Excerpts from forum remarks by Patricia Nugent:
Tonight, three of our LWV positions are inter-
secting: our support for public education, for health
care, and for gun control.
Since 1979, guns in America have snuffed out
the lives of over 119,000 children and teenagers.
That’s the equivalent of over 4,700 classrooms of 25
children each. Gone.
ABC News reported last July that among the
23 wealthiest countries 87% of all kids killed by
guns are American kids.
It’s fitting this week that we remember these
words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “Our lives
begin to end the day we become silent about things
that matter.” Tonight, we are not silent. This matters.
Many of us tried to avoid looking too closely at
the horror that was Newtown. But to illustrate how
much this matters and what’s at stake, I’m going to
read some excerpts from the testimony given by
Newtown Superintendent, Dr. Janet Robinson, on
Capitol Hill a few days ago. The terror must be
seared onto our brains so that we don’t become com-
placent as time goes by.
That morning was like every other morning…
until about 9:30, when a troubled young man carry-
ing two guns, one of them an AR-15 assault rifle,
shot out the glass window to bypass the buzz-in sys-
tem at the door. The shooter bypassed the first first-
grade room and began shooting in the second first-
grade room, killing the substitute teacher and all
but one child, who was clever enough to play dead
and didn’t even whimper...
What do I say now to the parents who want to
be assured that when they put their children on the
bus to school that they will come home? How do I
protect our students without creating fortresses?
How DO we do that? And kids are clearly not
the only victims of school violence; we especially
welcome and thank the school personnel and the first
responders who are with us tonight.
It would be wrong of us not to take action now.
Our kids are counting on us. To protect them. To
educate them. To love them enough to do what might
be unpopular with some. Tonight we’ll explore ways
to do that.
L to R, top: Aimee Allaud, LWVNYS Gun Safety Specialist; K. McMahon, NYS Trooper; Rosemary Armao, SUNY Journalism faculty; Karen Parlapianio, Director, NE Region PTA; L to R bottom: Dr James Kelleher, Four Winds; Kathleen Donahue, NYS United Teachers; Dr. L. Oliver Robinson, Superintendent of Shenendehowa School District. Host, Patricia Nugent, President LWV Saratoga; and Moderator,Susan Arbetter (Far right) WCNY Host/Producer
5
GET ACTIVE IN YOUR LEAGUE!
Some of the things you might do:
Greet people and get them to sign in at LWV
events.
Invite a friend to join you at a League event.
Be a timer at events that need them
Video tape League forums
Respond to LWV calls for action.
Distribute handouts at events.
Register Voters.
Stuff envelopes, prepare mailings.
Represent our LWV on the Board of Fair Campaign
Practices.
Help set out the chairs when we have an event at the
Library.
Thanks to Our Contributors
Thanks to our LWVSC Contributors
Donna Dardaris
Betty Gallagher
Ed & Barb Murphy
Lee Nelson
Claire Olds
John & A.C. Riley
The following made donations to the
LWV Education Fund:
Jane Bouchard
Lori Dawson
Mike & Ann Kril
Margo Olson
Pat & Joe Peck
Marian Potter
Darnell Rohrbaugh
A special Thank You to
Stewart’s Shops
for their continuing support.
Join the LWV videographers!
How many times have you attended a League
meeting, looked at the sparse audience and said to
yourself “If only we could save this and show it
later to folks who missed it.” Well, now we can.
As many of you know, the LWV Saratoga has
received a grant from the A Z Solomon foundation
which has enabled us to buy a camcorder and micro-
phones. This will let us record programs which we
can then post on our website and on YouTube for
viewing later by those who were unable to attend the
original session. We hosted a marvelous
forum in January on Gun Violence. And,
while we had a good attendance, it was
obvious the bone chilling weather kept
many people from attending. We have
been able to post the participants’ com-
ments online, and they are available for
others to see.
What we need now is to train a small group of
volunteers in how to use the camera to record future
events. The camera is small and easy to use. If we
had 6 to 10 people who knew how to operate it, we
would not overburden any one person. Email Fran-
cine Rodger ([email protected]) or call her (371-
8032) to join our group. Plans are being made for
two training sessions to be held this spring.
Participate in national studies.
Write an article for the Bulletin.
Join the Observer Corps
Call a list to encourage people to attend events.
Organize a League presence at a Farmer’s
Market, Community Day, etc.
Become a board member.
Chair or serve on a committee to monitor what is
happening in a specific area of League interest, such
as the environment, domestic violence, gun control.
What are you willing to do?
Email Donna at [email protected]
or call her at 884-9070
and she’ll put you on a list.
6
7 Members Attend Lobby Day
We were pleased that 7 members were able to
attend Lobby Day February 5th. Especially since we
had to cancel our Legislative Breakfast due to date
conflicts. We pushed our agenda with Farley, Jor-
don, Marchione, and Tedisco. We dicussed Gun
Control, Fracking and the Environment, and
Women’s Equality, as well as other priorities.
Do you know a student who should apply?
For the second and last year, the League of
Women Voters of Saratoga County is offering the
Barbara K. Thomas Award of $1100 to be given to
a senior graduating from a public high school in
Saratoga County in 2013 and planning to attend a 2
or 4 year college in the fall of 2013.
The application is available on our website:
www.lwvsaratoga.org and must be completed and
returned along with letters of recommendation, by
March 22nd.
Barbara K. Thomas Award
In Honor of "One Woman Who Made A Difference"
We will meet at 1 PM on Tuesday,
March 12th at the Saratoga Springs
Library to review the Women’s Is-
sues positions. These positions are very much in the
news currently since the Governor’s State of the State
address.
In April, we will examine Natural Resources and
Health Care and we will finish up the State positions
in May, with our examination of State Finances.
All league members are invited to join us for in-
teresting conversation and camaraderie. If you have
questions, contact Francine Rodger (371-8032) or
[email protected]. Francine
Winning Classes visited by their Assembly members.
Assembly Member Tony Jordan, left, visited Mrs.
Barbagelata’s class at Shenendehowa’s Chango Ele-
mentary School and Mrs. Pattee’s class at Spa Chris-
tian Academy.
Assembly Member James Tedisco, right, visited
Mrs. Sinnenberg’s class at Burnt Hills – Ballston
Lake’s Stevens School and Mrs. Fahey’s class at
Shenendehowa’s Okte School.
Report on the January 16, 2013 meeting to
update LWV Saratoga positions on: Emergency
Services and on The IDA & SEDC
Fourteen members were present.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Terry Lowenthal, chair, presented, and thanked
the other members of her committee – Margot Am-
mon and Barbara Thomas. She distributed an update
of the fact sheet presented in 2000, a copy of the
original consensus questions and the answers the
2000 group had selected, and a proposed update of
the Emergency Services position. There was quite a
bit of discussion about the particulars of training and
funding for volunteer firefighters and emergency
medical personnel, but the consensus was that the
proposed update reflects our current position, with
minor changes to improve clarity and style.
IDA & SEDC
Amy Durland and Peter Neenan were co-chairs
and the committee for this update. They consulted
with the original co-chairs (Susan Burton and Debbie
Peck Kelleher) and presented a proposed update of
the position, which clarified the intent of the original
position. A few facts presented: Saratoga County
has given away approximately $20 million in tax
abatements, but received about $5 million in PILOTS
for a net cost of approximately $14 million. Cost per
job created is $5600. We discussed what a livable
wage is in NYS, and the Smart Growth Infrastructure
Act. There was consensus that we support the pro-
posed update as presented. Barbara Thomas
7
Thanks
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF SARATOGA COUNTY—
presents… Breakfast Buffet at the Gideon &
“A Marriage of Two Minds”
A play by Martin P. Kelly
9am, Saturday, March 23, 2013
The Gideon Putnum Hotel
The play deals with John and Abigail Adams’ love for each other and their zeal
for liberty for our emerging nation!
Told through their letters exchanged over many years of separation
as John worked to stay focused on the war and peace.
YES! I WOULD LIKE TO MEET JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS
NUMBER OF RESERVATIONS______
___$50 per person (pp) Peacefield; __$75/pp Philadelphia; ___$100/pp White House.
I cannot attend, but would like to contribute $____________
TOTAL ENCLOSED: $__________
NAME ______________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS___________________________________________________________________
CITY________________________________________________________________________
STATE_________ ZIP_____________ PHONE(daytime)______________________________
E-MAIL_______________________________________ Total enclosed__________________
Make check payable to LWVNYSEF. Tax deductible except for $25 fair value of the event/pp attending. Receipts will be provided at the door.
MAIL TO: Mary Lou Classen, 4 Blue Spruce Lane, Ballston Lake, NY 12019
THE LEAGUE OF
WOMEN VOTERS
OF SARATOGA COUNTY P.O. BOX 1029 SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY 12866
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID Saratoga Springs,NY
Permit No. 16
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
March 2013
Tues., March 12, Book Club, 1pm
SSPL, 1pm
March 15, RSVP for Fundraiser
Friday, March 22, Deadline for
B. K. Thomas Award See page 6
Sat.March 23, 9am.
Gideon Putnum Hotel
Breakfast &
A MARRIAGE OF TWO MINDS
With John and Abigail Adams
See page 7
Tues., April 23, Agriculture Fo-
rum, 7pm, SSPL, Community Rm.
Sat, June 8, Annual Meeting, 9am
Holiday Inn
CONTENTS Grant Award, Fundraiser …………………...1
From the President, New members..…….….2
Women’s Equality, Project
Informed Citizens.………………...……..….3
Report on gun forum ..……………….……..4
Be A Videographer, Contributors,
Get Active…………………………………..5
Take Me To Vote!, Book Club, Thomas
Award, Two positions………………………6
All about “The Marriage of Two Minds.…...7
JOIN US & MAKE A DIFFERENCE
YES! I Would like to join the League. 2012/13 dues enclosed.
(Note: The Bulletin is free with membership) $55. Individual $80 Family $25 Student
Please send more information I would like to subscribe to the BULLETIN, $15. enclosed
In addition, I would like to contribute $______________
Please send a gift membership to:
NAME _______________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________________
CITY ________________________________________________________________________________
STATE ________ ZIP ____________ PHONE (home) ________________ (work) ___________________
E-MAIL ________________________________________________
ARE YOU INBOARD? TERESTED IN SERVING ON THE
The Nominating Committee seeks members who wish to be con-
sidered for positions on the Board of Directors of the LWV of
Saratoga County. Serving on the board is an experience to re-
member: rewarding, challenging, satisfying, demanding and fun.
You will be able to:
Build your leadership skills
Use your skills to make things happen for the League and for
your community
Help to set the direction for the LWV of Saratoga County
Share your League successes with other Leagues
Expand your commitment to the League
If this sound like an opportunity you or someone you know might
want to pursue, please contact any member of the Nominating
Committee: Susan Burton, Laura Chodos, Donna Dardaris, Amy
Durland, or Lori Dawson, Chair.
WANTED The Voter Service Committee is
looking for members willing to get training
to be a moderator. It will involve one session
of about 2 hours. We want to schedule the
training in April so please let us know by
March 20. Call Ann Kril: 584-1436.