January 2009
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LWVCT BOARD REPORT January 16, 2009
CALENDAR 2008-2009
January 2009 1/27 LWVs New Haven et. al.: Regional Round Table on “The Great Depression #2” 1/29 LWV Wilton “Amethyst Initiative” forum, Wilton 1/30 deadline to send membership changes to LWVUS
February 2009 2/5 LWV Ridgefield General Meeting on “The Global Financial Crisis” 2/10 LWVCT/EF Board meeting, Hamden. 2/19 LWVCTEF Debate Policies discussion, Hamden
March 2009 3/10 LWVCT/EF Board meeting, Hamden. date TBA LWVCT/UConn NPV forum
April 2009 4/1 4th quarter PMP becomes due 4/14 LWVCT/EF Board meeting, Hamden. 4/23 SIR, Quinnipiac University
May 2009 5/1 deadline for LWVUS National Popular Vote consensus responses 5/14 LWV Bpt Area fundraiser: “Moonlight and Magnolias” (note corrected date)
June 2009 6/6 LWVCT Convention, place TBA 6/11-13 LWVUS Council (for state League presidents), Washington, DC
Announcements:
Regional Round Table Luncheon: “The Great Depression Number 2”
The LWV of New Haven and the LWVs of Amity, Cheshire/Wallingford, Hamden/North Haven, invite you to a Regional Round Table Luncheon Buffet at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm Street, New Haven, at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 27, 2009. The cost is $15.00, to be paid at the door. The featured speaker will be William Nordhaus, Sterling Professor of Economics, Yale University, and his talk will be “The Great Depression Number 2.” Please let Margot Kohorn of LWV New Haven know if you are coming – 203 795 3151. LWV Wilton Community Forum: “The Amethyst Initiative”
The Wilton League of Women Voters and the Wilton Library present a community forum — a panel discussion — about the Amethyst Initiative, a proposal by more than 100 colleges and universities to open a dialogue about lowering the drinking age in the U. S. to 18.
The forum will be held at the Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton, on Thursday, Jan. 29th.
Speakers on both sides of this issue will discuss the rationale behind the recent initiative and their viewpoints on prevention of adolescent alcohol abuse. Speakers include Dr. Linda Degutis, Associate Professor, Yale University Medical School and immediate past president of the American Public Health Association; Dr. Lee Peters, VP, Student Affairs, University of Hartford; Mr. Barrett Seaman, author of “Binge: Campus Life in an Age of Disconnection and Excess” and board member of Choose Responsibility, an organization that proposes a new approach toward the drinking problem among young people; and Mr. John Hamilton, CEO, Regional Networks of Programs, Inc., a nonprofit social service agency specializing in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.
Audience Q and A will be included. The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available at 7:00 p.m., followed by the panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. To register, please call 203-762-3950 or visit http://www.wiltonlibrary.org/events.
Ridgefield General Meeting: “The Global Financial Crisis”
LWV Ridgefield invites you to attend a discussion on: “The Global Financial Crisis: Can We Survive and What will Life be Like Afterwards?” starting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2009 (snow date: February 19), at Veterans Park School Auditorium, with speaker Nicholas S. Perna, Ph.D., Chief Economist and Managing Director, Perna Associates.
Perna Associates specializes in economic analysis, forecasting and strategy. Dr. Perna is economic advisor to Webster Bank, is a frequent guest on many national news programs, and is frequently quoted in the national and regional press. The Wall Street Journal and Business Week have each cited him twice as one of the top economic forecasters in the United States.
Bring your questions. The public is invited at no charge. If you need further information, please contact Christine Lodewick at plodewick@aol.com.
LWVCT President Burnett Appointed to LWVUS Ad Hoc Committee on Resolutions
LWVUS President Mary Wilson has appointed an Ad Hoc Committee that will assist Council 2009 in formulating a convention rule on resolutions. The rule that Council 2009 develops will be included in the Convention 2010 rules for debate and approval by delegates. This procedure was approved at Convention 2008, and the LWVUS Board advertised for and screened member applicants for the ad hoc committee to assist Council 2009. The committee is charged with making recommendations to Council 2009 on possible resolution procedures, and each member has agreed to attend Council 2009. The members are Marion Taylor (Oakland, CA), Gini McGirr (Tucson, AZ) and Jara Burnett (Greenwich, CT). LWVUS Board members Elisabeth MacNamara (Atlanta, GA) and Dianne Wheatley-Giliotti (Tampa, FL) are also on the committee. The committee members are all long-time League members with solid experience in League governance. The LWVUS offers congratulations to the committee members and thanks to all the applicants.
Spring Forum on NPV
The Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the UCONN School of Social Work and LWVCT will be co-sponsoring a forum focusing on the National Popular Vote (NPV). We anticipate this forum will be held in the last week of March. In light of the LWVUS national study, this will be another opportunity be informed about this alternative way to elect our nation’s president. Keep a lookout for details in future Board Reports or e-mails.
Position Still Available: Needed: Assistant Director of Capitol Information and Tours
The League of Women Voters of Connecticut seeks an experienced Assistant Director for its education programs at the state capitol. The successful candidate will support the Director and paid and volunteer staff providing tours of the Connecticut State Capitol and Legislative Office Building while educating visitors about state government. Demonstrated experience as a manager is required. Management experience should include personnel, volunteer and financial operations. Must have strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work independently.
Please send cover letter and résumé to: LWVCT, attn: J. Rabinow, Administrator, 1890 Dixwell Ave., Suite 203, Hamden, CT 06514-3183, or via e-mail to lwvct@lwvct.org. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Public Issues Team Report by Cheryl Dunson and the Public Issues Team Specialists
Christine Halfar: New Air Quality Specialist The LWVCT is pleased to announce the addition of Christine Halfar as Air Quality specialist on our Public Issues Team. She is a member of the Danbury Area League of Women Voters. We welcome her in her new advocacy role at the State level.
Joining the PI Team If anyone is interested in learning more about joining the Public Issues team, please contact Cheryl Dunson at 203-861-7335.
Advocacy Priorities for LWVUS The State League recommended the following priorities for LWVUS advocacy: *Campaign Finance Reform with special emphasis on public financing of campaigns *Health Care *Net Neutrality (with the Obama administration considering broadband expansion a pivotal "infrastructure" issue, we believe that there must be a voice to ensure that the neutrality of the internet is protected.)
PUBLIC POLICY UPDATES
The League is unique in having a broad public policy agenda spanning election laws, natural resources and social policy. As we read more about the budget deficit and the mitigation measures being proposed by the Governor and legislative leaders, LWVCT will strive to be fiscally-responsible in our advocacy in these difficult times. Currently, the projected budget deficit for the biennium beginning July 1 is $6 billion.
Government
Voting Machines: The League participated in audit observations following the November election. The Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, of which the League is a member, intends to issue a report on the audit observations later in the month.
Campaign Finance Reform: Approximately 75% of the candidates running for the General Assembly in November elected to participate in public financing. The State Elections Enforcement Commission held two public hearings on the Citizens’ Election Program (which provides the financing) following the election; the League testified at the December hearing.
As a result of the dire fiscal situation, $5 million dollars of the Citizen’s Election Program were rescinded in the November Special Session. The State Election Enforcement Commission (SEEC), which administers the fund, believes that it can return an additional $15 million over the biennium and still have sufficient funds available for the 2010 statewide elections. The Governor proposed a $17.9 million reduction. We applaud the SEEC for “doing their part” in this fiscal crisis while striving to maintain the fund at appropriate levels for the 2010 elections.
Shortly before Christmas, the federal district court issued an opinion upholding that the bans on lobbyist and state contractor contributions. An appeal is expected. A hearing on whether the standards for minority and petitioning candidate participation in public financing violate constitutional law will be held in March.
Good Government: The League will again be seeking to mandate a public hearing on all proposals that create an exception to an existing statute and a provision requiring all strike all amendments to be on legislators’ desks at least two days prior to a vote on the amendment. These proposals were included in last year’s legislative agenda.
Media (Broadband access/Net Neutrality/PEG Access TV): LWVCT is meeting with selected legislators to discuss increasing broadband internet access in CT, a resolution in support of Net Neutrality, like Maine’s in 2006, and recent cable company moves to put Public, Educational and Government access channels to the digital (higher priced) tier.
Natural Resources
Transportation: On January 4, 2009, comments were sent in support of the Notice of Scoping for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Improvements to the Transportation Planning Director.
On January 6, 2009, letters were sent to the Governor, DOT Com. Joseph Marie, OPM Secy. Robert Genuario and legislative leaders requesting that bus transit “shovel ready” projects be included in Connecticut’s request for federal economic stimulus funds.
Water Supply: We will work with the Endangered Lands Coalition again in supporting proposals that failed last session:
Waste: We will work with the Better Bottle Bill Coalition again to seek expansion of the .05 deposit redemption program to water bottles.
Social Policy Updates
Mental Health: Although budget constraints make funding for new initiatives unlikely, advocates for people with mental illness such as NAMI and Keep the Promise Coalition believe it is important to keep legislators aware of the recommendations of the Lieutenant Governor’s Mental Health Cabinet Report of 2004 and to emphasize the long term cost-effectiveness of these recommendations.
School Finance and Education Cost Sharing: In the November special session, the legislature passed a deficit mitigation bill that cut about $4.5 million from the Department of Education's 2009 budget.
In December, the State Board of Education responded formally to Governor Rell's request that all departments submit reductions equal to 10% of their planned spending for FYs 2010 and 2011. For the Department of Education, this equates to $283 million annually. The Department of Ed board unanimously approved reductions amounting to $53 million per year. The board strongly recommended against cutting the remaining $230 million because it would have to come out of aid to cities and towns, potentially doing severe damage to local public education. (92% of the Department's $2.7 billion budget flows out as municipal aid, and thus a cut of this magnitude from other categories alone is impracticable.) However, if the governor determines that the additional $230 million must be cut, the board provided three options for doing so on a per pupil basis, rather than as a straight percentage, so that the burden would fall more on wealthier towns. For more information, contact Specialist Kathy Wilson.
Voter Service Debate Discussion Scheduled by Pat Donovan, LWVCT Voter Service Director
Building upon the comments and suggestions from membership concerning the recent state wide debates the board takes this opportunity to invite each chapter to send a representative to a roundtable discussion on Debate Policies & Procedures.
The roundtable will be held in the League’s offices in Hamden on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 10:00 a.m.
All aspects of the process will be up for discussion: Criteria & Vetting Invitations & Deadlines Co-sponsorship Media coverage & input Local league involvement Moderators
We hope that all Leagues will participate but chapters that have sponsored or co-sponsored state debates are in a unique position to add to the discussion.
Please RSVP to lwvct@lwvct.org
Local League Service Membership
Last warning: your League’s PMP obligations to LWVUS and LWVCT in FY 2009-2010 are based on your January 31, 2009, membership count. Please update your League’s membership roster via the LWVUS website ASAP.
(Painless) Fund-raising Become a “Givenik” - See Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows and Support LWVCTEF!
Would you like to get special discounts on tickets to Broadway and Off Broadway shows and support the LWVCT Educational Fund at the same time? If so, keep reading! We have a partnership between the League and Jujamcyn Theaters which provides members and friends the opportunity to both give and get: they can give to LWVCT Ed Fund as they get special discounts.
When purchasing tickets through the special on-line site, www.givenik.com, five percent of the ticket price will go directly to LWVCTEF if you choose us from among the list of other participating non-profit organizations.
Discounts currently are being offered on both new and long-running shows. Some shows have no minimum order requirements; others do require a minimum order. Consider this an opportunity to arrange an outing with friends and family! Again, it’s: www.givenik.com.
And a Note About LWVCT/LWVCTEF Fundraising
Although the state League board has approved moving funds out of savings accounts into higher-yield investments, those of you who have been contributing to the LWVCT and LWVCT Education Fund will be happy to know that, thanks to the state Board’s continuing conservative investment policy, we have not lost a single penny in the recent market downturn. Donors can remain assured that the money you give the League stays with the League. |
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