The Maine Voter Volume 30, Number 1 Winter 2013

Transcription

1 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MAINE The Maine Vter Vlume 30, Number 1 Winter 2013 Cntents Page President s Letter 1 Leadership and Quad States 2 Agriculture 2 New Cngress 3 Gun Laws 4 Lbby Crps 5 Welcme Val Marsh 5 Cmmissin n Status f Wmen 5 Climate Change Nt a Hax Scial Media Jin the League Calendar LWVME Officers President: Barbara McDade Vice President: Jill Ward Secretary: Clleen Tucker Treasurer: Ann Luther Directrs Martha Dickinsn Plly Fergusn Val Marsh Cathie Whittenburg Editr: Martha Dickinsn Cntributrs: Ann Luther, Val Marsh, Barbara McDade, Anne Schink, Jill Ward, and Cathie Whittenburg The League f Wmen Vters f Maine, a nnpartisan plitical rganizatin, encurages infrmed and active participatin in gvernment, wrks t increase understanding f majr plitical plicy issues, and influences public plicy thrugh educatin and advcacy. League f Wmen Vters f Maine P. O. Bx 863, Augusta, ME Bangr S. Prtland Prtland Trentn Ellswrth S. Prtland Augusta Prtland Dear League Members and Friends, The year 2013 brings with it a new Cngress in Washingtn and a new legislature in Maine. Despite a number f changes in bth the state and natinal plitical landscape, the prspect desn t lk bright fr ur elected fficials t cme tgether t enact needed changes in ur cuntry. We hpe that if yu are nt an active League Member, yu will jin us and help the League lead the way. The League s vice is listened t and respected. Our vter services are appreciated, ur nnpartisan studies are valued, and ur grassrts psitins are heard. The Maine League has prpsed the fllwing pririties natinally: Campaign finance refrm and disclsure A package f gun cntrl legislatin t include an assault weapns ban, a ban n large capacity ammunitin magazines, and the requirement that all gun purchases be subject t a criminal backgrund check Vting rights Glbal climate change Tax refrm, wealth & incme inequality Preserve the scial safety net by strengthening Scial Security, Medicare, and Medicaid Our Lbby Crps is gearing up fr the new legislative sessin. Read mre abut it in this issue, and if yu wuld like t vlunteer, please cntact us. Screening Party: Mney, Pwer, and the American Dream. Jin us fr lunch and a vide n February 9. We'll screen and discuss the latest Alex Gibney dcumentary, Mney, Pwer, and the American Dream. Academy Award- winning filmmaker Gibney presents his take n the gap between rich and pr. We hpe yu will be able t attend and bring a friend. Check lwvme.rg fr details. This is the first call t LWV Maine s Cnventin, t be held May 24 and 25 in Prtland. On Friday evening, members are invited t dine infrmally and then jin fr a dessert receptin with a guest speaker. Saturday will be a full day, starting at 10:30 AM and ending by 4 PM. The cmmittee is finding first- rate speakers, there will be a bard t elect, prgrams fr the cming tw years t select, and great fellwship with thughtful, frward- lking League members frm arund the state. Our website, will cntain updated infrmatin and registratin infrmatin. All members in Maine are invited t attend and vte. Please feel free t invite a friend and/r prspective member t cme alng. Our annual Leadership Develpment Wrkshps will be held in Wells, Maine, April 27 and 28. See the next article in this newsletter. Thank yu fr yur dedicatin. Because f yu, the Maine League cntinues t d what we d best encurage infrmed and active participatin in gvernment. - Barbara McDade, LWVME President

2 Leadership Develpment Fr the past several springs, we have had leadership develpment wrkshps with ur neighbring states Leagues. We call it Quad States. Members frm the state Leagues f Maine, Vermnt, New Hampshire and Rhde Island will be attending. This year thse wrkshps will be held April at the Hamptn Inn, Wells, Maine. The fcus will be n leadership and the tls needed t help the League grw and wrk effectively. The bulk f the prgrams at this year s Quad States will cncern the Membership and Leadership Develpment (MLD) prgram and its cntinuing grwth natinwide. MLD is a natinal League prgram. It started as a way fr state and lcal leagues t increase membership. Nw a leadership cmpnent has been added. This is a way t bring leadership tgether with tls and training t help in the wrk f League grwth. The last grup f natinal caches will be trained next spring and all states will be in the prgram by next year. We have ffered membership grwth training at Quad States befre, but a refresher curse is very imprtant. We can always learn mre. The larger visin is grwing the League t have a greater impact and t be mre visible. The League helps members be cnnected. Membership and Leadership Develpment is ur grund game all the way frm the lcal level t the natinal level. The tentative schedule has peple arriving n Friday evening, April 26, in time fr an infrmal dinner tgether. Saturday, April 27: There will be a full day f MLD training by Carl Reimers and thers n the Supprt Training Team. Sunday, April 28: A half-day expected t include tw 2-hur wrkshps talking abut League Visibility and Mderating with tday s new technlgy. Quad States is always interesting, bth in the sessins and in the peple that yu meet. - Barbara McDade, LWVME President Agriculture Plicy The League natinally has undertaken a review f ur agriculture plicy psitin, and a small grup f Prtland members decided t get a jump n that natinal study. We put tgether a bk list and each f us selected ne r mre f them t read, listen t n CD, r watch as a DVD. And we are having fun learning abut issues that mst f us have nt studied in any serius way. We have the gd frtune f having a new member with a PhD in agricultural ecnmics as part f ur grup. What an unexpected surprise! The scpe f the study as adpted by the cnventin delegates and the natinal bard includes a range f issues that were nt even dreamed f in 1986 when the first agriculture study was undertaken. The mtin adpted at the 2012 natinal cnventin is: review and update the LWVUS agriculture psitin, apprved in Such a review wuld investigate genetic mdificatin, cnslidatin in the fd industry, mney in the regulatry prcess, and the cnsumer s right t accurate and cmplete fd labeling. As we share what we have learned, we have begun t realize the cmplexity f the issue. Starting at the individual and family level, it is the health and ecnmic issue f meeting basic human needs. It is a natural resurce issue in terms f its impact n land, air and water. It is als an ecnmic issue f hw the gvernment supprts the business f prviding fd fr a hungry natin. It is an internatinal trade issue in terms f the rle that United States agriculture plicy plays in shaping fd quality and supply acrss the glbe. And, withut questin, ne f the thrniest issues is the pwer f the agricultural industry t influence public plicy thrugh unlimited campaign cntributins. Starting with Omnivre s Dilemma by Michael Pllan, Fd Inc, film and bk frm Participant Media, Tmatland by Barry Estabrk, and Betting the Farm, a dcumentary abut dairy farming in Maine, we have begun t see the cnnectins between factry farming, lax federal enfrcement f fd safety laws, labr standards, agribusiness, and health cncerns. While these materials may nt qualify as slid, unbiased, research- based publicatins, they certainly tell the stry f what wrries s many in ur cuntry abut what is happening in the agricultural sectr. And it shuld be enugh t make yu curius t begin yur wn inquiry int the rle that the 2

3 League f Wmen Vters shuld play in this debate. Current Agriculture Psitin: Statement f Psitin n Federal Agriculture Plicy, as Annunced by Natinal Bard, Octber 1988: The LWVUS believes that federal agriculture plicies shuld prmte adequate supplies f fd and fiber at reasnable prices t cnsumers, farms that are ecnmically viable, farm practices that are envirnmentally sund and increased reliance n the free market t determine prices. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. Federal plicy shuld encurage a system f sustainable, regenerative agricultural prductin that mves tward an envirnmentally sund agricultural sectr. This includes prmting stewardship t preserve and prtect the cuntry s human and natural agricultural resurces. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. Agricultural research, develpment and technical assistance shuld cntinue t be a majr federal functin. Resurces shuld be targeted t develping sustainable agricultural practices and addressing the needs f mid- size farms. AGRICULTURAL PRICES. The LWVUS supprts an increasing reliance n the free market t determine the price f agricultural cmmdities and the prductin decisins f farmers, in preference t traditinal price supprt mechanisms. AGRICULTURE AND TRADE. U.S. effrts shuld be directed tward expanding exprt markets fr ur agricultural prducts while minimizing negative effects n develping natins ecnmies. Cnsistent with the League s trade psitin, multilateral trade negtiatins shuld be used t reduce ther cuntries barriers and/r subsidies prtecting their agricultural prducts. FARM CREDIT. Farmers shuld have access t credit with reasnable terms and cnditins. Federally prvided farm credit is essential t maintaining the viability f farm peratins when the private sectr is unable r unwilling t prvide the credit farmers need. Of these plicies, the League believes the mst essential fr the future f agriculture are: encuraging sustainable agriculture; prviding research, infrmatin and technical assistance t agricultural prducers; and increasing reliance n the free market t determine prices. Anne Schink, Prtland Area LWV and LWV Bard The League and the New Cngress On January 3, the 113 th Cngress was fficially swrn in, welcming furteen new U.S. Senatrs and 82 new Members f the U.S. Huse f Representatives. The Huse has 233 Republicans and 200 Demcrats, and each party shuld pick up anther seat after tw vacancies are filled t cmplete the ttal 435 Representatives. Senate Demcrats will have a caucus f 55, including tw independents, Angus King f Maine and Bernie Sanders f Vermnt, and the Republicans will caucus with 45 Senatrs. And this year there are mre wmen than ever in the new Cngress: 79 in the Huse, an increase f five, and the new Senate includes 20 wmen, an increase f three. The 113 th Cngress will certainly have its hands full in Althugh the 112 th Cngress was able t avert the fiscal cliff with a last-minute New Year s Day agreement, there is still much budget wrk t be dne. The fiscal cliff deal addressed taxes and unemplyment insurance benefits, but simply delayed scheduled spending cuts and did nt extend the debt ceiling t prevent the United States frm defaulting n its bligatins in late February/early March. The League f Wmen Vters has and will cntinue t advcate fr federal fiscal plicy that recgnizes the imprtance f a fair tax system, prvides fr scial needs, and carefully manages the deficit and the ecnmy. Ecnmic issues are certain t keep the new Cngress busy ver the first several mnths f 2013, but there has already been sme attentin paid t ther League issues, including campaign finance refrm, gun vilence preventin and vting rights issues. On the first day f the new Cngress, Maryland Representative Chris Van Hllen reintrduced legislatin (H.R. 148), cmmnly knwn as the DISCLOSE Act, t address the influence that unlimited, secret crprate and unin mney has n ur electins and ur elected fficials. The bill is identical t the measure Van Hllen intrduced last Cngress and wuld require all crpratins, unins, and super PACs t reprt campaign expenditures f $10,000 r mre. It wuld als require reprting f transfers by thse grups t thers making such expenditures in rder t expse the surce f huge campaign cntributins. Last year, League President Elisabeth MacNamara submitted testimny t the Senate Rules Cmmittee in supprt f the DISCLOSE 3

4 Act and wrked with natinal calitin partners t put pressure n Cngress t take up this imprtant bill. In July, an attempt t take up a versin f the DISCLOSE Act was defeated n a party-line vte f Senatrs Snwe and Cllins did nt supprt the effrt t bring the bill t the flr. Hwever, newly-elected Senatr Angus King has stated his supprt fr the bill and ther plicies t shine greater light n plitical spending and reduce the influence f mney in plitics. We will cntinue t wrk with LWVUS t encurage the new Cngress t take up and pass the DISCLOSE bill this year and t cnsider ther measures t imprve ur electral system fr all Americans. In the wake f the tragic shtings in Newtwn, Cnnecticut, there has als been a renewed cnversatin abut vilence in ur sciety and what can be dne t keep ur cmmunities safe. Plicies that limit the access f firearms and ammunitin have cme back int fcus and are expected t receive attentin this year. Led by Vice President Je Biden, the Administratin has established a task frce n gun vilence and charged it with frmulating recmmendatins t help reduce gun vilence in ur cmmunities. (See the fllwing article n Gun Laws.) It prmises t be a busy year fr the new Cngress with many pprtunities fr League pririties t be discussed and advanced. T keep updated n the issues and actins at the natinal level, we encurage yu t sign up t becme an e-activist at the LWVUS website: Jill Ward, LWVME Bard and Prtland Area LWV The League Supprts Strng Gun Laws There are n wrds t express ur srrw and utrage ver the tragedy that tk place in Newtwn, Cnnecticut, n December 14 th. Twenty families wke up that Friday mrning, gt their kids dressed and sent them ff t schl, nt knwing it wuld be the last time they wuld see their children alive. As Cnnecticut Gvernr Mally put it, Evil visited this cmmunity. A lne gunman, 20-yearld Adam Lanza, entered the elementary schl armed with a Bushmaster military-style assault rifle and multiple high capacity ammunitin magazines and in a matter f minutes killed twenty children, mst f them 6 and 7 years ld and mst f them sht multiple times, and six adults. And while the crime Lanza cmmitted was hrrific it must be nted that the gun did exactly what it was designed t d kill a large number f peple in a shrt amunt f time. Since 1990 the League f Wmen Vters has been a strng prpnent f strng gun laws. In 1991, the League jined with ther rganizatins in supprt f an assault weapns ban and wrked hard t see the legislatin passed by Cngress in Unfrtunately, Cngress allwed the assault weapns ban t lapse in In additin t banning assault weapns, the legislatin als included a ban n high capacity ammunitin magazines and when the ban n assault weapns lapsed, s did the ban n these high capacity ammunitin magazines. Since 2004 this cuntry has seen an explsin in the manufacturing f military-style assault weapns. Ammunitin magazines, fr bth assault weapns and handguns, have grwn in size. Magazines hlding 30, 50, even 100 runds f ammunitin are readily available. Mass shtings nw ccur with frightening regularity saw a recrd number f these shtings with a recrd number f casualties. It is time fr the League f Wmen Vters t nce again step up and demand strng gun laws. The psitin adpted in 1990 is all t relevant tday: The League f Wmen Vters f the United States believes that the prliferatin f handguns and semi-autmatic assault weapns in the United States is a majr health and safety threat t its citizens. President Obama has launched a gun task frce headed by Vice President Biden. The task frce is preparing a cmprehensive plan that includes a renewed assault weapns ban, a ban n high capacity magazines, universal backgrund checks fr firearm buyers and strengthened mental health checks in the backgrund system. Legislatin will als be intrduced in Augusta that will address similar issues. It will nt be easy t pass this legislatin, at either the state r the federal level. That is why is it abslutely vital that yu cntact yur legislatrs and tell them yu supprt strng gun laws. As President Obama said, We re nt ging t get this dne unless the American peple decide it s imprtant. 4

5 Every day in this cuntry 1,000 peple are directly impacted by gun vilence. They are killed by firearms; sht and injured; victims f armed rbbery and aggravated assault with a gun. One thusand peple a day, every day. Please, call yur legislatrs and tell them as Americans we deserve the right t be safe and free frm gun vilence. It s imprtant. - Cathie Wittenburg, Prtland Jin the League Lbby Crps The First Regular Sessin f the 126th Maine Legislature cnvened n Wednesday, December 5, 2013, at 10:00 a.m., and has a Statutry Adjurnment date f Wednesday, June 19, Over these shrt 28 weeks f the first sessin, the Legislature will deal with hundreds f bills, many f them in the League s pririty areas. The deadline by which legislatrs must submit bills fr cnsideratin is 4 pm n January 18. The new majrity is already setting new pririties. It s time t ramp up the effrts f the League Lbby Crps. The LWVME Bard has adpted the fllwing advcacy pririties. These five areas will be the fcus f the League Lbby Crps activities and testimny: Vting Rights Clean Electins & Campaign Finance Refrm Electin Administratin Ethics & Disclsure Freedm f Infrmatin We are especially alert fr activity regarding student vting rights, the Maine Clean Electin Act, vter ID requirements, ranked- chice vting, and early vting. The fllwing issues will be taken up if a special pprtunity presents itself: Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Gun Cntrl, Health Care, Energy & the Envirnment, Reprductive Chice, Wmen & Families, Citizenship Educatin. League members frm arund the state help in the League s advcacy effrts by jining the League Lbby Crps. Lbby Crps members analyze relevant bills and regulatins, help chse thse where the League can make a real difference, apply established League psitins t the issue, write testimny, attend cmmittee and agency hearings and wrk sessins, cntact legislatrs and help publicize ur wrk. These activities are crdinated by the League's Advcacy Cmmittee: Plly Fergusn, Ann Luther, Val Marsh, and Jill Ward. This is an all- vlunteer effrt s the larger ur Lbby Crps team, the greater difference we can make in Augusta! Even if yu have nly an hur r tw a mnth that yu can spare, yu can be a valuable member f ur team! Mst f this wrk can be dne frm yur hme r ffice, but we especially need peple wh can attend public hearings and wrk sessins in Augusta. If yu are interested in helping ut in this vital endeavr, let us knw! Cntact Ann Luther at ann.m.luther@gmail.cm. - Ann Luther, Trentn Val Marsh jins the LWVME Bard New t the LWVME Bard is Val Marsh. Val is a lngtime cmmunity rganizer wh has spent many years advcating fr scial justice in a variety f settings. A career scial wrker in planning, administratin and plicy, Val spent ten years advcating fr mental health cnsumers and their families in the Virginia legislature. She has lived in Maine since 2008, and currently wrks at the University f Maine at Augusta as the Crdinatr f Civic Engagement, where she creates enriched pprtunities fr participatry demcracy and service t the cmmunity. Since last summer, Val has been part f LWVME's team fllwing the public hearings and wrk f the Cmmissin t Study the Cnduct f Electins in Maine. Val will be actively invlved in the Lbby Crps during the upcming sessin. Welcme, Val! Status f Wmen and Girls The Permanent Cmmissin n the Status f Wmen advises the Gvernr and members f the Legislature abut plicy and scial issues affecting wmen and girls in Maine. The Cmmissin has recently published its initial reprt, which is intended t initiate a cnversatin amng plicy makers and the general public abut the pprtunities and challenges that exist fr wmen and girls in Maine. The fcus is n five dimensins 5

6 that cntribute t the quality f life and pprtunity fr wmen and girls: Educatin; Ecnmic Security; Health; Safety and Well- being; Leadership and Public Life. The reprt prvides an verview f where wmen and girls in Maine stand relative t their male cunterparts, peers in neighbring states and the natin. Reference is made t mre in- depth studies n specific tpics within each dimensin. Fr mre infrmatin abut the Cmmissin and its wrk, please visit: cmm.htm. Climate Change Is Nt a Hax The Natinal Oceanic and Atmspheric Administratin recently published their State f the Climate Reprt fr ( Here is a qute frm the Summary: 2012 was a histric year fr extreme weather that included drught, wildfires, hurricanes and strms; hwever, trnad activity was belw average marked the warmest year n recrd fr the cntiguus United States with the year cnsisting f a recrd warm spring, secnd warmest summer, furth warmest winter and a warmer- than- average autumn. The average temperature fr 2012 was 55.3 F, 3.2 F abve the 20 th century average, and 1.0 F abve 1998, the previus warmest year. Nw is a gd time t write President Obama urging him t use the pwers f the Presidency t cntrl deadly industrial carbn pllutin. Belw is the text f a letter n climate change t President Barack Obama frm LWV President Elizabeth MacNamarra, written n December 20, Climate change is nt a hax. Mre drught and flds and hurricanes and wildfires are nt a jke. They re a threat t ur children s future. And we can d smething abut it. These are yur wrds, Mr. President, and we culdn t agree mre. Peple are dying because f climate change. Our families, ur cmmunities and ur planet are all threatened by it. The League f Wmen Vters calls n yu, Mr. President, t take the histrically necessary step f cntrlling industrial carbn pllutin frm new and existing pwer plants. Use yur existing regulatry authrity t make this happen. The wrld has knwn abut climate change fr decades, yet little has been dne t address the issue. The U.S. came clse t enacting a cmprehensive climate change bill in the early years f yur administratin when a gd bill passed the Huse, but it was blcked by special interests in the Senate. With the current gridlck in Cngress, it seems impssible that any legislative actin will be taken t prtect ur health and ur planet. But yu, Mr. President, have the pwer t put cntrls n new and existing pwer plants and make the wrld a safer place fr ur children t live and breathe. Yu can establish the U.S. as a wrld leader in fighting climate change. President Obama, yu can d this by yurself, withut a secnd guessing Cngress r a nay- saying Supreme Curt. In fact, the Supreme Curt has already said that the Administratin can mve frward under the Clean Air Act t cut this life-threatening pllutin. We need yu t lead the U.S. and the wrld thrugh the greatest envirnmental challenge f ur generatin. Cntinue t raise yur vice t call special attentin t this issue. Use yur authrity as President t save ur kids and senirs frm the frmatin f lung damaging and asthma- attack inducing smg. Save us all frm deadly heat waves, drughts and killer strms like Hurricane Sandy. President Obama, if yu dn t d it, it wn t get dne. If the United States desn t lead, the rest f the wrld cannt fllw. Saving the wrld is a legacy wrth fighting fr. - Elisabeth MacNamara, President League f Wmen Vters f the United States Scial Media and ur Elected Officials in DC Maine s newly elected Independent Senatr Angus King has annunced his scial media plicy. He nt nly has an fficial website and a Facebk page, but als a twitter feed and a YuTube channel. The links are: Facebk: KingJr Twitter: YuTube: Official Senate Website: The website addresses and Facebk pages fr Maine s ther federally elected fficials are: Senatr Susan Cllins: and Representative Chellie Pingree: and Representative Mike Michaud: and President Barak Obama: and If yu d nt have a cmputer at hme, yu can use a cmputer at a public library t maintain cntact with yur elected fficials, find phne numbers and addresses, and them thrugh their websites. 6

7 LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK SEARCH FOR LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MAINE Stay in Tuch with LWVME -- Make sure yu receive ur timely cmmunicatins abut imprtant actin alerts and current issues. If yu are nt receiving ur messages, make sure we have yur current address. Send a message t us at lwvme@gwi.net. _ Jin the League! If yu are nt yet a member f the League, we need yur help nw in carrying ut ur missin f refrm. Yu may becme a member f the League f Wmen Vters f Maine and the United States by mailing us yur cntact infrmatin with a check fr $55 fr ne membership, r $82.50 fr tw members at the same husehld. Our Mailing Address is: League f Wmen Vters f Maine, PO Bx 863, Augusta, ME Please prvide us with the fllwing infrmatin. Thank yu very much! Membership Applicatin Frm Name Name(s) f additinal member(s) in husehld Address City State Zip Cde Phne (hme) Phne (wrk/day) Cell phne (ptinal) address Amunt enclsed $ ($55 fr ne member r $82.50 fr tw frm the same husehld) Please make the check ut t: League f Wmen Vters f Maine. Dues are nt tax deductible. Cmments (e.g. interests, hw yu heard abut the League): 7

8 League f Wmen Vters f Maine P.O. Bx 863 Augusta, ME ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Nn-Prfit U.S. Pstage Paid Prtland, Maine Permit 117 Calendar fr 2013 LWVME Bard Meeting, Augusta LWV-PA n Charter Schls, Prtland Mney, Pwer, and the American Dream Thurs, Jan am 2 pm Wed, Jan 16, 5:45 7:30 pm Sat, Feb 9, nn 2:30 pm Quad States Leadership Wrkshps, Wells April LWVME Cnventin, Prtland May