THE HUNTINGTON VOTER

Transcription

1 THE HUNTINGTON VOTER LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HUNTINGTON P. O. Box Huntington Station, NY December/January Colette A. Knuth, President Brenda J. Walker, Editor Three Unprecedented Meet The Candidates Events Hosted During this Important Election Cycle In the last few months we participated in three Meet the Candidates nights. The first, prior to the Democratic primary, was conducted in co-sponsorship with the Nassau County ILO and Manhasset-Port Washington Leagues to host the Democratic candidates seeking the 3 rd Congressional District seat vacated by Steve Israel. We thank Nancy Rosenthal, the President of the LWV of Nassau County, ILO for moderating the event. This event, held at the Cold Spring Harbor Library, was standing room only. All of the candidates expressed their views on a wide range of topics. The second forum, co-sponsored by the LWV of Huntington and the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Harborfields Public Library. We thank Lisa Scott, President of the LWV of Suffolk County ILO for moderating the forum. A total of 7 candidates, running for NYS Senate and Assembly seats participated. Prior to the start of this forum, we upheld our no empty chair policy, when the opposing candidate from one district cancelled minutes before the forum began. After stating our no empty chair policy, the candidate who was present was graciously asked to step down from the dais but invited to be available to the attendees at the close of the forum. All candidates were asked and answered questions developed by the LWV and the audience. At the end of the forum, candidates were invited to stay and mingle with the audience to meet and greet and discuss positions. The third and final Meet the Candidates Night was co-sponsored with the Huntington community group, Huntington Matters. Lisa Scott, once again provided us with her expertise as our moderator. This event was held at the South Huntington Public Library and hosted Jack Martins and Thomas Suozzi, who were seeking the 3 rd District Congressional seat. The two candidates spoke on a wide range of issues and were both candid and forthcoming in their responses about the challenges they would face in Congress. Barbara Magaliff, the co-chair of the Voter Services Committee noted how both candidates emphasized their past history of reaching across the aisle and their commitment to continue on that path, if elected. It brought an uplifting atmosphere to the close of the evening. Submitted by: Dianne Slavin Jack Martins and Tom Suozzi with Colette Knuth NYS Assembly & Senate MTC Event dais prior to initiation of no empty chair policy 1

2 Democracy you know, it don t come easy HUNTINGTON BOARD Officers President: Colette A. Knuth Vice Presidents: Barbara Magaliff Pat Fuchs Judie Gorenstein Treasurer & Membership Chair: Joyce Whitehead Recording Secretary: Pat Fuchs Corresponding Secretary: Arlene Forwand Elected Directors: JoAnn Alario-Paulsen Elizabeth Hennessy Fran Hyde Brenda J. Walker Rosemarie Sepanski Dianne Slavin (Dr.) Berlinda Turner Appointed Directors: Ann Gardner Arlene Forwand Linda Lessing Honorary Directors Emerita: Marilyn Brown Irene Ferrand The work required by your League of Women Voters of Huntington during this general election season was a feat of perfect fellowship. Despite the challenges presented by election calendars, family commitments, hectic job schedules, and new technology, we proceeded with magnificent aplomb. After conducting and videotaping for the first time Meet the Candidates forums at the state and national level, hosting booths at local festivals, and registering over 1,000 voters, we have every reason to be proud of our accomplishments and to take it easy for a while! Alas, rest evades me and instead Ringo Starr s and George Harrison s 1970s hit song, You Know, It Don t Come Easy resounds over and over again in my head. The lyrics don t exactly jibe with my League work, but the song s chorus reminds me that living in a democracy is not easy. It is not supposed to be easy. Voting is only one of the responsibilities of being a citizen of a democracy. We also are responsible for what happens next. Being a citizen means that you are a leader; and like all effective leaders, we need information that is both accurate and relevant before we can take action. The founders of the League of Women Voters knew this and crafted a mission that includes the goal of increasing our community s understanding of major public policy issues. Our nonpartisan policy of not supporting or opposing a particular political candidate or party bears largely on our success meeting this goal. It requires us to be diligent in grounding our education and advocacy on unbiased information. A great example of this is the League s policy consensus process; a process that begins with educating ourselves by gathering and analyzing the facts before we take a position on an issue. Therefore, I m delighted to announce the establishment of a task force to develop a series of presentations to provide you with the information you need to fully participate in our democratic process. In addition, special effort will be made to make these programs available to the entire community through public access television and social media. More information about the work of this task force is provided in this issue of The Voter. Of course, to be well-informed we must be willing to sometimes move outside our comfort zone. We must be willing to make ourselves aware of the rationale that underlies positions of which we may not agree. But becoming well-informed is not an end in itself. We must also be willing to get involved. Therefore, as you pass the gravy at your glorious holiday table, tell your friends and family why you are a member of the League of Voters of Huntington. Ask them how they want to get involved, and let me know what you learn by sending me an at CSKHuntington@lwv-suffolkcounty.org. This will help us know how our League may best support their goals. Finally, encourage them to become a member so they can join us in taking the lead in making democracy work. An online voter services resource developed by the It might not come easy, but it is worth our every effort! 2 Colette Knuth, President 11/17/16

3 Voter Services Committee With the election season completed, it is time for us to reflect on all of our efforts to inform the public on the important issues that face our community and to get out the vote. This year we undertook the most ambitious effort yet, to fulfill this mission through Meet the Candidates nights, and voter registration drives. The energy and commitment of the members who helped to make all of these events possible is exceptional. I, personally, am very proud to be a part of this vital organization. As we move into the new year, we will be focusing on registering high school seniors through our interactive lesson, Vote18. We are always looking for new faces with new ideas and motivation to inform the public. P l e a s e c o n t a c t D i a n n e S l a v i n a t dcslavin@aol.com to get involved. Issues Education: Health Policy & Member Orientation Meeting 7:00PM Wednesday, January 25, 2017 South Huntington Library Our initial Issues Education program will be held at the South Huntington Library at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, January 25, It will focus on issues related to our nation s Health Care Policy and led by our resident health policy expert (and League president), Colette Knuth. Colette holds a doctorate in political science with a concentration in public policy analysis. Her subject area is US Health Care Policy and Services Delivery System. While the program is still under development, information pertinent to factors related to health services financing (private and public), health care sector consolidation, and quality and access to services will be discussed in light of the proposed movement to reform current law. If you have questions or wish to share your ideas about this event, please contact Colette Knuth at CSKHuntington@lwvsuffolkcounty.org. Prior to the beginning of this Issues Education program, we will be holding a short members orientation meeting from 7PM to 7:45PM. Current, new, and prospective members are invited to learn about our League s activities and positions. Questions or ideas about the orientation can be directed to Joyce Whitehead, Chair of our Membership Committee at joyce611@aol.com. Long Island Fall Festival Rain Did Not Wash-out Our Enthusiasm Amid the funnel cake booths and the carnival rides, and between the raindrops, intrepid members of LWV Huntington worked diligently at the Long Island Fall Festival in Heckscher Park on October 8th to register voters, give out absentee ballot applications and answer all manner of questions about voting rights in New York State. We were joined by enthusiastic members of a sorority group, who went out into the crowds to rally interest in our mission and draw people to our booth. We distributed membership applications and information about the LWV of Huntington to spark interest in our organization and perhaps gain new members, and handed out literature such as the LWV s Voting Guide and our booklet on the LWV s Legislative Agenda. Posters about the two LWV of Huntington cosponsored Meet the Candidates nights were prominently displayed and they were of great interest to many festival-goers. Visitors to our booth pictured here were also encouraged to take Donate Life brochures on becoming a registered organ donor. The Long Island Fall Festival was an important opportunity for our organization to reach out to members of our community. Submitted by Erica West 3

4 Youth Committee The members of the League of Women Voters of Huntington Youth Committee gathered to reflect on our expectations and goals for the months ahead. Following is a description of some of our upcoming programs and the work that we are doing to reach out to the youth of our community. Students Inside Albany We enthusiastically reviewed the process for selecting students for the the Students Inside Albany Program on May 21st -24th With a renewed sense of purpose we recalled former participants sharing their excitement as they recounted shadowing their legislators in Albany, touring the government facilities and observing their legislators in action. We look forward to implementing the selection process in January and discovering what our students glean from the people they meet and their experiences in Albany. Students Inside Suffolk County Students will be invited from high schools throughout Suffolk County to spend a day with their legislators in Suffolk County to observe our county government at work. This program will take place in April. We feel confident it will continue to be a successful and worthwhile program for the students. Understanding what students need Along with our current programs for youth, we recognized the need to find additional ways to reach out to students in high school and middle school. With feedback from youngsters and their educators we can better understand how to support them as they strengthen their understanding of our political system and their roles as responsible citizens in our democracy. Colette Knuth and Fran Hyde met with the Huntington Youth Council. It is composed of high school students from within our township. Colette led a discussion of the history of the League, its goals and its nonpartisan policy. The students actively participated in the discussion and demonstrated interest and enthusiasm for politics and future interactions with the League. As another means of reaching out to youth, we will be meeting with Next Generation Politics, a group of young people who have shown active interest and awareness of politics. Our Youth Committee is looking forward to broadening our outreach to our middle school and high school communities. There is so much we can learn from one another. Fran Hyde, Chair Judie Gorenstein, Co-Chair NYS Constitutional Convention Information Session We are scheduling a February 2017 date at a local venue for our members to learn the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of New York State s Constitutional Convention Question. On November 7, 2017, New Yorkers will vote on whether to convene a state constitutional convention. The New York State Constitution mandates that every 20 years voters be presented with the ballot question: Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same? A constitutional convention allows delegates, elected by the people, to gather and examine our state s Constitution. Convention delegates can propose changes and new provisions to the document. Changes to language can be made for greater clarity and understanding, or to streamline what is already in place. New provisions would serve to address issues that the current constitution does not address. All convention proposals must be put before the people who ultimately decide whether or not they will support or oppose the recommended changes. At this point, the LWVNYS has not taken a position on whether to support, oppose or remain neutral on the question of holding of a constitutional convention and so the LWVNYS s goal at this time is to educate members and the public about important aspects of the decision and to assist the League in its decision on what, if any, position the League will take on the constitutional convention question. Once scheduled, League of Women Voters of Huntington members will be informed of the exact date and time this educational session will be held. 4

5 September 27, 2016 HEARINGS News From Town Hall October 19, 2016 HEARINGS Hearing 1 proposed authorization of an override of the tax levy limit established in General Municipal Law. The 2017 limit set by NYS tax cap is 0.68%. Multiple organizations, individuals, and people that provide (or have provided) town services and would be affected by the cuts that would ensue from the tax limit spoke in favor of the override. After a short recess, the authorization to pierce the State mandated tax cap was passed unanimously upon which the Board approved a 2.85% tax increase. PUBLIC PORTION Residents living near the proposed Brightwaters Assisted Living spoke against allowing an extension of time for the developer. RESOLUTIONS The Board authorized: A contract with NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to fund a Summer Recreation Program and Young Teen Program. The Huntington Community First Aid Squad to bill insurance providers for ambulance trips. An extension of the due date to persons granted a Senior Citizen Tax Exemption and Enhanced Star Exemption. An extension of time to consider the zone change from Residential District to Residential Health Services District for Brightwater Senior Living on Deer Park Road in Dix Hills. ENACTMENTS Regarding Blighted Property, the Code Officer may be either from the Dept. of Engineering or Public Safety. Any demolition must follow Chapter 191 of the Code. Consider Zone change from Residential District to Office Residence District for property on the east corner of Park Ave and Main St. (Platts). Meeting as the Board of Trustees, the Board voted against the erection of a 214 foot dock by a resident on Centerport Harbor, after hearing complaints and reviewing maps from local residents. RESOLUTIONS The Board voted to fund improvements for the Woodbine Marina in Northport. The resolution to change the deed and covenant for the Northridge property on New York Ave., as part of Renaissance Downtowns in Huntington Station, was pulled in order to allow inclusion of a reversion clause to safeguard that the property will be used for economic redevelopment. Field #1 in Manor Field Park will be named for Emerson Boozer. ENACTMENTS Fingerprinting will be required of all Park Rangers. Action will be taken by the Town on 5 Blighted Properties. IN OTHER NEWS The Town will receive $350,000 from NYS in Zombie House Grants to help with blighted property enforcement and to connect homeowners with services to help them stay in their homes. Over a period of 12 years the Town has bought and consolidated properties contiguous with the Village Green to create a Heritage Trail. Councilman Cuthbertson has called upon the NYS Liquor Authority to revoke the license of Melissa Restaurant at NY Ave. and Pulaski Rd. in Huntington Station as the restaurant has been the scene of 129 violent crimes over the past 5 years. (A similar action was taken on a bar across the street from the LIRR several years ago). The Huntington First Aid Squad has been servicing the area from Lloyd Neck to Melville with no charge to patients. The Town s contractual agreement has been cut significantly, and has recommended that the Squad should collect fees from patient insurance. The proposed 10 acre Del Vino vineyard and tasting room on Norwood Road in Northport has been approved by the Planning Board. The county had given the property agricultural designation. Submitted by: JoAnn McCarthy 5

6 Legislative Committee on New York State Election Law Legislative Committee members recently met with Huntington Town Board members and asked their suggestions for community education regarding civic responsibility. These conversations will be reviewed at our next meeting in January. Until then, this report presents some facts about election law in NYS and across the nation. Voter Registration NYS has approximately two million eligible voters who are not registered to vote. Yet, strategies exist to make the registration process more accessible and economical. For example, secure on-line registration makes registering easier for many New Yorkers. Other strategies have yet to be introduced in NYS, including: Same-day registration. Thirteen states plus DC presently offer same-day registration. Pre-registration of 16 and 17 year olds. Currently, 28 states permit the pre-registration of young people approaching 18 years of age. E-poll books. There are jurisdictions in 32 states that currently use electronic poll (E-poll) books. Voter Turnout Low voter turnout is also a critical issue in our state. While there are 11.7 million registered voters in NYS, we rank among the lowest three of the 50 states in voter turnout. We have 71% Suffolk County voter turnout and perhaps 56% in NYS in the recent general election. Methods, however, do exist to address this problem, including: Early voting. Thirty-seven states and DC allow any qualified voter to cast a ballot in person during a designated period prior to Election Day. No-excuse absentee voter applications. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit any qualified voter to vote absentee without offering an excuse. Ballot design. Some studies show that poor ballot design can also be a barrier to voting; adding to voter confusion, longer lines, and more lost or misrecorded votes. While there are strong positions on both sides about election law; votes are voices in democratic governance. Therefore, I urge you to contact me at aforwand@optonline.net to join the Legislative Committee. We will be scheduling the date of our next meeting in the coming weeks. Submitted by: Arlene Forwand Issues Education Taskforce Responding to what we see as a need to ready our members and the larger community for full participation in political matters, the League has established a special task force headed by Dianne Slavin and Brenda Walker. The draft mission of the task force is to develop an agenda of programs, including pod casts, panels, informational videos and links to other sites where vital information regarding issues endorsed by the LWV and vital to the general well-being of society will be presented. These works may address issues on both local and national levels. Topics will include but are not limited to health care, women s issues, the environment and social justice. Experts within our own League s membership and throughout the community will be invited to participate. The task force will meet at 2PM on December 8. Moving quickly, it will present its recommendations to the Board at the December Board of Directors meeting. We are also investigating the possibility of purchasing affordable videotaping equipment (camcorder, tripod, lighting, external mic) so these programs can be posted on our YouTube channel, Facebook page, and telecast during our scheduled time-slot on Cablevision s public access channel. If you want to be involved with the task force, offer your expertise, or have ideas to share, please contact Dianne Slavin at dcslavin@aol.com or Brenda Walker at nikita6@optonline.net. 6

7 Legislative Procedures Policy Update Consensus Meeting 7:00 PM Monday, December 5, 2016 South Huntington Public Library On Monday, December 5, the members of the League of Women Voters of Huntington are to attend a meeting to determine our consensus regarding the update of a section of the current LWV of New York State (LWVNYS) policy position on legislative procedures (LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURES Statement of Position as announced by the State Board, April 1977). The consensus meeting will begin at 7:00PM and be held at South Huntington Library. LWV of Huntington members will be asked to consider revising the following section: The legislature should continue to serve as a part-time body. Terms for legislators should be longer, and possibly staggered. An update is a study of limited scope to reevaluate a position in light of new information, changed circumstances, and/or conflict with another position. As banning or limiting outside income is a very important issue in ethics reform, at the 2015 LWVNYS Convention it was agreed that an update of this section should be considered. The LWVNYS states that the ambiguities of this section hamper its advocacy approach to the outside income issue. The rationale for the update is as follows: New York State government is ranked as the most corrupt of the 50 states, with the most legislators forced out of office for ethical or criminal offenses. There is an outcry from good government groups and the public for limits on outside income for legislators and changes in the way the legislature manages itself. The current Legislative Procedures position's reference to a "part-time legislature" has been interpreted by the LWVNYS Board to mean that the League cannot support either a limit or a ban on legislative outside income. Over 50% of the local Leagues participating in the Term Limits Study (2015) were interested in looking at the length of terms. Half of those Leagues indicated an interest, at the time, of 4 years for the NYS Senate. During a consensus, members will have the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of all issues. It is not a vote but a process that allows members to reach mutual agreement on a position. The results of the consensus meetings are pooled and voted on by the members in a general meeting or at our annual convention. Prior to the meeting, our League's Legislative Procedures Update study group will all LWV of Huntington members the Executive Summary of the study that was prepared by the LWVNYS to consider updating this position. Summit on Keeping Our Young People in Huntington On November 19, the LWV of Huntington cosponsored a very successful summit with the Huntington Township Housing Coalition on growing the availability of affordable housing for young adults and families. Over 80 attendees not only heard of the success of other communities such as Patchogue, but also of the progress that has been made in Huntington. Despite this progress, there was general agreement that much still needs to be done in building not only rentals -- but affordable rentals so our children can make Huntington a home for their families. Pictures of our members at work At the top: at the South Huntington Meet the Candidates event. On the right: at National Voter Registration Day event. 7

8 LWV Huntington Committees Become a member! You will have the opportunity to get involved in making democracy work. Join one of our committees. It is a great way to make a difference and we really need you! Please contact our chairs below to learn how you can help. COMMITTEE CHAIR & CO-Chr TELEPHONE Voter Services Informing+registering voters. Dianne Slavin Barbara Magaliff (631) (631) dcslavin@aol.com barbaramagaliff@gmail.com Legislative Tracking and analyzing legislation. Advocating for League positions. Arlene Forwand (631) aforwand@optonline.net Youth Services Energizing and educating youth about the political process Fran Hyde Judie Gorenstein (631) (631) fsh1@optonline.net judiel728@aol.com Membership & Development Growing LWV of Huntington membership. Increasing member engagement. Joyce Whitehead (631) joyce611@aol.com MEMBERSHIP League of Women Voters of Huntington Fiscal Year 7/1/2016 6/30/2017 The League is supported by dues and the contributions of members and friends. All memberships include a subscription to the Huntington Voter. By joining the Huntington League, you automatically become a member of the Suffolk County League, LWVNYS and LWVUS. Dues paid to your local league support all levels of League activity. The Huntington League sends $32 to LWVUS; $20 to LWVNYS; and $1.50 to the Suffolk County League per member per year. Enclosed is my check for: ( ) Individual Membership $ 60 ( ) Household Membership (2 or more) $ 75 ( ) Donor Membership $ 75 ( ) Patron Membership $100 ( ) Student $ 20 ( ) Enclosed is an additional contribution of $10 or more to cover the cost of printing & mailing the Voter. Please make checks payable to the LWV of Huntington and mail to the address below. Name(s) Address Phone Cell Please note: Do you want to help fund our many educational programs? Additional donations to the League beyond the dues amount may be made by writing a separate check to: LWVNYS Education Foundation and mailed to the address below. This money will be accessed for programs including SIA (Students Inside Albany) and Running & Winning. Your donation to this fund is tax deductible. Mail to: Joyce Whitehead, Membership Chair 7 Bennett Ave. Huntington, Station NY

9 WE ENCOURAGE OUR READERS TO PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS! 9

10 WE ENCOURAGE OUR READERS TO PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS! 10

11 T H E B R I S TA L A S S I S T E D L I V I N G W H E R E E V E RY DAY M E A N S M O R E R E S I D E N T O F T H E B R I S TA L After 87 years, here s what I know for sure We all have something to teach. The purpose of having years of wisdom is being able to impart it. Like the lesson of staying fit. Life, at times, can get tough. It takes good health to enjoy it. That s what I tell my great-grandson when he comes to see me at The Bristal. We invent fitness games here in the gym. We go for long walks and talk. He chases my shots on the putting green. Maybe he d rather play video games, I know, but something s sinking in. You should see us doing tai chi. Exceptional lives, Extraordinary living. EAST NORTHPORT 760 Larkfield Road (631) THE BRISTAL.COM LICENSED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DEPT OF HEALTH ELIGIBLE FOR MOST LONG TERM CARE POLICIES EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Q UA L I T Y C O M M U N I T I E S B Y T H E E N G E L B U R M A N G R O U P 11

12 Date Time Subject Location 2016 Dec 5 7PM - 9PM Legislative Procedures Consensus Meeting South Huntington Library Dec 8 2PM - 4PM Issues Education Task Force Meeting Dianne s House Dec 22 12:30PM - 3PM Board Meeting Rose Marie s House 2017 Jan 10 7PM - 8:30PM Youth Committee Meeting Judie s House Jan 19 1PM - 3PM Board Meeting Elwood Library Jan 25 7PM - 9PM Health Policy Issues Education/ Member Orientation Meeting Feb (TBD) 7PM - 9PM/TBD NYS Constitutional Convention Education Session South Huntington Library TBD Feb 16 1PM - 3PM Board Meeting Elwood Library LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HUNTINGTON P. O. Box Huntington Station, NY