Utica/Rome Voter. Saturday, March 22 nd, 10:30 am (Breakfast at 10am; Registration begins 9:30) 2634 Genesee Street, Utica

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1 Utica/Rome Voter Issue 51; March 2014 Newsletter of the League of Women Voters, Utica/Rome Metro Area P.O. Box 24 Washington Mills, NY (315) Officers Co Presidents Joanne Byrnes Dawn Laguerre st Vice President Shirley Hilts Adams nd Vice President Lorrie Wasielewski Treasurer Nancy Agen Co Secretaries Barbara Brookes Barbara Gibbs Directors Karen McBride Sharen Barboza Off Board Specialists: Action Alert chair: Lillian (Trudy) Kennedy Nominating Committee 2014: Chair: Joanne Jacobson WHEN: WHERE: TOPIC: SPEAKER: COST: Dianne DiMeo Barbara Shuck Historian/Archivist: Donna Loomis Rubin Elected Members: Fred Ostrander Rose White GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Saturday, March 22 nd, 10:30 am (Breakfast at 10am; Registration begins 9:30) Raspberries Cafe 2634 Genesee Street, Utica (THIS LOCATION IS FULLY ACCESSIBLE) Our Newest Immigrants: the Path to Citizenship Azira Tabucic and Client Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees $16 per member, $19 per non member* Phone Trudy for breakfast reservations ( ) or e mail: trewck@roadrunner.com by Sat, 3/15 *If you would like to come hear the speakers, without breakfast, please arrive at 10:30 and your admission will be free of charge. NOTE: If you have made a reservation and cannot attend, please cancel by Friday, 3/14, or full payment will be billed. Come to learn who our nation's newest immigrants are; why they settled here; and what the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is doing to help them. Elizabeth Pattengill lizpattengill@yahoo.com Carole Torok Huxtable / dchuxtable@windstream.net Board Appointees: Barbara Brookes Lucretia Hunt Lucille Argenzia tldomrnica1@yahoo.com Lucretia Hunt Lhunt@bcce.MORIC.org

2 ONEIDA COUNTY SEWER ABATEMENT UPDATE: NOTES FROM OUR JANUARY MEETING January's meeting of the Utica/Rome Chapter of the League of Women Voters, hosted Oneida County Department of Water Quality and Water Pollution Control Commissioner Steven P. Devan to discuss current efforts on a sewer abatement project. Senior Project Engineer Brian Whittaker and Project Manager Karl Schrantz, from the engineering firm O'Brien & Gere, along with Catherine Manion of The Paige Group, a local marketing group, provided an overview of the Oneida County Sanitary Sewer Overflow Mitigation Project. The League of Women Voters have been active in water and sewer issues in Oneida County since 1965 including the formation of a steering committee formed in This committee was formed in response to a Consent Order which was made to mitigate and reduce the amount of raw sewage discharged into our rivers and streams. It is designed to involve the community, so that the people who pay the bill have a say in how the problem is solved. The problem is that raw sewage is mixed with rainwater run off, making it impossible for our sewage treatment plant to handle the vast amount of water created. Mr. Whittaker explained this in terms of volume and the Sauquoit Creek Transfer Station. It is designed to handle 15 million gallons of water a day. An average daily usage, sold to local users, is 5 million gallons. The station must handle an additional 35 million gallons during periods of rain, which it cannot, so the mix of rainwater and sewage bypasses the transfer station. The same situation exists with the Oneida County Sewage Treatment Plant in Utica. To eliminate this problem requires the separation of all sanitary sewer lines from storm sewer lines, and to reduce the amount of rainwater coming into the system by fixing and maintaining our present system. Most of the time our sanitary sewer system works efficiently. But, during heavy rainfalls and substantial snowmelts, excess water overloads our waste treatment facility, causing raw sewage to overflow into the Mohawk River. As much as 50% of the water that contributes to overflows comes from private properties. Water enters our sewers in a number of ways deemed "improper system connections", such as roof leaders, which channel the run off from rooftops, driveway and foundation drains, and basement sump pumps. The Paige Group, a marketing and communication firm, along with Oneida County, have been working on Operation Ripple Effect to help reduce sewer overflows into "The Mighty Mohawk", as the Mohawk River used to be called in days gone by, when it was a major commercial waterway. This project, through education and support, is designed to reduce the amount or rainwater overrunning our treatment facilities by rerouting roof leaders, reclaiming the water with rain barrels, and recharging the environment by creating rain gardens. For more information, please visit their website at Guest columnist, Doug Joslin THE CAPITOL BEAT BLOG BEGINS AGAIN! The LWVNY Capitol Beat blog has returned! As the legislative session ramps up, check in every Thursday for updates and musings from League Legislative Director, Barbara Bartoletti! Visit us at capitolbeat.blogspot.com/2014/01/and so it begins.html for a recent post about budget hearings and the Women's Equality Act! NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES Interested in being part of this wonderful process? Please contact Karen McBride ( ). Oneida County Sponsored FRIDAYS Ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m. Apr. 25, Sept. 26, and Nov. 7th Federal Sponsored THURSDAYS Ceremony starts at 11:00 a.m. Apr.10, June 19, July 24, Sept. 18 (Ft. Stanwix), and Dec. 11 ELECTION FINANCE REFORM The League of Women Voters of the Syracuse Metro Area, and other local advocacy groups, sponsored a well attended presentation about Governor Cuomo s Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption. One of the speakers, Barbara Bartoletti, NYS League of Women Voters Legislative Director and Special Advisor to the Commission, urged the passage of legislation that would lower campaign contribution limits, eliminate loopholes, and demand robust disclosure of donation sources. In the coming year, The League of Women Voters of the Utica Rome Metro Area will be developing study groups on term limits and campaign financing to educate the public on these important topics.

3 Oneida County Board of Legislators 1 Utica Common Council Rome Common Council Utica City School District Board 2 AREA CALENDAR 2:00pm, Wed. Mar. 12 th & Apr. 9 th Russell W. Williams Legislative Chamber 10th Fl., Oneida County Office Bldg, 800 Park Avenue, Utica 7:30pm, Wed. Mar 5 th & 19 th ; Apr. 2 nd & 16 th Council Chambers, Utica City Hall, 1 Kennedy Plaza, Utica 7:00pm, Wed. Mar. 12 th & 26 th ; Apr. 9 th & 23 rd Rome City Hall, 198 N Washington Street, Rome 7:00pm, Tues. Mar. 26 th & Apr. 23 rd Utica School District Admin Bldg, 106 Memorial Parkway, Utica Rome City School District Board 3 6:30 pm Wed. Mar. 19 th RFA; Apr. 16 th Strough 1 Meetings can be seen on cable TV: Utica area Chan 3 on the following Tues at 1:00 pm, Wed at 8:00 pm and Sat at 2:00 pm; Rome area Chan 99 on the following Wed at 8:00 pm. 2 Meetings air on Channel 3 Educational Access on Thursday at 7:00pm and Sunday at 5:00pm 3 Meetings are televised on Channel 99, on Tues at 9:00 p.m. and on Thurs at 7:30 p.m. LOCAL LEAGUE CALENDAR March 6 Food Safety & Labeling Hot Topic, NHPL, Sammon Rm, 4 6PM March 8 LWVNYS Regional Workshop 10 4PM Broome Co. PL March 11 State/US Hearing on High Speed Rail, Union Station, Utica, NY Open Style Question 4 6PM & Comment 6 8PM March 22 General Membership Meeting Road to Citizenship Raspberries Café 10 12noon March 24 Forum on Election Reform, Rockefeller Institute Albany 11AM 12:30PM April 5 Board Meeting 10:10 12 NHPL April 7 Newsletter DEADLINE (Publish Nominees, Proposed Bylaws Changes, Budget, & Program topics for 14 15) April 8 Pay Equity Day April? Women s Equality Film and Lecture Series TBA April 17 Naturalization Ceremony (Federal) Starts at 11:00 a.m. Apr 25 Naturalization Ceremony Oneida Co Office Bldg. 10th Fl May 3 Board Meeting 10:10a.m. 12noon NHPL May 17 Annual Meeting Harts Hill Inn 11AM 2PM Nanotechnology in the Mohawk Valley May Students Inside Albany June 6 10 LWVUS Convention Dallas TX Utica/Rome LWV Agricultural Study Focusing on Food Safety and Food Labeling The League of Women Voters (LWV) of the Utica Rome Metro Area will host a meeting Thursday, March 6, on the "Hot Topic" issue of Food Safety and Food Labeling, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Sammons Room at New Hartford Public Library. This is part of a national LWV (LWVUS) Agricultural (Ag) Study and discussion will focus on risks to food safety, current labeling standards, including foods developed using any new technology, e.g., genetically engineered and nanotech, and the role of government responsibility in those areas. The program is free and public participation is encouraged. Background information is available at update and participants are encouraged to read the resources related to food safety and food labeling as listed for each question to be discussed. Questions from the LWVUS Ag Study Relating to Food Safety and Labeling: Our local discussion will focus on Questions 8, 9, 10, and 11 identified in the LWVUS Ag Study. Please refer to the suggested background readings for each question. Food Safety Question 8: The United States has a complex food system. Risks to food safety can occur during the development of new plant and animal hybrids, during the growing of foods, during the harvest and processing of foods and during shipment and storage. Additional risk may accompany imported foods. Risk includes contamination with chemicals used in production, contamination with bacteria, fungi or viruses from multiple sources, nutrient loss due to processing or production techniques, introduction of allergens or other cross contamination.

4 To increase food safety, federal agencies have developed a variety of standards, and guidelines. Testing to meet these standards is performed by private groups and governmental agencies. To learn more about safety requirements we recommend you review the paper on Overview of Key Agencies (A0). Learn more about the role of the USDA (A1), the EPA (A3), the FDA (A4), the CDC and NIH (A6) and the Interaction of Federal Agencies (A7). Please note that in some instances testing and reporting is mandatory and in other instances guidelines are provided with the onus placed on the producer to meet standards. For specific examples of requirements and approaches read the papers on GE and GE Foods (T3), Nano and Other Technologies (T8), Pesticide Management (T4) and Animal Management (T7). Question References 8(a) to 8(c) T3 Overview of GE and GE foods, pages 2 3 (Ht and Bt crops) and pages 4 6 (Regulatory Framework for GE Crops) T8 Nano and Other Technologies, pages 3 4 (Safety and Regulation of Nanotechnology) A5 Food Labeling, page 4 (Bioengineered Foods) and page 9 (Future of Food Labeling) 8(d) & 8(f) T7 Animal Management, pages 8 10 (Pharmaceuticals in Animal Feed) T3 Overview of GE and GE foods, pages 7 8 (GE Animals) 8(e) and 8(g) T3 Overview of GE and GE foods, page 5 (Deregulation paragraphs) F1 Overview of Subsidies, pages 4 5 (Indirect Agricultural Subsidies for Research and Development) 8(h) T1 Overview of Farm Management, pages 4 6 (Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Agriculture) A1 USDA, pages 3 4 (Current Issues) F1 Overview of Subsidies, entire document provides insights on incentives provided by current programs 8(i) A7 Interaction of Federal Agencies, page 4 (Current Issues) A1 USDA, pages 2 3 (Farm Bill and Budget Authorizations) A5 Food Labeling, page 2 (FDA Funding Concern) A4 Food and Drug Administration, page 3 (Federal and State Appropriations) 8. Which of the following approaches to food safety should government perform or fund? (Yes, No, No Consensus) a) Clarify and enforce pre market testing requirements for new foods and food additives developed using any new technology (refers to any of many scientific processes for developing new crops or animals with genetic engineering, nanotechnology, or other new techniques, which are not the traditional breeding or hybridization techniques) b) Require developers to monitor all food products developed using any new technology after releasing to the market c) Withdraw marketing approval if products are shown to be unsafe d) Require post market monitoring of approved pharmaceutical applications in animal production for human health and environmental impacts e) Require developers of new products to provide data and other materials to independent third parties (such as academic institutions) for pre and post market safety assessment as appropriate f) Limit use of antibiotics in animal production to treat and control disease g) Fund independent third party (such as academic institutions) risk assessment of long term and multiple exposures from foods on human health and the environment h) Promote crop management practices that decrease dependency on added chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers) i) Fund, train and add personnel for assessment and compliance functions of regulatory agencies Food Labeling Question 9: We recommend you read all of A2 USDA Nutrition and A5 Food Labeling. 9. How sufficient are the following regarding current food labeling? (Insufficient, Sufficient, Too much, No Consensus) a) Nutrition Facts on food labels b) Nutrition Facts on food labels as a means of consumer education c) Common allergen labeling d) Health and ingredient claims that consumers can understand Question 10: We recommend you read all of A5 Food Labeling. 10. Which of the following should government achieve regarding marketing and ingredient claims on food labels? (Yes, No, No Consensus) a) Define (and approve for use) health and safety marketing terms (e.g. immunity support, humane, pasture raised, natural, etc.) b) Regulate the use of images or other sensory advertising c) Require that ingredient marketing claims accurately represent what is in the required ingredient list Question 11: We recommend you read all of A5 Food Labeling, T3 GE and GE Foods and T8 Nano and Other Technologies.

5 11. Recognizing that each food developed using any new technology can be unique, and assuming that required food labeling should be useful to consumers, should the following generalized information relating to how products or components are developed be presented on food labels? (Not Recommended, Voluntary, Mandatory, No consensus) All these questions also assume some percentage threshold of new technology ingredients, such as the 0.9% used in the European Union. a) Contains ingredients developed using any new technology stating which technologies are involved b) Does not contain ingredients developed using any new technology c) If meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products are from animals that have consumed feed developed using any new technology stating which technologies are involved For more information on this study, please go to the Issues and Action page at or contact any committee member: Carole Torok Huxtable ; Donna Loomis Rubin ; Carol Fitzgerald Support the work of our Local League with a tax deductible contribution Mail to: LWV, P.O. Box 24, Washington Mills NY MISSION STATEMENT The League of Women Voters of New York State Education Foundation is the educational and fundraising arm of the League of Women Voters of New York State. It derives its strength from the energy and commitment of the women and men in over 50 Local Leagues and Inter League Organizations (ILOs) throughout the state. Strictly nonpartisan, it works primarily on projects that educate the electorate. The charitable support of individuals, corporations and foundations throughout New York State helps the LWVNYS Education Foundation accomplish its three main goals: To educate people on the importance of their participation in government, in the political process and in the life of their home community; To create awareness of issues at local, state and national levels and to inform citizens how they can have an impact; and To instill in young people and new citizens the knowledge of their new role and responsibilities in government. The LWVNYS Education Foundation is incorporated under the Not for Profit Corporation Law of New York and is classified as a public educational charitable organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions to the LWVNYS Education Foundation are fully tax deductible. To make your tax deductible donation specifically to the LWV Utica Rome, please send your check to PO Box 24; Washington Mills, NY STUDENTS INSIDE ALBANY We are pleased to announce the students selected to represent the League of women Voters, Utica/Rome Metro area at the 2014 Students Inside Albany event to be held in May. The 2 students are: Delvin Moody senior at Thomas R. Proctor High School, Utica. Mr. Moody is active in his church, Oneida County NAACP and Mohawk Valley Junior Frontiers. During 2013, he worked with Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri to create Utica s first ever Youth Common Council. His drive for improving the local community and the youth of New York State is what prompted him to apply for this opportunity. This statement from his application best describes Delvin s motivation: Currently, I speak for 11,000 youth in Utica alone. However, close to four million youth have no voice in the decision making process of New York. I want to change this, and I believe that with the League of Women voters, we can make it happen. David Peterson II senior at Remson Central School, Remson. Mr. Peterson has a host of scholastic and civic accomplishments including RPI Medalist Award, National Honor Society, BOCES Regional Program for Excellence and Eagle Scout. He is the Senior Class president along with being in leadership positions of numerous school based extra curricular activities. In his letter of recommendation, he was described as showing grace under pressure and succeeding consistently in completion of assigned tasks, thinking quickly on his feet and adapting to changing conditions readily. ADVOCACY TRAINING IN ALBANY Six members from LWV Utica/Rome including Carole Torok Huxtable, Barbara Brookes, Karen McBride, JoAnn Jacobsen, Liz Pattengill and Joanne Byrnes joined over 70 others statewide in Albany on Feb. 3 to learn about NYSLWV advocacy agenda and hear

6 from the League's Issue Specialists on their specific issues and expectations for this legislative session. All materials, including a summary from each Issue Specialist, are posted on the LWVNYS website lwvny.org: The topics included: League Advocacy Process (all levels) Election Reform Update State League Advocacy Process Financing Education Update Local League Advocacy Process Memo on Increasing Number of Family Court Judges LWVUS Issues and Advocacy Process Transportation Update Campaign Finance Reform Update Women's Equality Coalition Update o Power Point Presentation Pay Equity Update o Handout Summary 10 Tips to Lobby Legislators Environmental Issues Update (If you are receiving this newsletter electronically, you can click on the links to learn more) These materials provide a wealth of information on a number of issues all which will become very helpful as the legislative session continues and we ask for member action. LWVUR CELEBRATES WOMEN S HISTORY MONTH WITH A GIFT! To kick off Women's History Month, Donna Loomis Rubin, WV U/R Historian and Archivist presented the Archives of LWVU/R to the Oneida County Historical Society on March 1, 2014, followed by a presentation by Mary Chapin on The Legacy of Women's Suffrage, Why Everyone Should Vote." A proclamation from the City of Utica to the League of Women Voters Utica/Rome was presented in recognition of their enormous contribution to the city of Utica Promoting citizen participation in government and awareness of political issues. NOTES FROM THE NY STATE LEAGUE Environmental Issues Conference Call Sharen Barboza from LWVUR recently attended the statewide conference call put on by LWVNY regarding environmental issues. Click here to view the speaker s (Beth Radow)notes or contact Sharen and she will send them to you. In addition, Beth and other members of the committee are working on a proposal for a study of the practice of fracking to be brought before this June's convention. Constitutional Amendment on Redistricting A constitutional amendment on redistricting is on the ballot in November The culmination of the fight to revise the manner in which New York draws its state and congressional maps will be in November, when the voters will be asked to vote on a constitutional amendment which would authorize an independent redistricting commission. The independent commission would consist of 10 members. The four legislative leaders would each get two appointments. Those eight members would then pick two people who have not been enrolled in a major political party for five years. All commission members must be registered voters. None can have been an elected official, state employee, political party chairman or lobbyist within three years of joining the commission. The new rules would also explicitly prohibit anyone from drawing lines that protect incumbents and instead divide the state's population as equally as possible. The League supported passage of this amendment in the legislature and is now planning a campaign to educate voters on the plan and to encourage them to vote for it in November. Details and materials on the campaign will be forthcoming and will be included in the Regional Training sessions to be held around the state this month. Pay Equity Equal Pay Day is April 8. The Assembly is planning to pass their three very good equal pay for job titles of comparable worth bills on that day. See the February 3 League Advocacy Day handout on comparable worth/pay equity for the bill numbers, sponsors and a brief description of what each bill implements. All materials from the League Advocacy Day are posted on the state website. Forum on Election Reform

7 The State League is co sponsoring an educational forum with the Rockefeller Institute on election reform issues, including early voting, better ballot design, improved voter registration and absentee ballot procedures. The forum will be held on Monday, March 24, 11:00 12:30 at the Rockefeller Institute in Albany. Legislative Elections Committee Chairs, Senator Thomas O'Mara and Assemblymember Michael Cusick will join Tom Wilkey, former Executive Director of the US Election Assistance Commission and former Executive Director of the NYS Board of Elections, on this panel discussion. Capitol Correspondent Susan Arbetter will moderate. All League members and the public are invited to attend. The forum will be videotaped and posted on the Rockefeller Institute website the state League will post a link on its website, too PLEASE VISIT AND SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! 135 Clinton Street Whitesboro, New York Phone ~ (315) Fax ~ (315) info@hartshillinn.com * A Tradition of Excellence for over 45 Years

8 Interested in becoming a member of the Utica/Rome League of Women Voters? Name: Mailing Address: Phone Number: Send this form along with $25 for a student membership, $60 for a single membership or $90 for a household membership to or contact with questions: League of Women Voters Membership Chair PO Box 24 Washington Mills, NY 13479