League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County, California

Transcription

1 The Voter League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County, California The League of Women Voters is where hands-on work to safeguard democracy leads to civic improvement. July 2016 Annual Meeting 2016 Speaker: Karyl Eldgridge, Board Member Heart of San Mateo County Jackie Jacobberger, New Life Member Inside: President s Message, p. 2 Board Highlights, p. 2 Transportation Authority Seeks Community Volunteers, p. 3 Jackie s Report on the LWVUS Convention, June 2016, p. 3 How Should the League Speak in this Election Year?, p. 4 Ann s Convention 2016 Daily Wrap-up, p. 5 July Calendar, p. 10 The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Kathleen Tyson, President Marie Baldisseri, Membership Chair Ann Kuchins, Editor Office: 444 Peninsula Avenue, Suite 1, San Mateo CA Phone: LWVNCSMC@sbcglobal.net Web site:

2 President s Message Happy summer! Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely weather. It s even sunny here on the Coastside! on July 1. It s been a busy couple of months as we wrapped up League year and entered into Membership dues renewals were due by July 1. If you have not yet sent your dues check or paid by PayPal, please do so as soon as possible. We would like to put our new member handbook together but do not want to omit anyone. We value our members and want to keep you! Also, if you have not returned the membership survey that was included in your annual meeting mailing, please take a few minutes to fill it out and return it. We especially want to know which of our members prefer to receive their Voter electronically or by mail. Of course, we are also looking for volunteers to do a variety of jobs and those are also listed on the survey. Thank you! Our delegates are back from the LWVUS convention. Ann Kuchins, Susie Raye, and Jackie Jacobberger ably represented us. Look for articles in this Voter about the convention, what was decided by the delegates, etc. Our biennial national conventions are always interesting and since this was in Washington, DC and included a trip to Capitol Hill, it was especially exciting. Also of interest Chris Carson of LWV Glendale-Burbank is our new president! The annual meeting was held on June 4 at the Peninsula Regent. Marie Baldisseri joined the board as our membership chair while Jessica Stanfill Mullin went off board. I m sure you will join me in thanking Jessica for her hard work during the past two years. Please join me in welcoming Marie! For most of you, Marie needs no introduction. She has been a past president, has served on numerous committees, and serves as an MTA. I have been very blessed in having a great board! We have two new life members, women who have belonged to League for 50 years. This year we honored Jacqueline Jacobberger and Renee Kaseff. Both have a long history with our local League. More on them at a future date. So as a new League year begins, we are looking ahead. The board will hold its annual retreat on July 9 where, among other things, we will decide on programs for the year. We are also gearing up for the fall election. Already we have lots of requests for pros & cons presentations as well as candidate forums. It s going to be a busy year! Kathee Tyson, President Board Highlights At the board meeting on June 6, our board Received a thank you note for hosting the 2016 LWV Bay Area Convention Learned that we have started to schedule Pros & Cons for the November election Heard that we got some ideas at the annual meeting for future meeting topics Decided to have a new board retreat on July 9 in the League office Appointed Marie Baldisseri and Susie Raye to serve on the Nominating Committee Appointed Gayle Hardt to serve on the Emergency Action Committee Jean Johnson, Secretary 2

3 Transportation Authority Seeks Community Volunteers The San Mateo County Transportation Authority is extending the recruitment period for its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC is a 15-member volunteer group that serves in an advisory capacity to the Transportation Authority s Board of Directors. Interested persons can download an application or apply online at or call for more information. The deadline for submitting the application is September 6, The CAC provides valuable input on the projects and programs in the 2004 Transportation Expenditure Plan (TEP), which outlines the goals, guidelines, and requirements for the expenditure of the sales tax revenues generated by Measure A, a measure that was approved by 75.3 percent of the voters of San Mateo County in The plan includes Caltrain improvements, highway and street projects, allocations to cities and the county for local undertakings, paratransit service for people with disabilities, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Applicants are encouraged to learn about the Measure A program ( and the TEP ( before applying. Information is available at The committee meets the Tuesday before the first Thursday of the month at 4:30 p.m. in San Carlos. Members of the CAC must be residents of San Mateo County. About the TA: Created to administer Measure A, San Mateo County s ½ cent sales tax, the Transportation Authority provides funding for transportation and infrastructure improvement projects. In 2004, more than 75 percent of San Mateo County residents voted to reauthorize Measure A for an additional 25 years. Jackie Jacobberger Jackie s Report on the LWVUS Convention, June 2016 The LWVUS convention was held in Washington DC, June Delegates from our League, Ann Kuchins, Susie Raye, and I, joined with over 675 delegates to determine the direction of the League for the next two years. We made decisions on program, budget, bylaws, and a new board that will guide the League. Program Decisions Delegates easily agreed on the program recommended by the LWVUS board. A Campaign for Making Democracy Work will be the focus of our work during the coming biennium. The opportunities vary by state and local communities, but will include Voting Rights and Voter Protection and Money in Politics. Here in California, we have seen reforms such as online voter registration, provisional ballots, and early voting but other states are challenged with various measures that suppress voting participation by their citizens. These are important issues as we face the November general election, but the League s work will continue after the election in areas such as redistricting reform, reform of our campaign financing system, and monitoring calls for a constitutional convention. Delegates reaffirmed support for all existing positions in the areas of Representative Government, International Relations, Social Policy, and Natural Resources and adopted two concurrences that add to our existing positions. By concurrence, delegates added a new position on Redistricting developed by a task force. This position does not supersede any existing state League redistricting positions such as we have in California. Delegates also agreed to concur with the LWV Colorado position on Behavioral Health, adding it to the LWVUS Health Care position. You can find information on the program proposals at lwvus-program. 3

4 There were no proposals for not-recommended program so program adoption proceeded smoothly and was accomplished on the first day of the convention after a motion to suspend the order of business to enable an immediate vote on Program. Various workshops during the convention concentrated on strategies to implement the program decisions. There was particular emphasis on strategies to register new voters, including registration at naturalization ceremonies and participation in National Voter Registration Day on September 27. Bylaws Decisions The most heated discussion occurred on the second day of the convention when delegates debated proposals by the LWV Minnesota to amend the bylaws. Their original proposal was divided into three separate motions, recommended by the LWVUS board. The first proposal was to remove the requirement that voting members be citizens. This passed easily. However, the second motion was to eliminate the current requirement that voting members be 18 years old. Many delegates spoke in opposition and this motion was defeated on a card vote. The motion was granted reconsideration and an amendment was proposed to change the age to 16. This amendment was finally adopted by the delegates and the LWVUS bylaws were amended to allow voting members to be persons at least 16 years of age. The original proposal would have eliminated associate members. However, since an age requirement was maintained, that third proposal was not brought to the floor and the provision for associate members was maintained. Local League bylaws must conform to the LWVUS bylaws in the first three articles so our bylaws will be amended to reflect the LWVUS amendment. Because of the LWVUS requirement, our members do not need to approve the amendment needed to implement conformity and proposed language will be approved by the board. The bylaws, including the amendments adopted by our members at the annual meeting, will be posted on the members only website and will be printed in the Member Handbook. Election of the New LWVUS Board The election of officers proceeded smoothly, with no nominations from the floor. Delegates elected the first LWVUS President from California, Chris Carson, a member of the LWV Glendale-Burbank in Southern California. Chris Carson served on the LWVC board as Government Director during my second term as the LWVC president and we worked closely on government reform issues, especially redistricting reform. Jackie Jacobberger How Should the League Speak in this Election Year? At the convention there was a great deal of discussion about how the League should respond to questions during this very contentious election year. The LWVUS has already been contacted by the media to comment about issues, having the first woman candidate, the contentious tone of the campaign, etc. We are advised to keep responding that the League never supports or opposes candidates or parties. We should avoid the use of the word nonpartisan because it can be misconstrued by others who do not understand what it means to us. The LWVUS will send talking points that we can use in addressing questions that may be posed by the media or members of the public. Jackie Jacobberger 4

5 Ann s Convention 2016 Daily Wrap-up The theme of Convention 2016 was Making Democracy Work for All and I believe that we made inroads in taking this slogan and converting it into action. I will attempt to provide a glimpse into what it s like to spend three and one half days with smart, insightful, and enthusiastic people who are dedicated to making democracy work for all. Lobby Day Thursday I arrived a day early to participate in Lobby Day, a day when League members went to Capitol Hill to lobby their senators and representatives on the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA). This is the first presidential election since the Voting Rights Act (VRA) was passed in 1965 where citizens do not have the protections of the VRA because the Supreme Court gutted the VRA in the Shelby County v Holder decision in Since this decision, many states have passed restrictive voting laws, such as Voter ID requirements, changing polling places, and purging people from voter rolls, that are contributing to the continued discrimination in voting based on race, ethnicity, and language. At a morning meeting at the hotel on Lobby Day, we were armed with talking points, a granola bar, and a bottle of water. We were given some tips about speaking with our representatives or staff members, such as assign one person to start speaking, don t take notes, and don t hand out the memo on the VRAA until late into the interview so as not to distract the interviewee. My representatives, Senators Feinstein and Boxer and Representative Jackie Speier all support the VRAA. LWVC President Helen Hutchinson arranged a meeting with one of Senator Feinstein s staff members. Since Senator Feinstein is a cosponsor of the bill, we did not need to lobby her on the issue so we thanked her for all her work on the VRAA. The VRAA is stuck in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. I stopped by Jackie Speier s office. She was in an Intelligence Committee hearing. This hearing was not open to the public; not even her staff members could attend. I left a memo on the VRAA that was drafted by the League and signed my name so that she would know that one of her constituents dropped by on behalf of the League. We were also encouraged to request our House representatives to sign the Discharge Petition for H.R Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (VRAA). If the Discharge Petition receives 218 votes, it immediately goes to the House Floor for a vote. If it doesn t receive the required signatures, the representatives who do sign it go on record as supporting the bill and vice-versa. When we arrived back at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, we met with all the other delegations, many of whom had interesting stories to tell as their representatives were not in favor of the VRA. Some of the representatives and staff members who opposed the VRA listened and asked questions and discussed the issue; some merely stated their opposition with little discussion. LWVC organized dinners at restaurants in the neighborhood and I met with other delegates from California for an evening of networking and fun. 5

6 6 Day 1 Friday I began the day by attending a 7:15 a.m. workshop entitled Toward a More Uniform Criminal Justice System. The speaker provided an overview of the criminal justice system that is problematic due to disparate crime codes within the state and federal systems and the need to create a more uniform criminal justice system. The plenary session opened with the Call to Order and the singing of the Stars Spangled Banner by Jenny Lynn Moyer. Our first speaker was Jennifer Lawless, Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University. She talked about the unpopularity of Congress, government, and political institutions in general and the political consequences of this political condemnation for future generations. One consequence she noted was the overwhelming lack of interest in running for office on the part of high school and college students, who view politicians as selfish, egotistical, argumentative, and confrontational to the point where nothing gets done. One recommendation she gave was to close the gender gap in running for office by linking the interests of young women, such as student loan debt and contraception, to the political system. For more of her recommendations, you can read her books: Running From Office: Why Young Americans Are Turned Off to Politics; Becoming a Candidate: Political Ambition and the Decision to Run for Office; and It Still Takes A Candidate: Why Women Don t Run for Office. Our next speaker was Amanda Taub, a reporter from the New York Times. She addressed the question, What on Earth is Going On? Many of you may have read her article on The Rise of American Authoritarianism published in March, (This is a fascinating article and even describes how parenting styles are reflective of authoritarian voting behavior.) Authoritarianism refers to a type of behavior or world view that affects our politics and policies. She draws a relationship with the authoritarianism of voters and their support for a candidate that is based on the studies of political scientists. People with authoritarian inclinations crave order, want to maintain the status quo, and in times of crisis turn to authoritarian punitive men who tend to blame groups for problems. One root of authoritarianism is a politics of fear and Ms. Taub suggests that one possible solution to deactivating authoritarianism is an appeal to empathy. When people are asked to recall a time when they are attacked, it often brings out their empathy for others in similar situations. Ms. Taub also recommended appealing to a sense of calm and reinforcing the resiliency of the United States by emphasizing that we can deal with difficult problems. In the afternoon, we had a diverse panel of speakers on Protecting the Right to Vote and Expanding the Electorate. Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the National Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, talked about the voting challenges in the wake of the weakened Voting Rights Act. Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Education Fund, described how his organization pursues a nonpartisan agenda to provide full participation of Latinos in the political process. Christine Chen, founding Executive Director of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), spoke on the needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters who make up the fastest growing population group and yet have the lowest voter registration rate. Back to business in the plenary session, we made the following decisions on Program which Jackie Jacobberger described in more detail in her article: Adopted the LWVUS board-recommended concurrence with the position on Redistricting Adopted the LWVUS board-recommended concurrence with the LWV Colorado position on Behavioral Health Care Agreed to retain all current LWVUS positions in the areas of Representative Government, International Relations, Natural Resources, and Social Policy A budget overview was provided where we learned that the poor return on some investments caused the League to tighten its belt. Interested League members could discuss the budget in a caucus meeting before the final vote on the proposed budget.

7 Our final speaker of the day was Wycleia Wiggs Harris, the new LWVUS Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Harris made it clear that her mission is to bring the League into the 21 st century. She emphasized that the League must evolve or concede our legacy to others. The League needs new approaches for engagement with new constituencies and new members. Technology has changed how voters and activists communicate and act. The League needs a bias towards action. As we engage in internal changes, we need to be outward facing. We need to show voters that we are excited about change and open to new engagement paths. People want to be involved and they want it on their own terms. Some key words that peppered her speech were engagement, change, impact, relevance, flexibility, and visibility. If you are interested in the path that the League is on, read her entire speech at That evening, Jackie, Susie, and I attended a performance by the satirical group Capitol Steps who put the mock in democracy. After laughing at all the politicos on both sides of the aisle, I attended one last caucus on gun safety in America before going to bed. The LWV delegation from Florida described their battles with gun safety that began with their successful campaign to keep guns off public college campuses. They described how their campaigns centered on getting to know their legislators, building coalitions, education, advocacy, and media engagement. Day 2 Saturday The Saturday morning session began with two speeches. The first was on Money in Politics by Peter Overby, NPR s Power, Money, and Influence Correspondent covering campaign finance and lobbying. I missed most of this speech as I received a message from home about some family business (not an emergency). The second speaker was Joe Goldman, president of the foundation Democracy Fund, whose speech was entitled Our Democracy Complex Systems and Major Forces at Play in The focus of his foundation is how to make democracy work better. The public needs to believe that they are better off with democratic institutions and have faith in the system. We need to put people back in the center and clarify what it means to be a citizen. One example he gave of including citizens in the process was a participatory budget where a small portion of the budget is given over to the people to decide. This kind of participation changes the relationship between people and the government. The LWVUS and Goldman s foundation have a strong working relationship. Goldman sees the League as a public venue in which people can explore issues and opportunities. The Democracy Fund and the LWVUS worked with TV stations in getting them to reject misleading political ads. Goldman described the difference between Democrats and Republicans is the degree to which they react to facts. Because of this, we need to find ways to speak to people in a language that they can hear. He said that the League has always worked across the aisle to find common ground. If you give people a problem to solve, people can do it. That is the role that the League has played in the past and can continue to play in the future. 7 After the speeches, it was back to business, which included discussion and voting on changes to the LWVUS bylaws. We voted to make the following amendments to the bylaws: The word citizen in the Voting Members section was changed to person which means that noncitizens can now become voting members of the League. I thought it was quite funny that after we approved this change, someone asked if this means that a corporation can now be a voting member of the League since the Supreme Court has ruled that a corporation has the same rights as a person. In the Voting Members section the voting age of a member was changed from at least 18 years of age to at least 16 years of age. The voting process at a League convention is quite interesting and may entail a three part process. The first step is to take a voice vote. If the Chair cannot determine the winner between the ayes and the nays, then a standing vote is taken. If it is still not clear, then we go to a card vote. All credentialed delegates are given a stack of green and red voting cards that they should carry with them at all plenary sessions as you never know when a card vote will be

8 8 required. If a card vote is required, the first step is to lock the doors until all the ballots are collected. If you want to vote Yes, you turn in a green card and if you vote No, you turn in a red card. The cards are numbered. The Chair will announce which numbered card to turn in. If the Chair asks for a card numbered 3 and you turn in a card numbered 4, your vote does not count. Simple but effective security! When the votes are collected, the lockdown ends as the counting takes place in a separate room. I think we had three card votes this year. I should also mention that there is substantial discussion before a vote is taken. Microphones are scattered around the room and are designated as Pro and Con. Discussion continues until someone goes to a microphone to Call the Question. We then vote whether to discontinue the discussion and vote or to continue the discussion. After a lively morning of discussion and debate, we started the afternoon with two speakers. Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners, spoke on Messaging for Impact What Resonates with Voters. Lake Research Partners is a polling firm that works on electing women and framing certain issues. Ms. Lake said that some people don t know how to vote and that they need to have a plan to vote. It surprised me to hear her say that women need to know how to have an opinion; men are still telling their wives how to vote in record numbers. She provided some techniques to use when working with different groups to get out the vote. For unmarried women, provide them with prefilled registration forms and encourage them to use absentee ballots. African-Americans respond well to messages on mobile devices, door-to-door, church, mail, and phone. Latina women vote with friends and families and like weekend voting. Women like voter guides so that they don t make mistakes. She provided the following messaging tips: Tell people how to vote Economic message creates motivation Fair treatment of women works Focus on a positive message as a negative message depresses turnout Talk solutions, not problems In her polling of the League, she came up with the following public perceptions of the League: People like the League but it needs more visibility Love the voter guides Love the fact that the League is nonpartisan Love the fact that the League started with suffrage Respect the 96 years of work with suffrage Loved when the League moderated presidential debates Should get on social media more. Keisha Gaskins, director for the Democratic Practice United States program at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund spoke on Understanding and Telling the Story of Impact for Democracy with Data. Her thesis was that to transform our democracy so it is relevant, tell your story using meaningful data. Sit down with groups and explain what to do. She also recommended that the League not use the term nonpartisan. This was also echoed by LWVUS President Elisabeth MacNamara. Elisabeth instructed us to say, The League does not endorse candidates. The NP word confuses people and makes the League sound wishy-washy. In the late afternoon, we were divided into groups for an interactive exercise called Tactical Training for This Election Year. We were divided up into several teams based on the table where we were sitting. One of the situations we were given was to set up a voter registration event at a naturalization ceremony where we were asked to plan the budget, logistics, and other details. People from different tables shared their results. Then the leaders of the training shared some best practices with us. It was a great opportunity to work with other people and to actually practice some skills that we could use when we got back home. After a long day, we dressed up and attended a pre-banquet reception and the banquet. At the banquet, the 2016 award winning Leagues were honored for their visible impact, engagement of the community, and their work in strengthening democracy. The speaker was Ari Berman, writer for The Nation magazine. I didn t takes notes but found

9 him so entertaining and informative that I bought his book, Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America. Day 3 Sunday Ari Berman Early Sunday morning, I attended the caucus on Climate Change sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oregon. In March 2016, the LWVO signed onto Our Children s Trust lawsuit against the state of Oregon via an amicus brief. The lawsuit would force the state of Oregon to take a more aggressive stance against carbon emissions on behalf of children to protect their future. In our final plenary session, the League took action on the following resolutions: Approved a resolution responding to gun violence in America Approved a resolution on gun safety and Center for Disease Control Research Approved a resolution supporting statehood for the people of District of Columbia Approved the resolution for LWVUS to consider signing onto an Amicus Brief with 21 Youth plaintiffs from Our Children s Trust Approved the resolution that LWVUS support the United States ratification of the UN COP (Conference of Parties) 21 Paris Agreement on climate change Approved a resolution that LWVUS continue working for full implementation of the EPA Clean Power Plan The Budget was approved with little discussion. The LWVUS Officers, Board of Directors, and Nominating Committee members were elected. Members of the were honored with special commendation for outgoing President Elisabeth MacNamara. The new LWVUS President, Chris Carson of California gave the final speech envisioning the future of the League. You can read her speech online at What was my take away? That we need to act. If our League wants to grow, become more inclusive, and remain relevant, we need to take a look at our community and see what we can do to engage the community and to engage our own members in action. We can start at the Board retreat on July 9 when we will be planning exciting new programs for If you have any ideas, please let us know. Ann Kuchins 9

10 Proposition 48 July Calendar Date Time Description Place Saturday July 9 11 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Board Retreat 444 Peninsula Avenue, Suite 1 San Mateo CA JOIN THE LEAGUE Where new members just like you are taking advantage of leadership opportunities and making an impact. Referendum Name(s) Address City Zip Code Phone Number (daytime) address Amount enclosed $ ($65 one member; $100 two members, same household; $35 each additional member, same household. Dues are not tax deductible.) Mail to: LWVNC&SMC 444 Peninsula Avenue, Suite 1, San Mateo, CA 94401