THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS of Schenectady County New York

Transcription

1 THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS of Schenectady County New York April 2013 April Events Monday, April 1, noon Environment Committee meeting Moon and River Café 115 S. Ferry St., Schenectady Tuesday, April 2, 4 PM Board meeting (tour starts at 3:30 PM) Schenectady Central Library 99 Clinton St., Schenectady Monday, April 8, 3:30 PM Working Group on Girls meeting YWCA, 44 Washington Ave., Schenectady May Events Wednesday, May 15, 7 PM Schenectady School Board Candidate Forum (held only if there are more than 3 candidates running for 3 open seats) Schenectady High School Black Box Theatre 1445 The Plaza, Schenectady Wednesday, May 22, 7 PM Working Group on Girls Community Forum 1 st Reformed Church 8 N. Church St., Schenectady Thursday, April 11, 7 PM Sustainable Agriculture: Thinking Globally, Farming Locally Speaker: Kenneth Mulder, Ph.D. Schenectady Central Library 99 Clinton St., Schenectady Wednesday, April 17, 1-2:30 PM From Vegetables to MRIs: Ellis Hospital Reaches into the Community Speaker: James W. Connolly, CEO, Ellis Hospital Niskayuna Library 2400 Nott St. East, Niskayuna

2 Message from the Steering Committee You are invited to attend the LWVNY Convention at the Albany Hilton! The New York State League has revamped the State Convention so that more members are able to attend on June 1 st and 2 nd. Our registration form must be sent in by April 8 th and needs to include all of our members who are planning to attend. Please contact Pat MacKinnon at macol17@nycap.rr.com or as soon as possible to be included. Here are your opportunities: Workshops are free. They will be held on Saturday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 AM and 9:45 to 10:45 AM. Topics include Membership Growth and Leadership, Vote 411: Electronic Voter Guides, Advocacy and Issues, Youth Programs of Local Leagues, Public Relations and Social Networking, Voter Service Issues, Development for All. On Saturday evening from 5:15 to 6:00 PM and again from 9:00 to 11:00 PM, there will be caucuses and information sessions presented by local Leagues. The specific timing for these has not been set yet, but potential topics are Hydraulic Fracturing, Health Care, Youth Programs, Transportation Issues, Membership Successes, Women s Issues, and Election Reform Issues (e.g. early voting). Perhaps some of our committees may want to send a representative. These sessions are available to delegates and also to members who have volunteered at the Convention. We also may be able to arrange for members who are interested in attending these sessions. We will send out more specific information as soon as it is available. If you are interested in any of these topics, please contact Pat MacKinnon at macol17@nycap.rr.com or There will also be an opportunity on June 1 st to bid on the items in the Silent Auction which you will be able to view online. Proceeds will benefit the LWVNY Education Foundation. Volunteers are needed from Friday, May 31 st through Sunday, June 2 nd to staff registration tables, sales, plenary sessions and the hospitality suite. Volunteers are then able to attend a plenary session as an observer. Some local members are also needed to join others on the Dine Around on Friday night it s a fun way to just chat and network with League members from around the state. Anne Burton, Volunteer Coordinator, can be reached at anneburton10@gmail.com or (518) Plenary Sessions will be held on Saturday, June 1 st from 1:00 to 5:00 PM and on Sunday, June 2 nd from 9:15 AM to noon. On Saturday, June 1 st, a reception and dinner will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 PM and the Guest Speaker, Mickey Edwards, will be speaking from 8:00 to 9:00 PM. The cost of dinner and the speaker is $60. Mr. Edwards is the Vice President of the Aspen Institute and spoke at the LWVUS Convention in June 2012 on the issue of civil discourse and the need for nonpartisan cooperation in politics. He will continue this discussion with League members at the State Convention. His most recent book is entitled, The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans, and was published in Pat MacKinnon, Lead STEERING COMMITTEE Pat MacKinnon ( ) Lead for March through June 2013 Joan Elliott ( ) Lead (completed) Connie Young ( ) Lead (completed) Carol Furman ( ) Lead (completed) Newsletter Editor: Cheryl Nechamen ( ) 2

3 League of Women Voters of Schenectady County Local Program (Changes in italics to be voted on at the June 13 th Annual Meeting at the Turf Tavern) Justice and the Law Support improvements to the local criminal justice system by: Strengthening the Probation Department and rehabilitation programs in the County Facilitating the implementation of alternative courts (problem solving courts) in Schenectady County and promoting collaborations to support them Monitoring the juvenile justice system including Family Court and promoting community-based rehabilitation Local Government Monitor activities of county governmental units, including town boards, the Schenectady City Council and the Schenectady County Legislature; monitor activities of other quasi-governmental units, public authorities and agencies such as Metroplex, IDAs and Planning Boards; monitor activities of elected public Boards of Education Support standards of high professional qualifications and political nonpartisanship in manager form of government Evaluate opportunities for inter-municipal cooperation and examine options for the consolidation of governmental services in Schenectady County Monitor developments of police programs in the County Children at Risk Collaborate with other organizations to identify the needs of children in Schenectady County, facilitate programs on their behalf, and educate the community about their needs and challenges Local Education Monitor local initiatives related to schools and promote and advocate for adequate funding for all school districts so that students can reach their potential Environmental Issues Support the protection of environmental resources, land, water, and air in Schenectady County: Advocate for the protection of water resources in the County Promote understanding of global climate change and support efforts to mitigate its effects Support energy conservation and development of renewable energy alternatives Support solid waste management programs that increase reuse and recycling in the County and city Health Services Educate and advocate for national/state/local health care reform that provides quality physical and mental health care for all citizens Educate our membership and others about long-term care standards and develop recommendations for local options Encourage and support countywide comprehensive health care planning and access to health care Welcome New Member Patricia Lambert Pat is a retired elementary teacher. She is currently working part time in the Admissions Office at Skidmore College where she interviews prospective students. She is a member of the Unitarian Church Women's Alliance and is also a Worship Associate at the Church. Pat has joined the Working Group on Girls. She is planning to attend LWV programs as her time permits. Betsy Chase 3

4 First Farming Program in Series Enthusiastically Received The challenges and rewards of farming were discussed by a panel of four local farmers on March 14 th at the Schenectady Central Library. The 60 plus people attending were treated to a fascinating view into farming life. Several common themes were expressed. Coping with increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather was one common theme. Responses have included adding irrigation to fields to protect crops in drought periods, and drainage tiles so fields drain during overly wet spells, and putting up greenhouses. According to Peter Ten Eyck, a fourth generation fruit farmer at Indian Ladder Farms, participating in a crop insurance program can lessen the blow of crop failure. Indian Ladder Farm lost 90% of its apple crop last year due to unseasonably warm weather followed by frosts. Marketing and income protection are continual challenges for local farmers. Trucking his organic produce to New York City s specialty markets is the solution for Ken Fruehstorfer, an organic vegetable farmer in Montgomery County. The milk from Dave Wood s dairy farm all goes to New York City. Forming a CSA has been Al Lansing s answer, growing vegetables and flowers under low spray conditions. Shareholders in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share the bounty if crops are successful and lose, along with the farmer, if they fail. Indian Ladder Farms has become a destination spot with a café, farm tours, a baby animal petting farm, summer programs, apple picking and a farmer s market. Development pressure in Saratoga County has increased land prices and makes buying land to expand a farm prohibitively expensive, said Mr. Woods. The farmers do much of their farming on land they rent rather than own, but making investments to improve rented land is problematic. Land taxes are also an issue. Another common stressor is labor. Farming is labor intensive. Finding local workers willing to do stoop labor is difficult. The H-2A program which permits employers to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill temporary farm jobs has made it possible for Mr. Fruehstorfer s organic farm to expand. Mr. Lansing and Mr. Ten Eyck recruit teen labor because they feel that being the first employer of youth and training young workers is a service they can provide to the community. In the words of one farmer, Farming is not really making a living, it s a way of life. They spend more time on paper work than they would like financial bookkeeping, labor management, land acquisition, tracking of chemical and water use, fuel purchase and storage. Being a successful small farmer takes hard work, expertise and a long view. Farmers would benefit from better promotion of New York State agricultural products, food pricing which more accurately reflects the costs of production, education of the public about where their food comes from, and farm-friendly land use regulations. People can support local farmers by buying local products at farmers markets and farm stands and asking supermarkets to carry local products. This program was the first of three programs on local farming planned by the League, ECOS--the Environmental Clearinghouse, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Schenectady County Environmental Advisory Council (SCEAC). Thinking Globally, Farming Locally, the third program in the series, will be held on Thursday, April 11 th at 7 PM at the Schenectady Central Library. The evening s speaker, Kenneth Mulder, Ph.D., teaches Environmental Studies and is the Farm Manager at Green Mountain College. Dr. Mulder will talk about the loss of our scenic farmland vistas and habitat, and decline in freshness and quality of available foods as well as a loss of connection to our history. The resulting increased dependence on food transported long distances and greater industrialization of agriculture has implications for the environment, human health, our economy and our future. Ruth Bonn 4

5 A Future for Public Education About 75 people came to hear Dr. John Yagielski, the former interim Schenectady School Superintendent, affirm that yes, it matters and yes, the public schools will survive. Those comments were part of a panel presentation on public education sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Schenectady County on March 7 th in the Price Chopper Community Center. Dr. Yagielski gave a brief history of the establishment of public education, and cited the many federal decisions that have created requirements and expectations for the public schools. He pointed out that these mandates have not come with the needed funding to carry them out. The state government, Dr. Yagielski commented, has consistently shortchanged the schools with inadequate funding so that most school districts find themselves in the extreme position of not being able to meet their fiscal obligations. Subsequent speakers affirmed Dr. Yagielski s statements. Rosemary Jaquith, co-president of the Niskayuna PTO Council, pointed out that her children were receiving a wonderful education at the Niskayuna High School and Van Antwerp Middle School, but that she could see the programs shrinking and feared that her younger child would have not have the opportunities provided for her older child, now a senior. Oriana Miles, a student at Schenectady High School, spoke enthusiastically about her experiences in Schenectady schools. She said that she could not bear to think that others would be deprived of the many programs and teachers that have enriched her life and made her the person she is today. Bob Fiorini, President of the Duanesburg Central School District Board of Education spoke of the financial problems that his school district faces. He thinks that they are at the limit of their resources. People need to remember, he said, that in many districts like his own, the schools form the backbone of the community. They are often the single largest employer and provide services to the largest segment of their population. The last speaker, Deborah Bush-Suflita, Senior Manager of Capital Region BOCES Communications Service, spoke on how the public must urge the legislature to provide the funding necessary for schools to survive. School districts are receiving less aid than they did four years ago, she said. She encouraged everyone to become familiar with the issues that impact one s district. Ms. Bush-Suflita suggested that we ask for adequate and equitable aid and that mandates be reduced or funded at the level required. Schools, she said, are the engine of our knowledge-based economy and most significantly the heart of our democracy. The legislators, she insisted, are responsible for the survival of schools. The evening concluded with people writing postcards to their legislators. The entire forum was recorded by Open Stage Media and will be shown on public access television. The League wishes to thank the Golub Corporation for use of the Price Chopper Community Center. The event was co-sponsored by American Association of University Women, Boys and Girls Club, Goosehill Neighborhood Association, Niskayuna PTO Council, Proctors Theatre, Schenectady City School District Educational Foundation, Schenectady Inner City Ministry, Schenectady Business & Professional Women s Club, Working Group on Girls and the YWCA. Helen MacDonald Mission Statement: The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization. We encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government. We work to increase the understanding of major public policy issues and influence public policy through education and advocacy. 5

6 Annual Meeting Fundraiser June 12 th is the LWV's annual meeting at the Turf Tavern in Scotia. As mentioned in the March newsletter, there will be a Silent Auction. Here are some ideas for items or services that can be collected: Gourmet items such as coffee, jams and jellies, teas, etc. Theater tickets, certificates from restaurants, grocery stores, beauty, tanning or nail salons, book stores, wine and liquor stores, items from gift shops. We re also looking for services donated by League members such as house cleaning, yard work, a painting, weaving, etc., or a nature/birding tour at our many interesting preserves. Please let me know of items you may be able to contribute for the Silent Auction and the source. Also, we re looking for volunteers to work on the Silent Auction Committee. I can be contacted at: or FloraLR@aol.com. Flora Romanowski, Chair From Vegetables to MRIs: Ellis Hospital Reaches into the Community Reinventing and innovating are two verbs used to describe the development of recent programs offered by Ellis Hospital. But vegetables? What do they have to do with it? James W. Connolly, CEO of Ellis Hospital, will speak about hospital initiatives to improve the health of the community on April 17 th from 1-2:30 PM at the Niskayuna Public Library, 2400 Nott Street East. Mr. Connolly will talk about how community agencies have collaborated with Ellis to identify barriers to receiving care and preventing illness, including a community door-to-door health assessment currently underway to identify unmet needs. Other initiatives, such as clinics for school age children, physician prescriptions for fresh produce produced in the community, and the role of electronic records in coordinating care between providers, will also be described by Mr. Connolly. Mr. Connolly will speak about the Ellis Medical Home and how it differs from a Health Home Program initiated in 2012 and how the programs fit into the immediate and long term picture of healthcare in Schenectady and the nation. Please join us for this important discussion. Parking is available at the library and across the street at the Niskayuna Town Hall. Carol Furman, Chair, Health Committee Environment Committee An Environment Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday April 1 st at the Moon and River Cafe at noon. Programs to be discussed--the April program on local farming, a lunchtime showing of Brunswick, a field trip to the farm of the author of "The Dirty Life," a table at Cooperative Extension s Earth Day event and next year's National League focus on sustainable agriculture. Ruth Bonn, Chair 6

7 Interesting Times in the County Legislature As LWV observers, Helga Schroeter and I regularly attend County Legislature meetings. Often there are fewer than 10 people in the audience, except when the Legislature honors a particularly popular group of citizens for an accomplishment (sometimes a sports team or other area school group). This month's (March) meeting was VERY well attended. In fact, it was among the most crowded we've ever seen. The room was filled with opponents of the recently passed NYS SAFE Act, who were energetically expressing their displeasure with many aspects of the Act, with emphasis by almost all of the approximately 50 speakers on Second Amendment rights. As the evening progressed, it became clear that NO ONE was going to oppose the prevailing point of view. Finally I could no longer remain silent, although we, as observers, rarely speak out on issues. In summary, the privilege of the floor comments were approximately 50 in favor of a resolution by the County Legislature urging repeal of the NYS SAFE Act and one opposed. The County Legislature did not pass a resolution urging repeal, but instead passed an alternative resolution, sponsored by Legislator Jasenski, which asked the NYS Legislature to revisit certain provisions of the SAFE Act, rather than rescinding the entire legislation. The process was much more interesting than many movies one could choose to watch. Come see for yourselves! Maxine Borom Our League goals are to educate citizens about government and public policy, encourage citizen participation in elections, and influence public policy relating to issues we ve studied. Dues money makes working on our goals possible. DUES for July 1, 2012 June 30, 2013 Return to: LWV of Schenectady County, P.O. Box 9135, Schenectady, NY New or Renewing Members Please Confirm this Contact Information Name(s) Address Phone $55 Individual $75 Household $20 Full time student (Confidential arrangements for special payment or partial assistance can be made. Contact Connie Young at with any questions. Dues and contributions are not tax deductible.) I am sending my membership dues payment, but please consider me an INACTIVE member. ACTIVE MEMBERS: The League depends upon the work of its members, even for a short task. Please check any activities that interest you. We appreciate your help. Committees Judicial Health Care Working Group on Girls Environment Observer Corps Housing Education Membership Fund Raising Voter Services Voter Registration Candidate Forums Voter Information Computer Skills Graphics/Layout Databases Website Work Facebook Electronic Publicity Other Technical Skill? (Describe) 7

8 Observer Corps Notes Glenville The Town of Glenville reports that 18,347 Time Warner customers will receive 1.2 million dollars in refunds from the company for fees charged to them since March At the next town meeting there will be a resolution introduced asking the Governor to repeal the SAFE law for gun control. Moodys has reaffirmed the Town's strong bond rating. Niskayuna School Board of Education Voters in the Niskayuna School district have approved a referendum authorizing the purchase of the bus garage that they are currently leasing. The Board is engaged in continued discussions on budget reduction. There have been numerous discussions with folks wishing to terminate participation in the National School Lunch Program. Schenectady City School Board of Education The Schenectady City Board of Education has also been concentrating on the budget. The State has only been funding the District at 54% of the amount it is due. The School District is forming a long-range plan for its present and future buildings. Betsy Chase, Chair Education Committee We had a very nice turnout of 75 people for our March 7 th Education Forum entitled "Will Public Education Survive and Does It Matter?" Please read Helen MacDonald's excellent summary elsewhere in this bulletin. I want to thank all of the members of the Education Committee who made the event such a success. It was the result of many hours of planning by the whole committee. I would also like to thank other members of our Schenectady LWV who supported us by attending, and by publicizing the event. We are planning a presentation on early childhood education in May- see the May bulletin for more details. Mary Maitino and Maxine Borom, co-chairs Threat to Voter Registration The fate of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) now lies with the Supreme Court. For the second time in as many months, the justices are hearing arguments on vital legislation that has encouraged active participation in our democracy for nearly two decades. The League of Women Voters of Arizona is a plaintiff in the case and the LWVUS has submitted an amicus brief to the Court. If the Supreme Court rules against the NVRA, states would be free to pass laws that could restrict voter registration activities and thereby prevent eligible citizens from registering to vote. The National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as Motor Voter, became law in 1993 and streamlines the voter registration process. It requires states to provide voter registration opportunities when citizens get a driver s license or seek government services at other agencies and provides for voter registration by mail, which is particularly important for citizen-led voter registration drives. In so doing, it protects voters against state restrictions on voter registration for federal elections. The League was a key player in the passage of the NVRA we worked on the initial bill and later co-chaired a national coalition that brought together over 60 organizations dedicated to improving the voter registration process. Elisabeth MacNamara, President, League of Women Voters 8

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10 League of Women Voters of Schenectady County P.O. Box 9135 Schenectady, NY Bulletin 10 issues per year Non-Profit ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 402 ALBANY, NY Or Current Resident April Calendar of Events Mon, April 1 Environment Committee Noon, Moon and River Café Tues, April 2 Board meeting 3:30 PM, Schenectady Central Library Mon, April 8 Working Group on Girls 3:30 PM, YWCA Thurs, April 11 Sustainable Agriculture: Thinking Globally, Farming Locally 7 PM, Schenectady Central Library Wed, April 17 From Vegetables to MRIs: Ellis Hospital Reaches into the Community 1 PM, Niskayuna Library 10