Volume 13, No. 6 June 2008

THE VOTER THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF SONOMA COUNTY Volume 13, No. 6 June 2008 Theater Party Fundraiser Featuring Leading Ladies Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Sixth Street Playhouse 52 West 6 th Street 7:15 PM, Social time with complimentary beverages and refreshments 8:00 PM, Curtain Reservations are required; tickets are $25.00/person; checks should be payable to LWVSC. Please include the names of those attending because nametags picked up at the door will serve as tickets. Send your check to: LWVSC The League of Women Voters 100 E Street Suite 209, CA 95404 Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig features two contemporary Shakespearean actors who undertake to pass themselves off as the nieces of a rich old lady about to die. In the process, we see them engaged in a comedy of errors of Shakespearean proportions, complete with disguise, mistaken identity, gender reversal, and, of course a happy ending. Questions? Contact Lynda Hungerford (539-5770) CONTENTS: Book Club Corner 2 Board Briefs 5 President s Message 2 National League Convention 5 International Relations Study Group 3 LWVUS Immigration Policy 6 Advocacy/Action 3 Annual Meeting Reminder 6 Voter Service 4 New Members and Roster Changes 7 LWV: Protecting Voters Nationwide 5 Calendar 8

THE VOTER VOL. 13. NO. 6, JUNE 2008 The League of Women Voters of Sonoma County, CA 95404 707-546-5943 league@lwvsonoma.org http://www.lwvsonoma.org/ http://www.lwvc.org/ http://www.lwv.org/ http://www.smartvoter.org/ Officers: Carol Adams, President Elaine Book, Secretary Susannah Likins, Treasurer Chele Gummer, VP Action Nancy Richards, VP Administration Sandy de Lorimier, VP Program Will Richards, VP Community Services Directors: George Ellman, Bay Area Representative Laurie Hall, Public Relations Olive Horrell, Membership Amy Southwick & Rosalie Gillmore, Voters Service Gloria Norton, Voter Outreach VOTER Team: DeeDee Bridges, VOTER Editor Carol Adams Nancy Richards BOOK GROUP CORNER League members and the public are invited to join the book group at 10:30 AM, Thursday, June 19, for a discussion of Three Cups of Tea: One Man s Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. The book group will meet in the League office, Suite 209, 100 E Street, Santa Rosa. After Pakistani village hospitality enabled author Mortenson to recover from a mountain climbing accident, he promised to build a school in the village. Thus began a project that has sponsored more than fifty schools in central Asia, including many for girls. Three Cups of Teas is the inspiring story of how a lost battle with a mountain revealed a winning tactic against terrorism. The Book Group normally meets at 10:30 AM in the League office on the third Thursday of the month. The schedule for all of 2008 can be downloaded from the calendar page of the League Website. Go to the monthly entry for the Book Group. Contiued bottom of Page 2 Column 2 2 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Whew! What a fast year for my tenure as President. As I said at last year s Annual meeting, I knew it would be a learning curve for me; and it certainly has been! The League has such depth to it from our local level to the national level! There are many people who have worked behind the scenes this year who receive very little recognition for their work. Please help me recognize their efforts by acknowledging them at the Annual Meeting May 31. Among those are: Alice Richardson who staffs the office phones throughout the year and arranges for the mailing of the newsletters, Will Richards for working with the Public Access TV (CMC), Corol Ann Fontana for printing the mail labels and updating our membership list, Nancy Richardson for organizing the LWVSC office so things are easier to find and creating a black book of Officer and Committee Chairpersons roles. (It makes it much easier for a new person to take over an office.) Janie Hawker and Sandy Benson are two other people who need to be recognized for tirelessly providing refreshments at our events. And, I cannot leave as President of the Sonoma County Chapter of the LWV without expressing my gratitude to your Board; Immigration Study Co-chairs, Ethel Schy and Corol Ann Fontana; and Voter Service Chairs, Amy Southwick and Rosalie Gillmore. This year s Board of Directors was outstanding for their wealth of LWV experience, willingness to work hard and keep me on track. They are the ones who kept the League moving ahead this year. I am fortunate to have worked with them. And finally, I want to say thank you to each of you who pitched in and helped at the Forums, getting the newsletter out, interviewing Legislators and delivering Voter Guides throughout the County. You are the ones who keep the League vibrant and effective. Carol Adams, President Continued from Column 1 The book group will not meet in July, but will meet in August to discuss Doris Kearns Goodwin s Team of Rivals: the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. If you have questions about the group, please call or send me a message. Lynda Hungerford 539-5770 league@lwvsonoma.org

VOL. 13, NO. 6, JUNE 2008 THE VOTER ADVOCACY/ACTION INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DISCUSSION GROUP The International Relations discussion group will meet on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, at 12 noon in the Santa Rosa League office. It is a brown-bag lunch session. The topic for discussion is: Russia. During his two terms as president, Vladimir Putin has attempted to remake Russia into a major, independent world power. Some of his recent policies have provoked concern in the U.S. and Europe. With a 2008 Russian presidential election expected, what course will Russia take? Check website at www.greatdecisions.org. There will be a summer break in July and August and the Great Decision discussions will begin again in September. Information will appear in the September VOTER. The group meets the second Tuesday of the month at noon and everyone is welcome with or without the briefing book. The 2008 Great Decisions television series may be seen on PBS stations. For a schedule on KQED, Channel 9, please go to: http://www.kqed.org/tvschedules For a schedule on KTEH, Channel 54, please go to: http://www.pbs.kteh/tvschedules Another way to check TV schedules is to go to the PBS main scheduling page: http://www.pbs.org/tvschedules Enter your zip code and click Next, it will go directly to the list of local PBS stations. Select a station and click Next. Enter Great Decisions into the Search TV Schedules block and it will list local PBS airings of the Great Decisions TV series. Click the red topic button on the left-hand side and choose the topic for discussion Continued on Page 4 Column 2 Year s end is a time to reflect on what was done throughout the year. The membership at the 2007 Annual Meeting determined that our League should focus upon five categories this year: Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, Housing, Communication/Media, and Water. Looking back I can say that Advocacy provided opportunities for all members to explore each category. Ann Berens, who chairs the committee for Juvenile Justice reported on their projects one of which was another collaborative event at Chops. We had Rosemary Milbrath from the National Association of Mental Illness speak to us about their program and how it fits in with the mental health delivery systems in the County. Housing advocate Jennifer Diaz explained the goals of the Affordable Housing Coalition. Dan Vallalva, executive director of the Community Media Center, described his role in the media and the changes in the way media companies can compete in an area. In May Grant Davis, assistant general manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency, spoke to us about his vision for water management. Our committee members took action on their pet projects. Stan Gold spoke to the County Board of Supervisors about the health insurance savings they could make if the Kuehl Bill were in effect, the single payer universal healthcare bill that was passed by the legislators and was vetoed by our governor. Chlele Gummer spoke to the City Council encouraging the acceptance by the City of the mandatory green building ordinance. Phyllis Stanley wrote a letter concerning a proposed pipeline The Sonoma County Water Coalition voiced concern about this bill. Will Richards presented a letter to the Sonoma County Transportation Authority expressing our concern for the proposed development of Port Sonoma. The League feels that this area should be protected from development. And since the state League had strong positions on each proposition in the June 3 rd election, we put on an Advocacy Forum for No on 98, and Yes on 99. You can see, the Advocacy Committee has worked hard for the league this last year. Next year the Advocacy Chair is Phyllis Stanley. She has spent many years as our representative to the Sonoma County Water Coalition. She initiated the local water study which led to the League publication, Water Watch in Sonoma County, in 2004. She will be an able Chair for this Advocacy Committee. Chlele Gummer, Advocacy Chair chleleg@sonic.net 3

THE VOTER VOL. 13. NO. 6, JUNE 2008 VOTER SERVICE REPORT May 2008 Summary: Three County District Candidate Forums for the June 2008 Primary District 5 County Supervisors in Graton on April 21 District 3 County Supervisors in and District 1 County Supervisors in Oakmont on May 5 The Pros and Cons program on April 28 (which began life under Voter Service but evolved into an advocacy program due to the refusal of some speakers to appear) and the District 3 Candidates Forum were broadcast live and twice each day of the following week. Live transmission and TV production services were provided by the Community Media Center of and are rebroadcast on Comcast channels 69 or 26 and on the AT&T U-verse system channel 99 in. http://www.communitymedia.org/guide_schedule.php Radio Station KSRO broadcast our Third District Candidate Forum. We thank our excellent moderators, Edie Mendez (twice!!), Alice Richardson, and Susan Gorin for their preparation and cool competence; Will Richards for organizing the television productions; timers Jane Ernsberger, Muriel Smith, and especially our newcomer, Anita Lytle; event organizers Ellen Swenson, Chlele Gummer, and Caroline Ramberg; and the AAUW for cosponsoring the District 3 forum. We also thank other League members who helped pull off the forums and get the word out to the public. The candidates all enthusiastically thanked us for putting on the debates. They appreciate the chance to appear together in a fair forum. SmartVoter has received accolades from candidates for party offices. They particularly appreciate the opportunity to present themselves to the proactive public that wants to learn about who is on their ballot. Lynda Hungerford does a superb job maintaing up-to-date entries and we extend heartfelt thanks for all her work. Easy Voter Guide and Pros & Cons made their way into local communities thanks to Janie Hawker, Pat Anton, Chlele Gummer, Gloria Norton, the Sonoma County Library, and many others who spread League publications and flyers throughout the county. Important dates: Tuesday, May 27 Last day to apply to vote-by-mail June 3 ELECTION DAY Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are registered Decline to State, your June ballot will not have any candidates for U.S. Representative, State Assembly, or State Senate on it. However, three political parties the American Independents, the Democrats, and the Republicans will let you vote with their ballot for their candidates. If you are registered Decline to State and want to vote for candidates from one of these parties, you must ask for that ballot when you go to your polling place on Election Day. Coming Up: Round 3 Foreshadowing the November Election Plenty of contentious state propositions and local measures, possible supervisorial district run-offs, and races for U.S. president, U.S. Congress, both houses of the California legislature, several city councils,... a busy fall looms. Please consider what you can do to help LWVSC fulfill its mission of educating the public in making informed decisions at the polls. A new Voter Service team led by DeeDee Bridges and Alice Richardson will do a superb job, but they will need lots of assistance. Be ready to help them! The extended filing deadline for City Council is August 13; then the fun starts for real! Submitted by Amy Southwick and Rosalie Gillmore, Voter Service Co-chairs until June 2008 Continued from page 3 Column 1 A LWVSC article appears on: http://www.greatdecisions.org. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and under Recent Items, click on the link titled, "Great Decisions Across the Nation." The Sonoma County League of Women Voters article is on the list of Great Decisions Across the Nation articles on that page. Editor Note: Not only is our league mentioned, but our very own Rosalie Gillmore. Way to go, Rosalie! If anyone has a question about the group, please contact me at 769-8826. Rosalie Gillmore MISSION The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. We do not support or oppose any political party or any candidate. We do, however, take action on selected government issues in the public interest. 4

VOL. 13, NO. 6, JUNE 2008 May 8 2008 Leaders Update 8 Excerpt LWV: PROTECTING VOTERS NATIONWIDE Dear Friend, Just last week, I wrote to you about the Supreme Court ruling that upheld Indiana s voter identification law the most restrictive in the nation. League members responded in full force to fight back against this blatantly discriminatory law. We are already seeing the negative effects of this law. At Tuesday s Indiana primary, for example, about 12 nuns all in their 80s or 90s were turned away from a polling place by a fellow sister because they didn t have state or federal identification bearing a photograph. And the implications of the Supreme Court s ruling reach far beyond Indiana. Nationwide, it is estimated that as many as 11% of U.S. citizens don t have government-issued photo identification that is as many as 21 million Americans. On the heels of the Supreme Court s decision, many states will be tempted to unnecessarily tighten their ID restrictions, while other states may use the Supreme Court ruling as a springboard to take action on this issue before the 2008 elections. Already, in Missouri, a state representative has tried to pass legislation that would require voters to obtain and show a government-issued photo ID. Fiscal estimates indicate that this bill would cost cash-strapped Missouri taxpayers more than $6.4 million and could disenfranchise 240,000 Missourians, especially the elderly, low-income individuals, minorities, the homeless and disabled people. That s why we can t stop now. Only the League of Women Voters has the knowledge, reputation, experience and grassroots network to fight back against politicians that are trying to rig our elections to expand their political power. And we will continue our work to fight all the challenges we face. I'm so proud to be standing together with dedicated League members and activists like you who understand what's at stake and have stepped up to make change happen. Thank you for your continued support.. THE VOTER BOARD BRIEFS-- MAY 2008 Tickets are available to League members and friends for Leading Ladies, June 11. Checks ($25/person) can be mailed to the LWV office. This is our fundraiser. Chlele Gummer, DeeDee Bridges, Nancy and Will Richards will be attending the National LWV Convention in Portland, Oregon in June, 2008. The League acknowledged the publicity given by the Press Democrat prior to and after our May 5 th Forum. We will work with SSU to co-sponsor a series of lectures in the fall entitled It Matters. September 13 will be the Kick-Off meeting in the fall featuring Chris Coursey from SMART as the speaker. Nine new members have joined the LWV. George Ellman, Rosalie Gillmore and Marin League representatives interviewed Jared Huffman as part of the state LWV process. We have endorsed Healdsburg s School Parcel Tax, Measure H. International Relations Study Group, under the leadership of Rosalie Gillmore is featured on the Great Discussions website. National League Convention June 13-17 will see four local League members hard at work in Portland, Oregon, listening, learning, speaking and voting on issues affecting all Leagues. The proposed National Program for 2008-2010 will address educating members and the community on comprehensive health care. In addition, an amendment to the LWV Principles will add wording which strongly supports the balance of power among the 3 branches of the Federal Government. Other issues that will be discussed include redistricting and popular vote. In addition to attending workshops and plenary sessions we will hear speakers discuss women running for office and health care. A panel will discuss global climate change. We will also have the opportunity to observe the very successful public transportation system that Portland is so well known for. It should give us new inspiration for getting our own SMART train moving. Nancy Richards, Administrative Vice President Mary G. Wilson President, LWVUS 5

THE VOTER VOL. 13. NO. 6, JUNE 2008 LWVUS Immigration Position The League of Women Voters believes that immigration policies should promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business and employment needs of the United States; and be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises. Provision should also be made for qualified persons to enter the U.S. on student visas. All persons should receive fair treatment the under the law. The League supports federal immigration law that provides an efficient, expeditious system (with minimal or no backlogs) for legal entry of immigrants into the U.S. To complement these goals the League supports federal policies to improve economies, education, job opportunities, and living conditions in nations with large emigrating populations. In transition to a reformed system, the League supports provisions for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status The League supports federal payments to impacted communities to address the financial costs borne by states and local governments with large immigrant populations. Criteria for Legal Admission to the U.S. The League supports the following criteria for legal admission of persons into the United States: Family reunification of spouses or minor children with authorized immigrants or citizens; Flight from persecution or response to humanitarian crises in home countries; Economic, business and employment needs in the U.S.; Education and training needs of the U.S.; Educational program opportunities; and Significant fines and penalties for employers who hire unauthorized workers; Improved technology for sharing information among federal agencies; More effective tracking of individuals who enter the United States; and Increased personnel at borders. The League also supports programs allowing foreign workers to enter and leave the U.S. to meet seasonal or sporadic labor needs. Unauthorized Immigrants Already in the U.S. In achieving overall policy goals, the League supports a system for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status, including citizenship, by paying taxes, learning English, studying civics and meeting other relevant criteria. While policy reforms, including a path to legal status, remain unachieved, the League does not support deporting unauthorized immigrants who have no history of criminal activity. ANNUAL MEETING 2008 Saturday, May 31, 2008 at Canine Companions for Independence Training Center 2965 Dutton Avenue, (Map on Insert) Program: Report on the Status of Women in Sonoma County Speaker: Donna Roper Registration 9:45 m Business Meeting 10:00 AM Potluck Lunch Noon Program 12:45 PM Lack of a history of serious criminal activity. Administration and Enforcement The League supports due process for all persons, including the right to a fair hearing, right to counsel, right of appeal and right to humane treatment. The League supports: Improved technology to facilitate employer verification of employee status; Verification documents, such as status cards and work permits, with secure identifiers; Coffee, etc. will be served before the meeting. Bring A dish to share for the potluck lunch. The Insert from this issue of your VOTER which contains the annual meeting kit, budget and directions to Canine Companions for Independence Training Center. Questions about the potluck? Call Janie Hawker at 584-5210. 6

VOL. 13, NO. 6, JUNE 2008 THE VOTER NEW MEMBERS AND ROSTER CHANGES NEW Vivian L. Salmon MEMBER Attention Members: The VOTER is on hiatus until the September edition Stay on top of important issues and legislation by going to http://www.lwvus.org League of Women Voters of Sonoma County Membership Application Name Address City Zip Telephone Fax Email Yes, I want to join the League of Women Voters. Enclosed is my check for dues. ($60.00 for individual annual membership, $90.00 for household, and $40.00 for limited income. The membership year is July 1 to June 30.) Please mail check to LWV Sonoma County,,, CA 95404. Thank you. I am interested in the following areas: Program Membership Speakers Bureau Social Policy Natural Resources Voters Service Newsletter Fundraising Cable TV Smart Voter Community Outreach Website

The League of Women Voters of Sonoma County, CA 95404 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID SANTA ROSA, CA PERMIT NO. 65 Return Service Requested Time Dated Material The VOTER, a publication of The League of Women Voters of Sonoma County, is published monthly except for the holiday season and during the summer, i.e. nine regular issues per year. The deadline is generally the 10 th of the month preceding the issue month. If required, a supplemental issue will be published in January to announce January activities. Saturday May 31, 2008 JUNE 2008 CALENDAR Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to the public. Date Time Place Description 10:00 AM 12 Canine Companions NOON 2965 Dutton Avenue No Meeting this month No Meeting this month Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Friday, June 13-17, 2008 Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:00 AM 12 NOON League Office 10:00 AM League Office NOON League Office 7:15 PM 6 th Street Playhouse 52 West 6 th St. Portland, OR 10:30 League Office Annual Meeting Commission on the Status of Women in Sonoma County Guest Speaker Donna Roper LWVSC Board Meeting League members are welcome. Board meetings are not open to the public. Advocacy/Action Meeting International Relations Study Group Russia Theater Party Leading Ladies National LWV s Convention Book Club Three Cups of Tea Check out the League website: www.lwvsonoma.org for correct dates and times for meetings.