Dear Members,

Action was on our agenda for September. On redistricting, after the August hearings in Stuart and Boca Raton, which many of our members attended, Pam Goodman published an article in the Palm Beach Post; both local newspapers published editorials favorable to the Fair Districts position; Legislators published articles in both papers rebutting some of the positions, specifically naming the League for its outspoken "talking points." Both papers also published my letter to the editor and the Post ran an Op-ed article that was a response to the Chairs of the Redistricting Committee. Also, Jaimie Goodman, our Legislative Relations Chair, met with Palm Beach County reps on the Committee to lobby them to keep Fair Districts provisions in the process. Since we still haven't seen any draft maps, it's time for our individual members to write their own letters to the editors and call and write your state reps.

A positive development for Amendment 6 - the federal court ruled that the amendment is constitutional in a suit brought by two Florida members of Congress and the State House of Representatives. This month we will be hearing more about this and other information on Redistricting at our Hot Topics meeting on October 12 at COMPASS. Hope to see you there along with a friend or two.

Barbara Eriv and I represented our League at Planned Parenthood's Rally for Women's Health Care, a well-attended event in Broward County. Several elected officials spoke there, among them Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Ted Deutch. Health care is one of our action priorities this year; if you recall we had a postcard action in June after our meeting about the Affordable Health Care Act. We are interested in more action activities for health care. Peg Ekberg has volunteered to co-chair this effort, but we need another co-chair. Will you volunteer?

Speaking of volunteers, LWVUS will have resource material available shortly for the study of Privatization. We need someone to chair this committee, as well as committee members. This is really a hot topic in Florida and the board would like to pursue this study. However, without personnel, we can't.

Later this month, we come to the end of two of our studies with consensus meetings for the County Charter study (see Sue Litchfield's article), and the Education Study on "The Role of the Federal Government in Education" (see Rita Wachs' article). So check your calendars and be sure to attend. Consensus meetings determine the League's positions for the future.

In League,

Joan Karp

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October, 2011 - November, 2011 Palm Beach County LWV Calendar

Print a pdf of the calendar   here  

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Role of Federal Government in Public Education: The Study and Consensus Process

Rita Wachs

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LWVPBC County Charter Committee Consensus Meetings

Susan Litchfield 

Members Only!!! -- Show Up and Make Your Voices Heard!!! Our consensus meetings are arranged and the questions will be asked about possible changes to our Palm Beach County Charter. Please choose one location to attend.

Meetings:

Southern Location: Tuesday, October 25^th, 10 AM. to 12 Noon. Downstairs Room at Delray Beach City Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach 33444, Tel: 561-255-0194. Parking is in the back.

Northern Location: Saturday, November 5^th, 10 AM to 12 Noon. Clematis Room, West Palm Beach City Library, 411 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach 33401, Tel: 561-858-7720.

Directions to West Palm Beach City Library:

(I-95 to Okeechobee Blvd. Exit 70 East toward Convention Center. Turn left onto S. Olive and left onto Clematis Street, just past Datura) Library is on the right side. Around the corner there is the cheap City Center Garage.

________________________________________________________________________________

Charter Consensus Questions for Discussion:

1. Should there be an amendment to the Palm Beach County Charter stating that a review of the County Charter by the PBC Commission should be held every few years?

2. Should Constitutional Officers continue to be elected or appointed by the Palm Beach County Commission? For appointment, the County Administrator would interview applicants and name the top three to be considered by the County Commission for appointment.

3. Should the County Commissioners change the terms of their service?

The Charter Committee members are prepared to discuss these consensus questions and we encourage you, as members, to participate. If you have any questions, please call: Susan Litchfield, Charter Chair, 561-276-4898

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At the May 18^th general meeting, the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County voted to transition to the New League for a one year trial period. In the New League structure, one of the primary responsibilities of the Board is to develop a strategic plan that maintains our traditions and mission, while at the same time, creates goals that enhance our organization and allow us to continue to grow.

The Board and members of the Leadership Team have taken the first steps in producing a strategic plan for the New League. We now have a proposed Vision Statement and five primary goals, which we hope to reach over the next three years.

In this initial communication, we want to tell you about the Vision Statement. In the coming weeks, at meetings and through emails, we will be sharing with you each of the five goals. In keeping with the spirit of how we conduct business in the League, we want to inform you about our proposed plans, we want your feedback, and at the end of this process, we will be seeking consensus.

What is a Vision?

A vision is a forward looking, time bound statement (in this case over a three year period) of the type of organization we want to be. There are several components to our proposed Vision:

• We want to broaden and deepen our recognition as a leader in our community and to enhance our reputation as a non-partisan political organization.
• We want our membership to be reflective of the diversity of Palm Beach County.
• We want to be innovative in our approach to both educate and involve people in civic affairs and in the League.

The Proposed Vision Statement (to be achieved fully by 2014)

The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County will expand its recognition as a leading non-partisan, political organization in Palm Beach County, providing the diverse population of county residents and organizations with credible information on elections and public policy issues through innovative educational programs and motivating people to become active in civic affairs and in the League of Women Voters.

With this Vision Statement and the five goals that we will provide you in the coming weeks, we are establishing clear objectives for this year as well as longer term goal posts to help us focus on becoming even more effective in who we are and what we do.

Not only do we welcome your questions and comments, but we encourage you to send us your input. Please direct your comments to Barbara Eriv at info@lwvpbc.org

LWVPBC members were requested, via email and in the September VOTER, to submit their top three priorities for the League of Women Voters of Florida lobbyist to pursue at the next Legislative Session. Thirty-seven members responded. Here are the results:

1. Government in Florida: 28 people selected this with four specifying finance and taxation,  four specifying the Constitution, four specifying reapportionment/redistricting,
   one each for strengthening the ethics commission and extending to county and city governments; and structure & workings of state government   
2. Education in Florida: 24 chose this with two specifying extend testing to private & charter
   schools, one specifying no public funds for private schools, and I specifying high standards & equitable funding.   
3. Health Care in Florida: 18 selected this with two specifically saying implement in Florida.

Other selections.

1. Election law: 15 chose this, with two specifically mentioning early voting.   
2. Social policy: 10, with two mentioning immigration, two mentioning children & families,
   and one for public transportation.   
3. Sustainability: six. Justice in Florida: five, one mentioning judicial selection, merit retention.   
4. Libraries and Handgun control each received one mention.

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A general meeting on the State Transportation Study will be held on Wednesday, November 16 at 10:00 AM at Compass.  

Our speaker will be Randy M. Whitfield, Director of the Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The MPO is responsible for transportation planning and programming in the county and acts as a liaison between local communities, their citizens, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Randy will be able to update us on current planning and visions for the future.

In the current vernacular, transportation planning concerns itself with all modes of mobility: planes, trains, busses, ships, and automobiles plus the planning for bikeways, walkways, and equestrian travel.

One of the hot topics at the present time is the discussions between Tri Rail (commuter service west of I 95) and the Florida East Coast railroad which currently only carries freight. Of course transportation planning is inextricably intertwined with land use and growth management; both major concerns of the League.

In the spring, the State League will be asking us for consensus on some of the major transportation issues. Come to the meeting in November to be informed and prepared for our participation.

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Politicos in Paradise

Support the advocacy efforts of the League of Women Voters of Florida well as our League. Join LWVF leaders and state representatives for Politicos in Paradise, an evening of frozen drinks and hot topics in Palm Beach County!

Sway to salsa music and munch on tropical delights while hearing local politicos discuss their priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

Friday, November 11, 2011 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Home of Pamela Goodman

Register as Host or guest. Click Politicos in Paradise for details

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Save the Date

The League of Women Voters Annual Meeting and Luncheon will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at Benvenuto in Boynton Beach. Benvenuto is located in an historic post Addison Mizner era venue designed in 1929. Details to follow.

Vendor Opportunity at the Annual Meeting and Luncheon

The 2012 Annual Meeting and Luncheon will feature a boutique showcasing local vendors. Chair Dorothy Einstein will be pleased to provide the specifications and criteria. Do you know a potential vendor to refer for the boutique? If you do, please contact Dorothy at 561-276-4898

When:    Monday, October 17, 2011 - 2:00 to 4:00 PM

Where:   "505" Teen Center, 505 SE 5^th Avenue, Delray Beach

Topic:    THE CAUCASUS

The countries and regions of The Caucasus have extremely strong national identities although they have long lived in the shadows of their larger, more powerful neighbors. Those overshadowing neighbors are Russia, Iran, and Turkey. The Caucasus cannot be thought of in any sort of single identity. They have the greatest density of distinct languages anywhere on earth. Actually, there is the North Caucasus, part of the Russian Federation, and the South Caucasus which is composed, since 1991, of three independent nations: Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Within these three nations are more than ten nationalities. Religions? There is every type of Islam and Christianity, plus some religions that are neither!

Remember Chechnya? Well, that is in the North Caucasus abutting Russia. That could be a clue to why Chechnya is occasionally in the news!

The Caucasus article in the 2011 Great Decisions book was written by S. M. Macfarlane, the Lester B. Pearson Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford. Professor Macfarlane presents a very different slant on the region. He also expects his readers to be fairly well-informed about The Caucasus. This subject is much more complex than one might expect for such a small area.

Joan Davis will present "The Caucasus" at the October 17^th meeting. This presentation will be somewhat of an extension of the information presented in the article regarding this diverse, complicated area. This tiny part of the globe has had influence reaching back into antiquity.

Some questions to consider are:

1. How do Russia, Turkey, and Iran influence The Caucasus, today (and historically)?
2. How do the regions energy resources play into its relationship with the rest of the world today?
3. Is the huge number of languages, religions, and nationalities a help or hindrance for the region?

The Great Decisions Briefing Books may be obtained from The Foreign Policy Association. Call (212)481-8100 or go to www.fpa.org. Also, Orders for the 2012 Great Decisions book will be taken in October.

Great Decisions meetings and discussion periods are open to all.

Future Meeting Dates are:

• Monday, November 21, Making Sense of Multilateralism, ─ Alice Finst and Fran Chassen
• Monday, December 19, ─ TBA

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Memorial Notice - Ruth Ann Kuehn 

Ruth Ann Kuehn, a former longtime and active member, passed away on August 19. She hailed from Washington DC, and loved to show visiting Leaguers the Florida House (started by the late Governor Chiles and his wife) and government haunts that she frequented when she lived there. Many of our long-time-members will remember Ruth Ann. Our condolences to her family and friends.

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Donations

Thank you to:

Shirley Sokolsky

Arnold Bell

Lois Morse

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