VOTER
League of Women Voters of San Jose/Santa Clara
January 2013 - Vol 65, Issue 6
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Lunch with League
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In its purest form, the initiative process is about Citizen Democracy. In the November election, a class of San Jose State students used the power of the local process to place a minimum wage measure on the ballot. Why did they do it? How did they do it?
Professor Scott Myers-LiptonSan Jose State Sociology Departmentwas their professor and he will join us at the January Lunch with League to answer our questions.Professor Myers-Lipton is the author of Rebuild America: Solving the Economic Crisis through Civic Works and Social Solutions to Poverty: America's Struggle to Build a Just Society, as well as numerous scholarly articles on civic engagement, education, and racism. He is also the recipient of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP Social Justice Award. Won't you join us for this first-hand account of citizen democracy in action? Thursday, January 17 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bella Mia Restaurant 58 South First Street, San Jose, CA Lunch choices include walnut and chicken salad, turkey croissant sandwich, margherita sandwich (tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar), eggplant parmesan, and linguini picatta with or without chicken. The cost is $15, payable at the door. Please RSVP, with menu choice, to Marie Arnold by Monday, January 14.
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President's Message
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Happy New Year to one and all!
We welcome the year 2013 and the many activities and programs that accompany it.
By far the most labor-intensive will be the LWVC State Convention which will be held May 17 - May 19 right at our own Hayes Mansion. Sally Pyle and Sandy Mory are working with the LWVC to make this a great convention and I know they are counting on your help.
On February 27, the Initiative/Referendum Study committee will present their information to you so that you can be part of the consensus process. See Mary Collins' article below for more information. After the packed November ballot, this study couldn't be more timely. Also in February is the annual Bay Area League Day, this year featuring a timely program on water.
We continue to film two LWV Presents: Insights and Perspectives programs each month. The programs air each Sunday on CreaTV, Comcast Channel 15. See the article below for more information on programs and how to watch if you are not a Comcast subscriber.
We hope you are interested in becoming more involved in your League this year. Contact me or Membership Chair Marie Arnold to volunteer or to get more information on opportunities. Gloria |
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44% Water Company Rate Increase? It is Not Too Late for Public Comment
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On December 6, 2012 over 100 residents, business owners and city officials had the opportunity to discuss the proposed San Jose Water Company's 44% rate increase at a public Town Hall Meeting held at San Jose City Hall. This meeting was sponsored by the League of Women Voters, The Sierra Club and San Jose City Councilmember Don Rocha. Attendees heard the key issues involved in this request for a significant increase by the Water Company.
At the meeting the Division of Ratepayer Advocates of the California Public Utility Commission presented findings from their recent review of the requested increase. The Division of Ratepayer Advocates has a mandate by law to represent the interests of ratepayers in virtually all Commission proceedings. After extensive review and investigation of the justification presented by the San Jose Water Company to support the water company's increase, the DRA concluded that a more modest 10% increase over a three year period was more appropriate.
This matter is now before the Commission for final resolution. There is still time for the public to comment on this matter. Feedback can be sent to:
public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
Public Advisor's Office, Room 2103
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
The League of Women Voters and the Sierra Club urge all ratepayers to contact the CPUC and comment on this critical decision. More information on this issue can be found on our website under Action and Advocacy.
Pat Reardon
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We Know the Way to San Jose!
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From Sally Pyle, member of the State Convention Executive Committee
Important Convention Facts:
- Training for volunteers is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at the Hayes Mansion.
- Watch for details on the Friday night event which will be a fun, downtown experience planned by our League members.
- Do you know anyone - individual or corporation - who might want to be a sponsor? If you do, contact Gloria Chun Hoo.
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Initiative/Referendum Study
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The San Jose/Santa Clara League of Women Voters has been participating in the LWVC study on the Initiative and Referendum process. Local Leagues will hold consensus meetings in January and February, the results will go to LWVC, and the current position will either be updated or remain the same based on those results. If updated, the final position will be voted on at the state convention in May (here in San Jose!).
As all voters know, the number of initiatives has been increasing with both the inaction of the legislature and the restrictions caused by previous initiatives on the legislature frustrating both the public and the legislature. The League of Women Voters of California chose to update the League position on the Initiative and Referendum process this year because, while these forces seem to be converging and obstructing the democratic process, the League found it could not advocate on some issues, bills, and ballot issues since there were no current positions on these issues.
The current position supports both the initiative process and the optional indirect initiative process. With the optional indirect initiative, an initiative can be presented to the legislature for action and passage, going to the ballot only if the legislature fails to act, or no agreement with the initiative supporters can be reached. This would include the process of public hearings, expert testimony, independent analysis and legal review.
The reasons for the study at this time are best summarized by the State Initiative and Referendum committee in their study guide for local committees. (Initiative and Referendum in California: A Legacy Lost? League of Women Voters of California, 7/31/2012):
"We are an increasingly polarized society; we have a system based upon consciously distributing political power over a wide spectrum; we seem to have lost the ability to compromise; and we have a system increasingly dominated by money. These problems are sometimes related and sometimes feed off each other. Together, they lead to a political system that seems at best dysfunctional, at worst hopelessly broken. As a result, the League of Women Voters of California's membership has elected to revisit the Initiative and Referendum position in order to use our influence to better enable our government to function for the benefit of all citizens."
Our committee continues studying and preparing for the San Jose/ Santa Clara consensus meeting, to which all of you are invited. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 26, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at the Rosegarden Library.
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LWV Presents: Insights and Perspectives
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In January, watch Comcast Channel 15 on Sundays at 2:30 pm to see Trixie Johnson interview Rod Diridon on high speed rail in San Jose and Gloria Chun Hoo interview LWVC Board member Helen Hutchison on the League. Programs will go up on Youtube after they have aired on CreaTV. Go to our Youtube Channel to watch our programs. |
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Water - California's Gold
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Bay Area League Day 2013
February 2, 2013, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
First Unitarian Church,
685 14th Street, OaklandLearn about the importance of water in California. Experts will inform us about: Background, Governance and Conveyance. Cost in advance: $30 ($15 without lunch); at the door $35 ($20 without lunch). To register please write a check payable to 'LWVBA' and mail, including your name and any guest names to LWVBA, 1611 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94612. You can also register on-line via a link from the LWVBA calendar page. Contact Nancy Ianni with any questions about registration or carpooling.
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Membership
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WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBER:
Debra Spencer
Thank you to the following members for their donations to the League:
John Fioretta, Deborah Garvey, Brenda McHenry, Sally & L.E. Pyle
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Calendar
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Information on many of these events is available in this newsletter. See our online calendar for more information. If you'd like more information but don't have web access, contact the League at (408) 271-7163. - Jan. 8 Board Meeting - Contact Cecilie Schulze
- Jan. 17 Lunch with League
- Jan. 24 CreaTV Filming
- TBA Program Planning
- Feb. 2 Bay Area League Day
- Feb. 5 Board Meeting - Contact Judy Chamberlin
- Feb. 21 Lunch with League
- Feb. 27 Initiative/Referendum Consensus Meeting
- Feb. 28 CreaTV Filming
- May 16 LWVC Convention Volunteer Training
- May 17-19 LWVC Convention
Events may be added before the next Voter. Visit our website for current listings. |
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Address / Email Change
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To keep our records current please send any changes to your address, email address, or phone number, to our Dues Secretary, Sandy Remmers. The only updates she receives are on the renewal form which is only sent once a year. |
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The Voter
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The LWV-SJ/SC Voter is distributed monthly. Article deadline is the 20th of the month. If you have questions or comments, contact Cecilie Schulze, the Voter Editor. |
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Join Our League
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Visit our website to join our League. |
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Democracy is not a spectator sport! Educate! Advocate!
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