Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 – 2018
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ALBANY COUNTY www.lwvalbany.org
Find us on Facebook at
League of Women Voters of Albany County
Write to us at: P.O. Box 611,
Slingerlands, NY 12159
Follow us on Twitter
@LWVAC
Page 2 of 31
TABLE OF CONTENTS
President’s Report Page 3
2017-2018 LWVAC Officers and Directors Page 5
2017-2018 Committees Page 6
Committee Reports
Action and Advocacy Page 7 Albany County Observer Corps Page 8 Civics Education Page 10 Communications Page 11 Great Decisions Discussion Page 11 Long Term Care Page 12 Membership Page 13 New Citizens Voter Registration Page 14 Poll Reporting Page 15 Programs Page 16 Students Inside Albany Page 17 Treasurer’s Report Page 18 Voter Services Page 19
Appendices
Appendix A: New Member Welcome from Ann Brandon Page 24
Appendix B: LWVUS 2016-2018 Summary of Public Policy Positions Page 26
Appendix C: LWVNYS 2017-2018 Summary of Public Policy Positions Page 30
Page 3 of 31
LWVAC President’s Report for 2017-2018
Concerns. Serious concerns. Concerns regarding government efforts (or lack of efforts) in
healthcare, climate issues, gun safety, Russian interference in our elections, immigration, and
more have ignited interest in citizen participation in good government groups. We, as the
League of Women Voters, have experienced a renewed interest in our organization and in our
programs evidenced by a significant number of new volunteers.
Once again this past year was filled with a number of League activities and programs. In
addition to voter registration efforts under the direction of Barbara Frankel and Susanna
Martin, volunteers in Voter Services handled candidate forums for the towns of Bethlehem,
Colonie, and the City of Albany. Volunteers also researched candidate background for our
vote411.org website providing in-depth information on candidates, ballot positions, as well as
polling locations. (Note: This year vote411.org website will be replaced by BallotReady.org
which will provide similar in-depth candidate information including positions on key issues.)
This is in keeping with the League’s mission not only to register voters but to encourage an
informed and engaged electorate. On another front, Julie Elson and her strong cadre of
volunteers have been successful in welcoming new citizens, introducing them to the League,
and registering them to vote.
Issues that were taken under advisement this year included the need for stronger civic
education programs in our schools. Following our December 2017 program on “Citizenship
101", a committee co-chaired by Mary Berry and Aimee Allaud was formed and is exploring the
current NYS requirements for civics education, what the State League is doing, and how our
local league can complement that work in Albany County.
Vice-president for advocacy Mary Beilby has been providing background information for
volunteers interested in local issues. This included networking with other good government
groups to end the Sheridan Hollow Project. This is a proposal to build a fracked gas power plant
in Sheridan Hollow, a project offering serious health risks to the families and residents living
there. Mary was also active in encouraging members to attend LWVNY Lobby Day in April for
information and training in the area of advocacy.
Our networking efforts continued with the Rensselaer County LWV in January with a panel
discussion on “Death With Dignity”. Following the presentation both the Albany and
Rensselaer Leagues came to a concurrence with the LWV Utah’s Consensus on the issue. This
concurrence means that the League can lobby and support legislation to allow terminally ill
persons the option to request physician aid in dying.
Page 4 of 31
Members of the Albany League were also out in strong support for the Women’s March in
January. The messages included women’s rights and using our voice through our ability to vote.
A number of speakers urged women to run for office and to support good candidates on
Election Day by going out to VOTE.
Keeping tabs on the Albany County Legislature, Patricia Sibilia and other members of the
Observer Corps have been reporting on the activities of our local government agency. It will be
interesting to see if the new leadership in that body will lead to any significant changes to the
Albany County Charter which has been under advisement for several years. We would like to
see more Observer Corps members at the town and city meetings and even at school board
meetings. League presence at these meetings is a means of tracking and reporting on current
government actions.
As my tenure as League president comes to an end, I would like to thank the wonderful
members of our Albany Board. A huge thank you to Mary Beilby, Linda Ellen Brown, Susanna
Martin, Paula Philo, Patricia Sibilia, Marggie Skinner, Britt Westergard, Stephen Winters, and a
special thanks to Aimee Allaud for her gentle (usually) reminders and experienced guidance.
Our combined efforts and initiatives have made this another successful year.
In closing, please remember. Although the League is non-partisan and cannot support any
political candidate or party, there are many League positions that our members have carefully
and thoughtfully formulated over the years that we can and must support. These positions
require more than lip service. They require our diligent and active support on all levels. We
must continue efforts to educate, to advocate, and to have impact.
“Democracy is not a spectator sport.” But then it never has been.
Yours in League,
Margaret Danes
Page 5 of 31
Officers and Directors
Bylaws state:
Board of Directors consists of all officers and no more than 10 other elected Directors
Elected Directors and Officers serve a term of two years
Board of Directors may appoint, but appointed directors serve a one year term which ends with Annual Meeting following the appointment.
President, First Vice President, Secretary are elected in even numbered years.
Second Vice President, Treasurer are elected in odd numbered years.
Nominating Committee has 5 members. The Chair and two members shall not be Board members. They shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee and be presented at the Annual Meeting for election.
2017-2018 Officers and Directors:
OFFICERS
President Margaret Danes 2016-2018
1s Vice President (Administration) Patricia Sibilia 2017-2018
2nd Vice President (Advocacy) Mary Beilby 2017-2019
Secretary Britt Westergard 2017-2018
Treasurer Marggie Skinner 2017-2019
DIRECTORS
Communications Aimee Allaud 2016-2018
Webmaster Linda Ellen Brown 2016-2018
Voter Service Barbara Frankel 2016-2018
At Large Susanna Martin 2017-2019
Membership Paula Philo 2016-2018
At Large Stephen Winters 2016-2018
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Arleen Stein, Chair Tina Raggio Stephen Winters Mary Beilby
Page 6 of 31
LWVAC COMMITTEES – 2017-2018
Below is the listing of our 2017-2018 Committees. We want to thank those who have put forth the effort to lead and participate in them. As we begin our planning for the upcoming year, we ask all members to consider joining a committee to make our organization stronger. Action and Advocacy Aimee Allaud
Mary Beilby
Albany County Observer Corps Patricia Sibilia, Chair Margaret Danes
Civics Education Aimee Allaud and Mary Berry, Co-Chairs
Communications Aimee Allaud, Chair Marian Schwager (Bulletin Editor) Laura Bierman (Bulletin Formatting) Marggie Skinner (Mailings, Facebook, PayPal) Linda Ellen Brown (Web Content Manager, Twitter) Mary Beilby (Website Calendar) Cindy Schultz (Photographer)
Great Decisions Discussion Group
Martha Kennedy
Long Term Care Arleen Stein
Membership Committee Paula Philo, Chair Kitt Jackson, Marggie Skinner, Regina Tillman
New Citizen Voter Registration
Julie Elson and Janet Reilly, Co-Chairs Alissa Maynard, Andrea Lee, Arleen Stein, Britt Westergard, Christine Doran, Cindy Schultz, Colleen Maloney, Emily Stewart, Gail Volk, Linda Bernardi, Lisa Nissenbaum, Margo Singer, Mary Berry, Mary Kate Owens, Mary Sloan, Sandra Beach Rhoades, Susan Mitchell Herzfeld
Poll Reporting Marggie Skinner
Program Committee Aimee Allaud, Mary Beilby, Margaret Danes, Susanna Martin, Regina
Tillman, Stephen Winters
Students Inside Albany Rema Goldstein, Chair Paula Philo, Tina Raggio
Voter Service Barbara Frankel, Chair (Fall ’17); Marggie Skinner, Chair (Spring ’18)
Kathryn Allen, Sandra Beach Rhodes, Natalie Criscione, Anne Erling, Lois Gundrum, Karen Kirstein, Andy Lee, Karen MacWatters, Claire Malone, Ellen Manning, Tina Raggio, Patricia Sibilia, Emily Stewart, Regina Tillman, Linda Wagner, Pam Williams, Stephen Winters
Page 7 of 31
COMMITTEE REPORTS
ACTION AND ADVOCACY – Aimee Allaud & Mary Beilby
1. LWVAC board in a board discussion at the December 1 meeting, recommended to the LWVNYS the following legislative priorities for the 2017 legislative session: 1), Women’s Issues, esp. reproductive choice, 2) Natural Resources issues identified in the 2016 League priorities, and emphasizing climate change related issues (non-carbon energy), and no decrease in funding to assure clean water, clean air, 3) Judicial Issues, esp. related to racial bias in NYS prison systems.
2. LWVAC and LWV Rensselaer held a joint Death with Dignity informational and concurrence meeting at the Rensselaer Public Library at the end of January 2018. After hearing the expert panelists, the members of each league voted to support the concurrence position:
a. The League of Women Voters of New York State believes state laws should grant the option for a terminally ill person to request medical assistance from a relevant, licensed physician to end one’s life.
b. The League of Women Voters of New York State believes such legislation should include safeguards against abuse for the dying and/or medical personnel.
The League of Women Voters of New York State Board subsequently adopted the
concurrence and it can now be used to advocate for state legislation that would uphold this
position.
3. The LWVAC members, Allaud, Beilby, Schultz, and Tillman participated in the Let NY Vote Coalition Action on Early Voting at the State Capitol. This was an effort to encourage the Governor to include Early Voting and other election reform legislation in the state budget. This was followed by intensive efforts to include money to support early voting in both single house budgets and ultimately failed to gain Senate support. A scaled down version is still being promoted before the session ends.
4. Aimee Allaud, Mary Beilby, Stephen Winters and Betsy Wright attended Advocacy Training/Lobby Day on April 24, 2018. The main focus was on the Election and Ethics Reform. The 3 of us joined other area members in visiting the offices of Assemblywoman, Patricia Fahy; Assemblyman McDonald and discussed the election, ethics, Medically Assisted Death with Dignity legislation LWVNY is supporting and distributed our state Legislative Agenda.
5. Aimee Allaud and Mary Beilby have followed several other local issues that fall within the
state and national natural resources positions including the Sheridan Hollow Microgrid Project that threatens to install two large fracked gas turbines in the old ANSWERS plant on Sheridan Avenue to power the Empire State Plaza and other downtown government facilities. We have also been following, along with the grassroots organization, Capitol
Page 8 of 31
Region Zero Waste, potential solutions to the imminent closing of the Albany City Landfill to secure the most sustainable solution including increasing recycling, banning the use of polystyrene, increasing composting or anaerobic digestion of organic waste, preventing shipping Albany waste to other communities. The LWVAC board voted to contribute to the planning of the Zero Waste Jazz Fest in September, 2018.
6. Mary Beilby researched and drafted a letter for LWVNYS on DEC’s proposed 360 regulations
on the disposal of fracking waste in NY that was approved and sent to DEC. She also contributed to drafting a similar letter for LWVNY on proposed DEC changes to SEQRA that would limit transparency and public input of the environmental impact of proposed development projects.
7. Mary Beilby, V.P. for Advocacy has been encouraged to form an advocacy committee to
select and work on additional advocacy programs. This was introduced at the new member orientation session on April 14, 2018.
8. Mary Beilby continues to develop an advocacy summary
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DTR3PU1Af8lFvkge_oIa2KXo9GI1IQSU6gB7E701Qqc/edit?usp=sharing for the LWV Albany web-page or advocacy blog https://lwvalbany.wordpress.com/ The purpose is to help users connect with LWV national, state and local positions and with elected officials. The LWVNY website makes the national and state links with elected officials but at this time is unable to connect voters with their local elected officials.
9. The League takes action based on LWVUS and LWVNYS positions, attached in the
appendices to this Annual Report.
ALBANY COUNTY OBSERVER CORPS - Patricia Sibilia
Major changes occurred during the Observer Corps covering the County Legislature between
July 2017 and May 2018.
First, the Legislative Seat for the 38th District went up for election in November due to a
vacancy when Legislator Michael Makey resigned to become a NYS Supreme Court Judge. The
seat was temporarily held by 2017 appointee Darrell Duncan (D) but won in election by Vicky
Plotsky (D) in November. The swearing in of Vicky Plotsky in the January session gave the
reform movement enough numbers to bring about a large set of changes that shifted the long
held power to the more reform-based Democratic leadership. Andrew Joyce, a freshman
Democrat from the 9th district, was elected chair, and Gary Domalewicz (D, 10th) became the
Majority Leader, replacing Frank Commisso, who held that role for 25 years. New history
continued to be made with appointments into significant Committee roles of Republicans
alongside the reform-minded Democrats that was the outcome of a Memorandum of
Page 9 of 31
Understanding between the Chair and the Minority Caucus that some say ran counter to the
transparency that Joyce had promised. Power positions continued to shift when in early April,
Gary Domalewicz resigned the Majority Leadership position stating fractures in the Democratic
caucus, which most suspect were related to Joyce’s reorganization of the administrative
structure of Office of the Chair and the Office of the Majority, proposed changes to the Charter
and pursuing legislation around nepotism. Dennis Feeney (D, 28th) then became the Majority
Leader, followed by changes to the appointed Deputy Majority Leaders.
The second set of major changes were related to the Observer Corps. The committee went
down from three to two League Members and when Patricia Sibilia went back to work full time
in November, the level of engagement was impacted. While still attending all but one of the
monthly legislative sessions, we no longer covered the Law Committee meetings in person, and
Constant Contact reports and attendance at Public Hearings became less frequent. Still, we
managed to maintain very strong relationships with a large number of Legislators and were
asked to provide valuable input into proposed changes to the Legislative Rules of Order.
A fair amount of significant legislation is currently sitting in committee, including Albany County
Charter changes that include reducing the size of the legislature and redistricting, paid sick
time, anti-nepotism, prohibiting conversion therapy for minors, regulating the color of
petroleum bulk storage tanks for safety reasons, regulating the use of polystyrene (again!), and
changes to the legislative procedures.
Legislation that passed over the last year includes:
● Local Law A for 2018 (Miller, D) passed in May: prohibiting the sale of tobacco and other
nicotine products in pharmacies
● Local Law X for 2016 (A. Joyce, D) passed unanimously in September: To bestow County
level privileges to Veterans who were discharged for their
Lesbian/BiSexual/Transgender status under the Federal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law.
● Unanimous passage of Local Law P for 2016 (Lekakis/Clenahan, D): to help address the
wage gap between women and men by prohibiting employers from requiring job
applicants to provide prior or current salary information before offering them
employment. It was also noted by many that the law as written will address the wage
gap for any minority/disadvantaged group, not just women.
● Resolution 296a passed in November (Ward, D): setting the policy of Albany County
regarding background checks of employees
Page 10 of 31
● Resolution 297 passed unanimously in July: Joining the lawsuit on drug manufacturers to
recover current and future damages to county taxpayers from abuse of opioid
pharmaceuticals.
● Resolution 266 (Signoracci, D) on how legislative Public Forums are held. Public
hearings and public comment periods are now live-streamed, but not recorded, and
attendance by legislators is now taken for those sessions.
CIVICS EDUCATION – Aimee Allaud, Mary Berry, co-chairs
Following a well- attended, successful and informative December meeting on “Citizenship 101:
Educating Citizens for Participation in Democracy. What Does It Take?” with guest speakers
Pamela Katz, Sage College’s professor of Political Science, and Richard Steinbach, Social Studies
teacher at Troy High School, the LWVAC scheduled a first exploratory committee meeting in
March 2018.
We learned from their presentation as well as from other sources, that:
Only 18 percent of eighth-graders were "proficient" or better in U.S. History in the National
Assessment of Educational Progress 2014 exams (the most recent year for which results are
available). Emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) crowds out civics and
educating young people to be responsible citizens. Students too often graduate without much
understanding the history of their nation.
Although the initial committee discussion was limited to learning how the public education
system fulfills the Participation in Government requirement, some of the committee members
subsequently attended a LWVNYS regional meeting in April where information was shared from
other local leagues about their efforts to provide meaningful civics education in their
communities. This additional information was shared with the committee and discussion is
ongoing about developing a pilot project for fall 2018 to improve civic knowledge of
government. Under consideration are replicating the LWV Saratoga’s “Take Me to Vote”
project, or connecting the highly recommended “ICivics” curriculum developed by Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor to the NYS Education Department Participation in Government program
goals in some elementary/middle school application.
The following members are participating in the ongoing discussion: Mary Beilby, Regina
Tillman, Chris Deyss, Lois Gundrum, Anita Behn, Christine Primomo, Stephen Winters, , Susanna
Martin.
______________________________________________________________________________
Page 11 of 31
COMMUNICATIONS – Aimee Allaud
The Communications portfolio is comprised of the following areas: LWVAC bulletin, website,
Facebook, Twitter, press/media distribution of our programs and events, and providing direct
communication to our members and non-members through “Constant Contact.”
I am grateful to the following people for their participation in communicating the League’s
mission and action through the various communications modes: Bulletin (Marian Schwager--
co-editor, Laura Bierman – formatting, Marggie Skinner—mailing), Website (Linda Ellen
Brown—webmaster, Mary Beilby—website calendar, Marggie Skinner—PayPal), Facebook
(Marggie Skinner, Aimee Allaud), Twitter--Linda Ellen Brown, Press/Media Notices—Aimee
Allaud. Cindy Schultz also provided photography expertise at many League events and posted
photos to the League’s FB and website pages. Thank you to the various committee chairs for
preparing news releases for the candidates’ forums held in the fall 2017 and spring 2018.
Following the recommendation of LWVUS, we adopted as part of our bulletin masthead the
“Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy” vision statement. Six issues of the bulletin were
produced and distributed to our electronic mail list (about 500) and to the “request print copy”
list (about 125). If you would like to help reduce paper and printing/mailing costs that the
League incurs, drop Aimee a line at [email protected]., or by telephone, 518-482-2617.
An advantage of the electronic list is that you will receive the bulletin about 1 week earlier than
the USPS list!
Thank you to our board members who provide meaty copy to keep you in the loop about the
Albany County Legislature (Patricia Sibilia), Action opportunities and environmental information
(Mary Beilby) and to President, Margaret Danes, who in every issue writes a thought provoking
message.
News releases are sent to about 20 media outlets, including weeklies; event fliers are routinely
produced and distributed by board members to community bulletin boards; and through the
Upper Hudson Library Federation distribution system to the member libraries. Many of our
events this year have been in collaboration with other organizations that produce and
distribute news releases to their networks – advantageous for all organizations!
______________________________________________________________________________
GREAT DECISIONS DISCUSSION GROUP - Martha Kennedy During October 2017, the Global Issues/Great Decisions discussion group held 3 meetings to
discuss Robert Kaplan’s book “Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes America’s Role in
the World.” The meetings were held in the Community Room at the Berkshire Bank on Vista
Blvd. in Slingerlands.
From the end of February through May 2018, an expanded group has gathered at the same
Page 12 of 31
venue bi-weekly to address topics in the 2018 Foreign Policy Association’s annual Great
Decisions briefing book. In addition to all participants reading the information on the session’s
topic and participating in the discussion, one member of the group has volunteered to facilitate
at each meeting and provide both supplemental information and guidance throughout the
discussions as well as the ever- appreciated refreshments.
We extend our thanks to the bank and its employees for their hospitality and coffee, as well as
a comfortable, accessible meeting space.
At the final meeting at the end of May, the group will review member submitted
recommendations of books to consider for discussion beginning next fall and make a final
selection for those sessions. Anyone interested in participating in that program is encouraged
to contact Martha Kennedy at [email protected].
LONG TERM CARE – Arleen Stein Albany County continues to focus on community-based long-term care and service and inter-
and intra-agency coordination. Here are highlights of the past year.
Through a “No Wrong Door” philosophy, New York Connects is a hub for information on long
term care services and support. NYConnects makes the appropriate connection to available
services including special needs such as mental health problems. It is also a resource for long
term care professionals by aiding in managing transitions and assisting people to find, or remain
in the least restrictive setting for as long as possible.
I initiated a pilot program to bring Whitney Young Health Center’s mobile health van to housing
for seniors and people with disabilities.
Age Friendly Albany County is part of the AARP Network of Age Friendly Communities that is
trying to proactively meet the needs of our aging population by supporting aging in place. Age
Friendly Communities focus on enhancing 8 Domains of Livability: outdoor spaces and buildings
(accessibility and safety); transportation (alternatives to driving); housing (safe and affordable);
social participation; respect and social inclusion (intergenerational initiatives); work and civic
engagement); communication and information; and community and health services. The
leadership of Age Friendly Albany County is working with the public to enact this framework.
The Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is moving forward with a care
coordination model by using an integrated approach based on the individual’s needs and
preferences. It has begun to coordinate care with community organizations that provide
medical and social services.
Page 13 of 31
The county continues to wrestle with decreasing funds for home delivered and congregate meal sites and with the shortage of home aids.
United Way 211 Northeast Region also serves as a vital area resource. Dialing 211 between 9
am and 8 pm, seven days a week can link individuals to services that can help pay utilities or
medical expenses; access unemployment benefits; find programs to help with family problems,
access information on food stamps; help with mortgage or credit; and seek help with substance
abuse problems.
MEMBERSHIP – Paula Philo, Chair, Kitt Jackson, Marggie Skinner, Regina Tillman
The goals of the Membership Committee are:
● To attract new members in order to establish a younger, more diversified group.
We suggested that the LWVAC should be in the news more, not just to publicize upcoming
events, but to remind the public that we are here, doing good things and being seen and
heard. We need to move forward on this in 2018 -19. In the meantime, we agreed to have a
new Member Orientation in spring, and a reinstated Membership Meeting in the fall, serve
to host potential new recruits to the League.
● To retain our established members.
If members are active, attending meetings and volunteering, they will not drop out. We
need to nurture our members and encourage them to participate. We made telephone calls
reaching out to members before selected events. Some members have attended because
they received a personal phone call from a fellow League member. All Board Members and
committee chairs are encouraged to show appreciation to our volunteers. All of our
volunteers will be generally recognized for the first time at the June 2018 Annual Meeting.
● To encourage our members to volunteer.
We have made our interest sheet simpler (and combined it with an application) however,
adding more concrete options to check off. In 2018-19, we will be working on having the
ability to complete the form online. The interest sheets will be tabulated in a spreadsheet to
develop a tracking system, which is provided to committee chairs and Board members so
they may solicit from those having noted an interest in an area or topic. This volunteer
tracking system will help Board members and committee chairs easily access the help they
need for the many League functions. The goal for the online interest sheet is to
automatically populate the spreadsheet for ease of reference as members sign on.
These changes were made in conjunction with a new “Volunteer Management” dinner
meeting and training session that was designed for board members and committee chairs,
and conducted in early April 2018. Also, a first round of new “Position Descriptions” for
Page 14 of 31
volunteers were developed at this session, for distribution at the subsequent “New Member
Orientation”.
The Membership Committee conducted a “New Member Orientation” in the second week
of April 2018. The Orientation was well received by members, new and old. Information on
opportunities for involvement were presented in a round table format. Attendees seemed
to like this format, noting that it as their favorite segment of the orientation conducted on a
Saturday morning. 88% of survey respondents identified the session as excellent-good in
helpfulness in understanding the League’s mission and 94% thought that the length of the
orientation, at 2.5 hours, was just right! 32 slots indicating areas of interest were selected
by the attendees. We look forward to getting to know our new volunteers of which 7
became dues paying members on that morning!
All the volunteer-related concepts and actions taken this year can be traced to the adoption
of the ISOTURE Model for Volunteer Management, taken from the USDA. This model was
approved for use by the LWVAC Board, as presented to them in 2017, and entails 7 areas or
steps for organizations to take to help their volunteers become more involved and more
effective. This allows an organization reliant upon volunteers, such as the LWV, to increase
its impact, expand its outreach and better retain its volunteers.
Membership 2017-2018:
INDIVIDUALS ADDITIONAL HOUSEHOLDS LIFETIME STUDENTS
FEB. 1, 2017 118 25 10 0 FEB. 1, 2018 129 24 9 1 MAY 31, 2018 168 28 9 4
____________________________________________________________________________
NEW CITIZEN VOTER REGISTRATION – Julie Elson and Janet Reilly
During the period July 2017-June 2018 the League of Women Voters of Albany County provided
voter registration assistance at twenty one naturalization ceremonies. There are usually two
ceremonies each month and sometimes two in one day. Fifteen of the ceremonies took place at
the Federal Courthouse and six took place at the Albany County Supreme Courthouse. The
number of new citizens naturalized varies at each ceremony from a low number of seventeen
to fifty five, the average is forty five. We will have registered approximately 737 new citizens
and their friends and families during this period.
At the Federal Courthouse, the building opens at 7:45 am and we try to arrive then to open the
courtroom doors, set up the tables and signage and unpack our registration forms and
brochures. New citizens and their families begin arriving by 8am, we greet them, explain who
we are, provide league brochures, registration forms, clipboards and pens, answer questions
and encourage them to find seats in the courtroom. Homeland Security arrives around 8:45 and
Page 15 of 31
asks the new citizens to form a line to submit their paperwork. People: new citizens, family and
friends continue to arrive and we direct them appropriately, collecting registration forms and
clipboards and making sure that the new arrivals aren't missed. We also direct people to the
bathrooms and provide children with stickers, crayons and coloring sheets. The actual
ceremony starts at 9:30 am and lasts approximately 45 minutes. If there is room, some of us
attend. The Federal Court provides dozens of donuts and juice to be enjoyed after the
ceremony, we help set out and serve the donuts and beverages while also assisting with picture
taking and of course, collecting and checking registration forms. We pack up and take the
Albany County residents' forms to the Albany County Board of Elections where we obtain
county pre-addressed envelopes for the out-of-county registration forms and we mail those
later that day.
The timeline for ceremonies at the Albany County Supreme Courthouse is more fast-paced even
though the actual ceremony takes place at the same time, 9:30am. We arrive at 8:30am
because that is when the building opens. There are often new citizens and their families already
in the courtroom when we are setting up. We have been bringing our own table and most of
our work is in the courtroom as we give out brochures and registration forms, and take
completed ones from those seated. The rest of the morning is similar to the Federal courthouse
except, no donuts or juice.
During this period, we have strengthened our ties with the Albany County Board of Elections,
the Albany County Clerk’s Office and the US Department of Homeland Security to assure that all
parties know the ceremony schedule.
Last year, we assisted the Rensselaer League in beginning to register New Citizens at
ceremonies occurring in their county and this year we encouraged and provided similar
guidance to the Schenectady League.
Although it can be a slog to get to a courthouse downtown early in the morning, especially in
winter, the naturalization ceremonies are happy events and it is a pleasure to help the new
citizens access a privilege of citizenship – voting. Thanks for all your work and for providing a
friendly and welcoming face for the League: Alissa Maynard, Andrea Lee, Arleen Stein, Britt
Westergard, Christine Doran, Cindy Schultz, Colleen Maloney, Emily Stewart, Gail Volk, Linda
Bernardi, Lisa Nissenbaum, Margo Singer, Mary Berry, Mary Kate Owens, Mary Sloan, Sandra
Beach Rhoades and Susan Mitchell Herzfeld.
______________________________________________________________________________
POLL REPORTING 2017 – Marggie Skinner
We contracted with CDES Capital District Election Services to report the results of the general election in November.
Page 16 of 31
We cover 155 voting districts at 60 different polling sites- 12 with 2 machines, 48 with one machine. The sites with 2 machines need 2 poll reporters, thus we need at least 72 reporters. City of Albany wards 7-15 (77 districts) Bethlehem Districts 1-31 Guilderland Districts 1-30 Green Island Wards 1-4 Watervliet Wards 1-4 (13 districts) In addition, after I covered one of the polling sites, I reported on all of the 53 races, using the numbers from the board of elections website and calling from home. We received a total of $2,367 this year and $2,370 last year for performing this service. I think it gives people a sense of participating in the League a useful and non-partisan way. Most people return year after year unless health or travel plans get in the way. From time to time, the workers at the polls give the reporters a hard time, and we lose a reporter. Every year we need between 10 and 15 new reporters. Some years it is easier than others. The reporters are about 60-70% current or former members, but I do pull in friends to plug in some holes and it usually works. My most valuable volunteer is Melanie Trimble, former LWVAC president and current head of NYCLU. She and her husband and their daughter cover Watervliet, part of Green Island, and one very difficult location in Albany with several districts and 2 machines. This year I was unable to find reporters for 5 districts- 4 polling places, 2 in Albany and 2 in Guilderland. I would like to add the first six wards in the City of Albany this fall. It will earn us some more money and several of the sites we already cover also include voting districts from the lower numbered wards. New volunteers are always welcome and appreciated.
_____________________________________________________________________________
PROGRAMS – Margaret Danes, Chair; Aimee Allaud, Mary Beilby, Susanna Martin, Regina Tillman, Stephen Winters “…to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influence public policy through education and advocacy.”
Those are the closing words of our mission statement. These words are the guiding principles
for the work of the Program Committee. Based on national, state, and local League positions as
well as current “hot topics”, the committee selects topics and then formulates each public
forum with speakers, panelists, films, and/or other sources of relevant and well-balanced
Page 17 of 31
information. Finding an appropriate location and promotional activities are part of the process
as well. The programs this past year served our mission statement quite well.
2017-2018 Programs
September 18: “The Future of Healthcare in NYS With or Without ACA: “Facts or Fiction.”
Issues facing healthcare in New York State in light of possible federal funding cuts. Panel
members: Assemblyman John McDonald; Alfred Wright, Healthnow.org; Gail Myers, NYS
Statewide Senior Action Council; Whitney M. Young Health Care Center representative.
Discussion at St. Sophia Church
October 24: Panel discussion on the pros and cons of the ballot proposition for a Constitutional
Convention in NYS. Susan Arbetter, moderator; Gerald Benjamin of the Benjamin Center for
Public Policy at SUNY New Paltz and Ronald Deutsch, executive director of the Fiscal Policy
Institute, speakers. Co-sponsored by Women’s Press Club at Guilderland Public Library.
November: Women’s Suffrage Centennial Celebration exhibit opens at the NYS Museum with a
reception on November 4; League Day at the UN on November 16 with a briefing on human
trafficking. New York City.
December 6: Holiday gathering with “Food for Thought”. “Citizenship 101: Educating Citizens
for Participation in Democracy. What Does It Take?” Sage College’s professor Pamela Katz,
J.D., and Richard Steinbach, 28-year veteran teacher of world history and American government
at Troy High School discussed the need for civics education in our schools. St. Sophia Church.
February 1: Combined panel program with the Rensselaer League on concurrence to support
or oppose a LWVNYS “Death with Dignity” position as set forth by the Utah League. Panelists:
Corinne Carey, NYS Director of Compassion and Choices; Beth Mahar, Hospice and Palliative
Care Association; Katherine Carroll, Center for Disability Rights. East Greenbush Library.
February 25: Celebrating Black History Month. Topic: “Surviving Oppression and Adversity.
Looking at Black History in America.” Guest speakers included Nell Stokes, poet and playwright;
Paul Stewart, founder of Underground Railroad History Project; and Dr. Risa Fausette, historian
and professor at St. Rose. Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary at The College of St. Rose.
April 14: Exploration of League volunteer opportunities for new members. Program featured
the inspirational documentary of Inez Milholland, “martyr” for the suffragette movement. St.
Sophia Church.
May 29: “Fractured conversations in a polarized society. How to Talk. How to Listen.” Host,
senior editor for TU, Casey Seiler; moderator, Susan Arbetter; Scott Fein, chair of Government
Law Center at Albany Law; Linda McKenney, motivational speaker; and Lara Whelan, Dean of
Siena College School of Liberal Arts were guest speakers. Co-sponsored by Women’s Press
Club. Bethlehem Town Hall, Delmar.
Page 18 of 31
June 12: Annual Meeting at the Century House. “Munch, Mingle, and Meet.” The LWVAC
Students Inside Albany delegates will be presented followed by the business meeting. Time will
be allocated for membership input on needs and direction for the coming year.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
STUDENTS INSIDE ALBANY (SIA) – Rema Goldstein
Our committee consisted of Paula Philo, Tina Raggio and myself. We met at my home and
collated the introductory letters and the application forms to all 14 Albany County High Schools.
The envelopes were addressed to the Social Studies chairs. The packets were mailed early in
January.
Two students applied and were selected. They are Connor Chung from Bethlehem H.S. and
Faith O’Toole from Albany H.S. A third student, Amelia Colafati, was added when there were
several cancellations. She is also from Albany H.S.
Although we wish we had more applicants, I am sure these students did an excellent job of
representing Albany County. The conference was May 20-23rd, and I am looking forward to
learning about their experience.
______________________________________________________________________________
TREASURER’S REPORT – Marggie Skinner
Actual as of June 4, 2018:
Page 19 of 31
_____________________________________________________________________________ VOTER SERVICES – Barbara Frankel (Fall 2017) and Marggie Skinner (Spring 2018)
Candidate Forums
Fall 2017– Barbara Frankel
The Albany League held five candidate events, three Candidate forums in August/September for
the City of Albany Mayoral Primary and the Town Colonie and Bethlehem general election
candidate forums.
The three City of Albany Mayoral events represented the League’s investment in a major
Albany City election by having events that spoke to different populations and perspectives. We
collaborated with two new organizations (WCAA and Environmental Advocates) and the
NAACP’s new board. In two of the events, we included for the first time another party with a
primary -the Green party. It was also the first time we had two candidates for the Green Party
primary. The New York State League has since come out with a new ruling requiring any league
holding a candidate meeting for a party primary for elected office, must offer to hold a
candidate meeting for any other party that has a primary for that elected office. According to
NYS League, this policy will ensure that the League is not perceived as supporting or opposing a
party.”
1. WCAA-LP 107.3 FM and The League of Women Voters of Albany County held a “Meet
the Candidates Mayoral Forum” on Thursday, August 31 at Albany’s Grand Street
Community Arts on Grand St. This event had a live studio audience (90 people in
addition to candidates, WCAA, and League volunteers) and was broadcast live on WCAA-
LP 107.3 FM. Nell Stokes did a wonderful job moderating it. The event was also on
Channel Albany18 and received a mention on Spectrum News. Candidates appearing on
the primary ballot as determined by Albany County Board of Elections were eligible to
participate in this forum. For the first time, the Albany League had three Democratic
and two Green party candidates at the same primary candidate forum.
2. On September 5th, the NAACP and the League sponsored a Democratic Mayoral
Primary Forum Metropolitan New Testament Mission Baptist Church Chapel 105 Second
Street. Susanna Martin helped organize this event, the venue was lovely and this well
run forum was well attended and covered by local press.
3. On September 7th, the Environmental Advocates of New York and the League
sponsored a Candidate Forum for Democratic and Green Party Candidates that focused
on Environmental Health and Protection at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany.
As with the earlier event sponsored with WCAA-LP, all candidates appearing on the
primary ballot as determined by Albany County Board of Elections participated. It was
Page 20 of 31
moderated by the Mary Berry, Esq. and Susan Arbiter. The event offered candidates an
opportunity to address the public on a specifically environmental platform, where they
could show their expertise in past and present city policy as well as explore alternative
measures to approach sustainability and conservation. An article appeared in The ALT
http://thealt.com/2017/09/12/albany-mayoral-forum-environmental-health/. Coming
at the end of an unusually large number of mayoral primary candidate events, the
attendance at this event was less than expected.
As in every year we prioritize our resources and do not hold candidate events for all possible
races. We did not actively put together candidate events for common council and other city
races. Some requests for common council races came toward the end of the election period
and we were forced to turn down at least one request.
In conjunction with The Spotlight news, The Bethlehem Chamber, The Colonie Chamber, and
Capital Area Council of Churches, the League held candidate events for the Colonie and
Bethlehem races for superintendent and Town Board.
Bethlehem was held October 19 at Bethlehem Town Hall Delmar and Colonie October 25, at
Radisson Hotel. While we tried to hold a Guilderland candidate event, we could not get
enough candidates to participate.
Mary Berry held a moderator training session August 17th for 6 interested League members.
Spring 2018– Marggie Skinner
We were also asked to run candidate forums for the North Colonie and Bethlehem School Board elections. The Bethlehem forum was cancelled when only one candidate filed petitions to run. But Patricia Sibilia led Karen Kirstein through the process for the North Colonie Forum. When we learned that there were more candidates for the Albany School Board than seats on the board, Regina Tillman took it upon herself to see that a forum was held. She attracted several co-sponsors, convinced the candidates to appear, found a site and rounded up several volunteers. The forum was quite a success. Nell Stokes moderated both events and helpers at one or both included Sue Cypert, Natalie Criscione, Pam Williams, Aimee Allaud, Kathryn Allen, Sandra Beach Rhodes, Judy Wing and Mary Beilby, and Anne Erling.
Voter Registration/Information Events
Fall 2017– Barbara Frankel
The League had a table at the 18th Annual Albany History Fair on May 7, “Whose Side Are You
On? Suffrage & Anti-Suffrage in Albany”. Several wonderful volunteers staffed a League table
Page 21 of 31
on a very rainy day in a tent with muddy floor.
Under Aimee Allaud’s leadership, the League had Voter Registration Opportunity displays at 10
Albany Public Libraries for 10 days for Women’s Equality Day August 26th. The displays were
not staffed so we do not know how many people registered but hundreds of voter information
and registration forms were picked up. The displays also included other voter information
including the Constitutional Convention. Ten League volunteers helped set up the displays.
The League also had a table at the New Jerusalem’s 14th Annual Community Block Party
Saturday, September 9, 2017 from 11am to 3pm on the 100th block of Sheridan Avenue in
Albany, NY.
Stephen Winters and Aimee Allaud presented a Voter Service program on Oct. 24 to the South
End Neighborhood Association meeting and Jennifer Wilson spoke at the event and our League
had an information table at the Albany Institute of History and Art Women Suffrage event in
October.
We are amazed by all that our League has done. We are proud to be associated with the
League volunteers and appreciate the countless generous ways our membership has
participated.
Spring 2018– Marggie Skinner
With Barbara Frankel leaving the Voter Service position on the Board at the end of 2017, we
had hoped to get through the normally quiet spring season without someone in the position.
However, after the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in February,
we received several requests to help with voter registration, especially at the high schools in
Albany County. So we accepted the:
LWV Albany High School Voter Registration Challenge 2018 In late February, we were asked to register high school students at a high school in Greene County and then we were challenged to register students at all of the high schools in Albany County. Stephen Winters and Linda Ellen Brown packed things up and registered voters at Cairo-Durham High School in Greene County; we held a meeting to make plans for Albany and nearly 20 people showed up on a snowy evening in March. One day before this meeting and two days before students all across the country walked out of classes, we were asked to help the students at Bethlehem Central High School voter registration. Janet Reilly and Andy Lee headed out and provided the necessary resources. Since then we have been more methodical about responding to the challenge. Our team has reached out to each of the 19 high schools in the county. A couple of the schools already register their students, and we have given them League materials to use in addition to voter registration forms. As of May 23, Claire Malone and Emily Stewart registered all of the students
Page 22 of 31
at Voorheesville, Lois Gundrum provided materials for Watervliet, Andy Lee delivered materials to Bishop Maginn, Emily has also taken care of Berne/Knox/Westerlo and Anne Erling, Natalie Criscione and Ellen Manning registered students at Albany High. Tom Morrill at Tech Valley High takes care of his students. Pam Williams registered the seniors at Green Tech, and teachers and students have received materials and training at Shaker and Colonie Central from Andy Lee and Marggie Skinner. Julie Elson and Janet Reilly will register the students at St. Anne’s School. We have connected with someone at every school and updated our contact information. Unfortunately, by the time we reached the Albany Academies and CBA, their seniors had finished classes for the year, so we will make another effort at the beginning of the new school year and register the students who will be able to vote in the November elections. We will also return to the other schools in the fall to connect with new students as the primaries and general election approach. We will expand our work to college campuses in the fall too. Meanwhile, we also registered voters at the school walkout on April 20 (thanks to the help of Andy Lee, Janet Reilly, Gail Volk, Susanna Martin, and many others), the Climate March on April 23 (also well attended by lots of helping hands and coordinated by Andy Lee and Susanna Martin) and the Tulip Festival (coordinated by Stephen Winters). New and veteran members are working together on this. We have been asked to register voters at the giant garage sale at Temple Beth Emeth at the end of June and the New Jerusalem Block Party in September. If you haven’t signed up yet, contact Andy Lee [email protected]. Andy will be heading up our voter service efforts as a new member of the Board of Directors. Julie Elson, [email protected] also welcomes workers at the naturalization ceremonies in Albany.
Vote411
Marggie Skinner and Patricia Sibilia
For the 2017 Election season, we used Vote411.org for both the Primary races and the General
Election races.
Marggie Skinner covered 14 City of Albany races which included the Mayor, Court Judges,
Auditor and Common Council members as well as the County Coroner Race. Between the
general election and the primary, we reached 46 candidates. We received responses from 36 of
them and these responses were published on the Vote411.org website.
Patricia Sibilia covered the other 25 races which were across 8 municipalities and the special
election for a County Legislator seat due to a vacancy. There were over 50 candidates for these
races.
For each race covered we researched email contact information for the candidates so we could
invite them via the Vote411 website to participate by having them directly enter information
about themselves and answer questions we posed. We were lucky to have the Albany County
Republican party provide us with a consolidated list of all candidates and their contact info, but
the Democrats were more challenging to track down particularly for lesser races and outlying
Page 23 of 31
areas. We had many conversations with candidates to assist them with the process while also
chatting with them and learning more about their race. We also had help from Margaret Danes
in supplying a description of each position and finding out the salaries for them so that it was
available to the voters
When the State League ran the statistics in mid-October for the Vote411.org usage, Albany
County far exceeded any other area with close to 900 visits to the site. We also had close to a
75% participation rate by the candidates.
Page 24 of 31
Appendix A: New Member Welcome from Ann Brandon
This welcome message was originally delivered by Ann Brandon, past President and 50 year
member, to the April 14, 2018 LWVAC “New Member Orientation” session.
To all new members – welcome to the LWV! If you get out of this organization half as much as I
have, you will become a lifetime member like me. The mission statement on the cover of our
County Bulletin, says, “The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization,
encourages informed and active participation in government ---.” I want to stress the word,
nonpartisan. This word gives us credibility with the public. We do not endorse candidates, but
do advocate for issues that we have researched. This does not mean that you, as members
cannot be active in political parties. It only means that if someone is speaking for the League –
usually the president, he or she (and we do welcome men) will not be favoring one party over
another, or endorse any candidates.
Unlike many organizations that are “top down,” the League is very grassroots – with members at the local level deciding issues to study at all levels – local, state, and national. As you might expect, the state and national leagues have a long list of issues they follow, and they are continually tweaked by members at our conventions where we vote on the program items for the coming year. You will see in our current bulletin the local issues that we will vote on at our June Annual meeting. I hope you get to attend one of our state or national conventions some year. They are a great way to see the League in action and meet more like minded people. I’ve always thought of the League as being divided into 2 parts – 1) Registering people to vote, holding candidate debates, and educating people on the ballot issues. This is the part that we’re most known for. 2) Taking action on issues, after researching them. Both parts are absolutely necessary for our democratic form of government. I’ve always been more involved in the second area – studying and acting on issues. I’d like to give you a short version of my 50 plus years in the League. What does one do with a toddler and new baby on the way? She joins the League of Women Voters! I did that in 1961 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Soon after I joined, the president asked if I’d chair the study on foreign trade. I thought, Huh? But I was persuaded to say yes. I knew this would be right up my alley after majoring in music in college. I learned about leading a study committee, being a discussion leader, resource person, and many other skills that the league is so good at teaching, as well as quite a bit about foreign trade. And the president became a good friend with whom I still correspond. Then came Utica, NY; another child, another league. From that league I became involved in the Antipoverty Community Action Organization. Then we moved to Albany (and another child) in 1967 where I was delighted to find a lively League with women ready to take on issues of a
Page 25 of 31
political system that had outlived its usefulness. My first job was to take notes at hearings for the 1967 state Constitutional Convention. Then it was a study for fair housing in Albany. After that we worked for an elected school board for Albany. At the time the city of Albany had a 3-man school board appointed by the mayor, and 2 of them spent a lot of time in Florida. That campaign brought many strategic sessions with lawyers, where we won a court challenge that ended in the NYS Court of Appeals. In the early 1970's we began a major push for passage of a county charter for Albany County, which would give us our first county executive. Among other things, we collected over 16,000 signatures to get a Charter Commission appointed. This led to a coalition of many organizations that I chaired. I still remember marching into the Times Union offices with our public relations vice-president to get publicity for our cause. Very exciting times! The charter passed in 1973, followed by election of our first County Executive. My work with the judicial studies of the league led to my job in the 1980's as the first Capital District Coordinator for the Fund for Modern Courts. It strengthened my interest in criminal justice and a return to school for a Master’s in Criminal Justice in 1984, followed by a position with NYS Dept. of Correctional Services. In retirement, I returned again to the league as chair of the state death penalty study leading to a position against the death penalty and action when needed. That was followed by a local immigration study, a look at the Albany County Nursing Home, and again back to county government and their inability to agree on a nonpartisan reapportionment plan for the county. So, as you can see, the League guided me into many facets of my life, and I need to stress also that I’ve made some wonderful friends along the way. There are always more issues to tackle, so we always need members who are ready to tackle them. And if you have an idea that you think would be great for the League to pursue, let any member of our board know. I hope I got you a little excited about things we might be able to accomplish. And I hope that, a year from now, after working on some of our issues or projects, you will say, Wow! I’m so glad I joined!
Page 26 of 31
Appendix B: LWVUS 2016-2018 SUMMARY OF PUBLIC POLICY POSITIONS
Complete impact on issues from the League of Women Voters® of the United States can be found here:
http://forum.lwv.org/member-resources/book/impact-issues-2016-2018-online-edition
Page 27 of 31
Page 28 of 31
Page 29 of 31
Page 30 of 31
Appendix C: LWVNYS 2017-2018 SUMMARY OF PUBLIC POLICY POSITIONS
Complete impact on issues from NYS League can be found here:
http://lwvny.org/advocacy/impact/2017/Complete-Impact-on-Issues-2017.pdf
Page 31 of 31
