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LWVN Calendar – Upcoming!!! FEBRUARY Weds., 2/7, 7p - BOARD MEETING, 1524 Fender Road, 60565. Tues., 2/20 - In-person Voter Registration closes Weds. 2/21 – New & Prospective Member “Meet & Greet, 7-9 p, Bev Parker’s, 1330 Deep Run Rd, Naperville Weds, 2/28 – HS Student Meet & Greet with Elected Officials, 7-9p, Napvl. City Hall, Lower Level Rm B MARCH Weds. 3/7 – BOARD MEETING Sun, 3/11 – “Stroll to the Polls” Fri. 3/16 - LWV Book Club, Pancake Café, Rickert & 75th St., Naperville Mon., 3/19 - Last day of Early Voting Tue., 3/20 – 2018 Primary Elections APRIL Weds., 4/4 – BOARD MEETING Sat, 4/14 – COD “Running for Office” event TBD – Movie Night (Education) – Casual Event (Details TBA) MAY Weds., 5/2 – BOARD MEETING Sat, 5/19 – Conservation Foundation “River Sweep”, 9a-noon Sat, 5/19 – LWVN Annual Meeting, 11.30-2.30 TBD – DuPage NOW event – “Back to College Safety Fair (for men & women) JUNE Thurs., 6/28-Sun., 7/1 – LWVUS National Convention, Hilton Chicago - 720 S. Michigan Ave. OTHER Tues., 11/6 - 2018 General Election August 2020 – Centennial events!
MAKING
DEMOCRACY
WORK!
PRESIDENT’S LETTER LWV of Naperville continues to grow with five new members in January! With a new and prospective member meeting on February 21, we plan to inform them of the ways of the League and connect them to meaningful action and new friendships. Our focus on young voters continues. Birthday boxes for voting age high school students has been a success and the project will continue this spring to cover second semester. High school students and teen scouts have been invited to an Elected Candidates Meet & Greet on February 28 to learn about those elected positions and to see themselves as responsible voters and possibly future candidates themselves. Recently, board members attended the LWVIL Issues Briefing, held in Chicago. Under the focus of Bridging Divides: Cultivating Common Ground for Action, break out sessions covered a lot of territory from clean water, the Equal Rights Amendment, and preventing violent death to costs of segregation, attracting and keeping new members, and making all votes count, among many other issues. Summaries are in this newsletter. The Program Planning Meeting went well, with proposals for action that will be presented at the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting is set for the May 19-20 weekend, TBA/TBD, either a Saturday lunch or a Sunday Brunch, so pencil in those time slots, likely 11-2 or 10-12. This is a busy time of year, with primaries approaching. Check our website (www. lwvnaperville.org), Facebook page and Twitter for helpful information and check local leagues like Glen Ellyn and Wheaton and others that share legislative districts with Naperville for forums and meet & greets for contested elections. Be informed and VOTE! Leslie Hayward, President League of Women Voters of Naperville
The Naperville
VOTER
Winter/Spring 2018 President – Leslie Hayward, 630-569-0174
Editor-Bette Lawrence Water, 630-417-3322
Website - http://www.lwvnaperville.org
Email: [email protected]
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Announcing…!
LWVUS 53rd Convention
Famous Quotes
Check us out on Facebook, the LWVN Website (www.lwvnaperville.org), and other
social media for more information about local events!
Speaking of the 2018 Convention, here's the link to the LWV-US site. We encourage our members to take advantage of this unique opportunity to attend our national convention in Chicago. Convention dates are June 28 through July 1, 2018. Plan to attend. Watch for more details soon!
“When a just cause reaches its flood-tide, as ours has done in this country, whatever stands in the way must fall before its overwhelming power.” --Carrie Chapman Catt, Founder-League of Women Voters
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The League of Women Voters of Naperville welcomes our new members. We look forward to meeting each of you. We invite all of our members make time to get involved in some of our committees--but especially our new members. It’s a win-win exchange and an opportunity to learn from each other about issues, priorities, teamwork, leadership and new ways to keep our League relevant within our community. Thank you again for your support and confidence in our League mission.
Welcome New Members Sherry Chaifetz - [email protected] Julie Niles [email protected] Gail Ryan [email protected] Shannon Younger [email protected] Kathleen Kenny [email protected] Elaine Piedra [email protected]
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NAPERVILLE MISSION: The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that
encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy
through education and advocacy.
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THE LWVN “18th BIRTHDAY BOXES” CONTINUE TO BE A HIT! Last fall, LWVN initiated an ongoing project in conjunction with our voter registrations in District 204. We are always looking for members to help out, other organizations to partner with, and grant or other funding. If you’re interested, volunteer! We need help in writing short letters/birthday cards or help with box assembly or distribution in the future, contact Annette Smith at [email protected].
JOIN US ON OUR “STROLL TO THE POLLS” on SUNDAY, MARCH 11! We are encouraging voters to “Stroll to the Polls” on March 20 by strolling ourselves on March 11. Come join us! We are partnering with the Government classes at Waubonsie Valley High School to see if we can make a difference in voter participation in this election by going door-to-door and simply asking residents to vote. We will target the precincts with the lowest voter participation in the last midterm election, and on Sunday, March 11, we will reach out to those voters with our message…Be the Vote that Makes a Difference! After the election we will compare voting records to see if we did make a difference. So put on your walking shoes and let’s stroll!
MORE ELECTION NEWS There will be an advisory (non-binding) referendum question on the March 2018 ballot asking voters: “Shall the DuPage County Election Commission be dissolved and its functions consolidated with the Office of the County Clerk?” DuPage County is proposing that the DuPage Election Commission be merged with the County Clerk’s office. Currently DuPage County is one of only 7 municipal election commissions in the state. All others are part of the County Clerk’s offices. The Commission was created when legislation was passed in 1973 to form this independent bipartisan agency. Prior to 1973 the County Clerk’s office administered the elections. The bipartisan commission is currently comprised of 3 appointed members (2 Republicans and 1 Democrat). Joseph Sobecki is the Executive Director and has a staff of 20+ employees. Early voting scheduled to begin on February 12th has been delayed due to a candidate appeal in the Attorney General race. According to a press release from the DuPage County Election Commission, they anticipate that ballots will be available by February 21st. If ballots are available prior to that date, the Commission will update their website. When Early Voting and Grace Period Registration does commence, it will be offered ONLY at the office of the Election Commission at the County building in Wheaton. Starting March 5, Early Voting will also be offered at 10 additional sites including Naperville Municipal Center, the Olive Trees Condominiums at 200 E. Bailey Rd. in Naperville and at Fox Valley Mall at the NW entrance between Macy’s and Carson’s.
VOTER SERVICE REPORT Annette Smith, Chair, Email: [email protected] Phone: 630-420-2764
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A NEW DOCUMENTARY FROM DISTRICT 204 Screening of “Backpack Full of Cash” was hosted by District 204's Parent Diversity Advisory Council recently. The film exams the privatization of public schools in the U.S. and the negative effect of charter schools and for-profit virtual schools. It is an informative and worthwhile view. Leaguers are invited to review this vitally important documentary that sheds light on the growing problem of private school owners benefiting from public funds, while public schools continue to suffer from lack of funds. To pre-view go to: www.backpackfullofcash.com. Watch for further details and upcoming viewings in email and next issue of The Voter.
ELECTION CALENDAR
2/8/18 - Vote by Mail and Early Voting at the Election Commission office begins 2/20/18 - In-person Voter Registration closes 2/21/18 - 1st day for Early Voting outside the Election Commission office 3/19/18 - Last day of Early Voting 3/20/18 - 2018 Primary Election 11/6/18 - 2018 General Election
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LWVIL HOSTS “2018 ISSUES BRIEFING: BRIDGING DIVIDES: CULTIVATING COMMON GROUND FOR ACTION” On Saturday, February 10, the LWVIL hosted the “2018 Issues Briefing: Bridging Divides: Cultivating Common Ground for Action” at the University Center in Chicago. The Illinois budget impasse in Illinois, incivility and hostility have had an impact on our state and our nation. Forum speakers addressed a variety of topics. The LWV is passionate about making democracy work for every individual in our country but how can we achieve anything when the divides distract and hamper progress? As a non-partisan organization and the league examines all sides of an issue before coming to consensus on a position and advocating for legislation that supports that position. During the forum speakers explored various issues and discussed solutions in numerous areas. The LWVIL will post post videos of presentations, speaker bios, handouts and powerpoints on its website. Three members of the LWVN attended the highly informative event. Following are discussion highlights from the sessions attended:
PLENARY SESSION HIGHLIGHTS Topic: Bridging the Partisan Divide Scheduled Speakers: State Representative Elaine Nekritz, 2001-17, State Representative Mike Fortner and State Representative Steve Anderson. Unfortunately neither Rep. Fortner nor Rep. Anderson showed up! Former Rep. Nekritz did an excellent job. She assured us that contentious partisan politics is not new to Springfield or the U.S. She assured us that bi-partisan work does get done. But she does think that extremists at both ends of the political spectrum are gaining in number and in power. As we know, moderates are leaving both the House and the Senate. In answer to questions about what can be done, Rep. Nekritz said she does not think the answer lies in open vs. closed primaries or term limits. She says we need to find good candidates. We should always be looking, and we need to ask potential good candidates more than once. The best candidates will be the ones who are difficult to convince. Rep. Nekritz suggested legislators need improved training to be better prepared for the job. And she suggested that the state government needs structural improvements. For example, she says that the timeframe in which bills are presented and voted on does not allow enough time for in-depth research and discussion of complex issues. This forces legislators to rely too heavily on staff and lobbyists for information. When asked about the influence of money in politics, Rep.Nekritz came up with a phrase that really resonated with the audience. She said that even if Citizen’s United is overturned, it will be difficult to go back. She said that an entire “Campaign Industrial Complex” has been developed…an infrastructure built around procuring, disseminating and using money to influence elections. The Cost of Segregation: Lost income. Lost lives. Lost potential. Speaker: Kendra Freeman, Metropolitan Planning Council The MPC just completed a year-long study to quantify the costs of segregation for the city and region, and to develop policy recommendations. Their findings included: What does segregation cost us? Lost Income: $4.4 billion in annual regional income. If we reduced the levels of economic and African American-white segregation to the national median the incomes of African Americans in the Chicago area would rise an average of $2,982/person/year. The region as a whole would earn an additional $4.4 billion in income resulting in an $8 billion boost to the region’s GDP. Lost Lives: 30% more homicides. If we had reduced the level of segregation between African Americans and whites to the national median in 2010, 167 more people would have lived in the city of Chicago that year earning some $170 million over the course of their lifetimes. The region would have saved $65 million in policing costs and an estimated $218 million in corrections costs. Residential real estate values would have increased by at least $6 billion.
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Lost Potential: 83,000 Bachelor’s degrees How does the Chicago Region compare to other US cities? In 2010, the Chicago region had the… 5th highest combined racial and economic segregation 9th highest Latino-white segregation 10th highest African American-white segregation 20th highest economic segregation By the end of this month, the MPC hopes to deliver an inclusion plan for Chicago with baseline to 2010 scenarios and recommended policies at the city, county and regional scales. Making All Votes Count – Redistricting Update and Implementing Automatic Voter Registration Speakers: Cynthia Canary, nonprofit policy consultant and Abe Scarr, Public Interest Research Group Ms. Canary reviewed the current Redistricting legislation in the courts. She asked for Leagues to give input into how/who they could suggest to join the re-districting movement. Mr. Scarr gave a history of how the Illinois Automatic Voter Registration legislation was passed. It has yet to be fully implemented, because it is mixed up with the RealID enhanced drivers’ license upgrade. They are hoping for July for full implementation. When a person goes to a state agency, they will be asked if they want to opt out of voter registration. If not, they will be automatically registered. However, people not interacting with a state agency will still need to register. An accurate census is needed in order to have accurate re-districting. So information about the importance of getting an accurate census count in 2020 and the challenges to getting an accurate count were presented.
The Role of Property Taxes in Funding Education: Local, State, and Federal Implications Speaker: Josh Aurand, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations for Harlem School District 122 in Machesney Park, IL Josh talked about how property taxes are a critical piece of funding for Illinois public education and state funding declines have pushed school districts to be even more reliant on property taxes. The decline in property values after 2008 has created a problem in Illinois education funding. Speaker: Ginger Ostro, Executive Director of Advance Illinois Ginger pointed out that we still do not know exactly how federal tax reform will impact local public education. Ginger brought an interactive map of Illinois which you can use to See what happens to funding for Illinois school districts as new dollars are added to SB1. Plenary Criminal Justice: Reforms Accomplished and Reforms Still Needed Speaker: Michael G. Nerheim, Lake County State's Attorney Mike discussed the benefits of diverting people out of jail and prison and the tools Lake County has successfully used to do this: Veteran's COurt, Health Court, STOP, Way Out, and an alternative prosecution program for low level non-violent crimes. Speaker: Safer Foundation works to provide services to people with criminal records so that they can get employment. Employment is the most direct link to lowering recidivism in people with criminal records, Safer works to reduce barriers to employment. Speaker: Sharlyn Grace, Senior Policy Analyst and Staff Attorney, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice: Appleseed 'improves lives by improving the courts,' works with court staff and stakeholders to identify barriers for non-represented parties and inequities for everyone when accessing the courts in Cook County. Through best practices research, we identify and propose solutions to systemic problems in courts
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Speaker: Senator Don Harmon, 39th District (D) Il State Senator Senator Harmon talked about criminal justice reform as a rare area of political agreement and discussed reforming civil asset forfeiture. ERA Advocacy and Activism Speaker: Lou Lang (D) Lead House ERA sponsor Bottom line is that women STILL don't have a guarantee of equal rights under the US Constitution. And in Illinois it is all about IL SJRCA4! IL legislators will be home for two weeks before and after the March 20 primaries; the goal is to have a vote on this the 2nd or 3rd week of April. What we need to do: lobby State Senator Mike Connelly to vote YES on SJRCA4; he is one of the key votes they are chasing. Focusing our Communities on a Common Goal: Clean, Clear, Safe, Abundant Water for Everyone The session opened with an apt metaphor: Gardens of Democracy. Like a garden, a democracy needs to be tended at every level. Similarly, the League is also working to protect our water at every level. Krista Grimm, President LWV Lake Michigan Region ILO, noted that the problems we are facing here are the same everywhere. And the League has always been involved, including in the issue of flood control and erosion, which led to the passing of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Illinois has only 63 miles of Lake Michigan coastline, but is an outsize contributors to the problems. We are seeking to control point source pollution, which is usually the end of a pipe; that is, industrial pollution. There are non-point sources of pollution that are not covered by the Clean Water Act, including suburban storm water. Pollutants also flow from crop fields, concentrated animal feedlots, city streets and rural homes. Atmospheric deposition is also a factor; air pollution eventually settles in waterways. The Jo Daviess County League has been a key player in protecting the Upper Mississippi River watershed. The League has effective outreach tools to spread awareness of the importance of protecting our waterways. The Watershed Game is a tool for local Leagues to show community members the role every person plays in watersheds. Ms. Grimm urged League members to get involved with their own local watershed plans, to go observe local watershed planning councils. The Jo Daviess League took action and got a watershed plan passed where there had been none. Every Earth Day is a great opportunity to use the League’s Watershed Model, an interactive display, to get kids interested in watershed protection. Beth Baranski, an architect at Baranski Hammer Moretta & Sheehy Architects & Planners, discussed the Galena League’s work in engaging farmers in the efforts of watershed protection, and the League’s 'Water: We’re All in This Together' program with the Galena Rotary. Some of their work has included attaining an EPA grant for an inventory of their watershed, creating a best practices model for farmers, and the rain simulator, a tool that shows how different agricultural practices affect runoff. Ms. Baranski said those interested in watershed protection should learn the language of farmers to better communicate and join the citizen scientists of the Illinois River Watch Network. She also spoke of the need for more spring and well sampling to determine the amount of current pollution compared to pre-settlement water. Speaker: Rosemary Heilemann, LWV UMRR ILO, discussed her history of getting involved with watershed protection and finding partners in the community. She has worked with Rotary, as one of their institutional priorities is clean water. She discussed the accumulation of chlorides in water, and how they do not dissipate. Public Health Approach to Preventing Firearms Injury and Death Speakers: Maryanne Mason, assistant research professor, Northwestern University, Kathleen Conlon Wasik, Director LWV Lake County, Sana Yousuf, community epidemiologist, IVDRS This breakout session focused on how obtaining and analyzing accurate data about violent deaths in Illinois can help with evidence-based approaches to reduce violent deaths. Kathleen Conlon Wasik of the Lake County League was instrumental in establishing the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS). There are currently 18 counties participating in the reporting. The system relies on death certificates, coroner
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reports, legal intervention reports and state toxicology labs. Thanks to the League’s efforts to establish the system, it is now funded by the CDC. Currently, 42 states participate in the National Violent Death Reporting System. One important data point, for example is that In Illinois, 88% of violent deaths occur in just 26 counties. (Illinois has 102 counties.) By analyzing the data, we can provide insights and save lives, said Ms. Wasik. Dr. Mason directed members to contact Ms. Yousuf for violent death data. They have aggregate data for which they have 10 or more cases. Email: [email protected] CDC’s WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) data will be available fall 2018. Unfortunately, Congress has prohibited collection of firearm death data, explained Dr. Mason. That is why real data can be a much-needed neutral voice in partisan discussions about violence prevention. Ms. Wasik and Dr. Mason urged members to request IVDRS data for local prevention efforts. Members can join their dissemination list to receive data, briefs, fact sheets and updates. When more citizens show interest in this data, it helps their work stay funded by the CDC. For information, visit: www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html Fair Tax Advocacy Toolbox Speaker: Alex Tindal Wiesendanger, Responsible Budget Coalition Mr. Wiesendanger gave an engaging and accessible presentation on the need for a fair tax in Illinois. Our state is only one of four states in the nation that mandates a flat tax in its constitution. According to his research, states with a fair tax on average grow their economies. He pointed out the success of Minnesota, which raised income taxes in 2013. They now have a $1.4B budget surplus. The Responsible Budget Coalition’s data shows that a fair tax in Illinois would result in a tax cut for 90% of its residents. Under the current flat tax, the poorest 20% of Illinois residents pay 13%, and the top 1% in wealth pay just 4.6%. He urged everyone to contact their state representatives and demand a fair tax for Illinois. This Wednesday, the organization is presenting the People’s Budget Address in Springfield, to counter the Governor’s budget address.
LWVN Book Group News
Date: Fri., March 16, 2018 Time: 1- 3p Venue: Pancake Café, 75th St. and Rickert/West Streets February Title: “Tears We Cannot Stop”
Author: Michael Eric Dyson Join the discussion! Come join us for a cup of coffee or tea!
Guests are welcome! Note: Obtain the book from the Naperville Public Library or from a bookstore. Electronic versions are available through the library website on Overdrive and Axis 360. Visit: https://www.naperville-lib.org/
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