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VOTER-April-2010
Annual All-City Luncheon.
Co-President's Message.
Annual Meeting.
Local Heroes.
National Convention 2010.
Central Estuary Plan.
June Primary.
New Board Member.
Ranked Choice Voting.
Follow up on Redistricting.
Sandy Threlfall elected.
90th Anniversary.
Membership.
Hot Topics.
LWV Oakland 19th Annual All-City Luncheon
The League of Women Voters of Oakland Invites You to Attend Our
19th Annual All-City Luncheon
Wednesday, April 28
11:30 Registration and No-host Bar 12:00-1:30 Luncheon and Program
Public Safety and Public Schools
Meet the Head Honchos, Featuring
Anthony Batts, Chief of Police and Tony Smith, Superintendent of Schools
In Discussion with Belva Davis
Anchor of KQED's This Week in Northern California
Making Democracy Work Awards
Community Nominated Award Winners
The Pavilion at Scott's Seafood Restaurant
2 Broadway, Jack London Square, Oakland
The Annual All-City Luncheon is sold out.
Co-President's Message
Well, the Academy Awards are over and done, but the heady scent of awards and honors still lingers in the air. As you will read elsewhere in this issue of the VOTER, recently three of our LWVO members were honored by outside organizations: Bonnie Hamlin and Laurie Umeh were named "Local Heroes" of Jean Quan's City Council District, and Sandy Threlfall was inducted into the Alameda County Womens Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, the national League is encouraging local Leagues to apply for an award at the National Convention to be held in June. LWVUS wants to recognize the outstanding work of local Leagues in four areas: Pioneer, Online Engagement, Strengthening Democracy through Reform, and Connection with Community.
As you may know, League of Women Voters of Oakland has brought home awards from several League conventions in the past years. I would like to think that we have a good shot at winning one of those noted above. For example, our advocacy and very visible presence at City Council and other meetings on behalf of effective implementation of Ranked Choice Voting in Oakland certainly calls for recognition under Strengthening Democracy through Reform. Our expanding use of neighborhood and interest group bulletin boards and listserves to publicize Hot Topics meetings and other events might qualify for Online Engagement. It has been suggested that LWVO and the Piedmont League should apply together for an award based on our Civic Hosting program for the visitors from Kalmykia last fall. But the other two areas prompt some reflection and introspection. What has LWVO done recently that breaks new ground, or innovates? Can we call ourselves Pioneers? And how energetically and effectively have we reached out to Connect with the broader community around us? What can we do to become "award-worthy" in any or all of these areas? Do you think LWVO should apply for an award at the National Convention? What have we done that deserves to be recognized by an award, and what should we be doing now and in the future to make ourselves more award-worthy? We would really like to hear from you: please send your ideas to the LWVO office (info@lwvoakland.org) to be forwarded to the Co-Presidents.
Meanwhile, of course, let's not forget that ALL our members deserve to be recognized for everything they do to support the League and to help make democracy work. Everyone stuffing invitations into envelopes at the annual Luncheon mailing party, and everyone who spends two hours at a voter registration table outside Walmart, and everyone who brings a friend to a Hot Topics meeting (especially when that friend becomes a new member!), is a Local Hero in our eyes.
Save the Date for the Annual Meeting
The Oakland League's Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday evening, June 2, 2010, 6-8:30, at the Richard C. Trudeau Training Center, 11500 Skyline Blvd in Oakland. Enjoy dinner, an interesting speaker, and the opportunity to vote for next year's Board. See next month's VOTER for more information.
LWVO Members Named as "Local Heroes"
Each year Oakland Council Member Jean Quan asks the Oakland community to nominate and vote for "local heroes," community volunteers who have gone above and beyond in making a difference in our city. This year, four members of LWVO were among 45 people nominated as Local Heroes. As Jean Quan says in her weekly newsletter, all those nominated deserve to be considered winners for their successful efforts to improve their communities. The four members who were nominated were Ellen Ansel, Bonnie Hamlin, Barbara Newcombe, and Laurie Umeh. Of these, both Bonnie Hamlin and Laurie Umeh were voted winners. Their descriptions taken from Jean Quan's Web site follow:
Bonnie has been a quiet force for Oakland for years: A leader of the League of Women Voters, the Oakland Sister Cities, and with Montclair Presbyterian Church. She has been a steady voice for good government, transparency, and election reform. She works tirelessly and enthusiastically to provide voters with the best possible information. Through her work with Sister Cities and her church she helps people cross cultural and other boundaries to promote peace and understanding.
Laurie Umeh was an original member of the Friends of Courtland Creek, which oversaw the design and creation of Courtland Creek Park. (1990-97). She has since been the engine behind improving and maintaining the creek and park, in conjunction with city Staff and the High Street Neighborhood Alliance Steering Committee. Laurie has recruited volunteers and organized Earth Day and Creek-to-Bay workdays every year. Under her leaderhip, these volunteers have added new plants, cleaned up the creek and trail, added fresh coats of paint to worn features, and generally sustained the park.
Congratulations!
Coming Soon: National Convention 2010
The LWVUS Convention will be held in Atlanta June 11-15. The Convention theme this year is "Making Democracy Work A History of Change, A Future of Hope." LWVO can send four voting delegates, to be selected by our Board, but any League member is invited to attend as a non-voting participant and share in the excitement as we debate and adopt the 2010-2012 National Program. The Convention will also choose LWVUS officers, adopt a national budget, and debate proposed amendments to the LWVUS Bylaws.
The Convention site in Atlanta is the Marriott Atlanta Marquis, a recently renovated grand hotel near the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. Anyone who has been to a national convention will tell you it is an exciting and energizing experience, with local Leagues caucusing late into the night on Program proposals, often intensely debated issues on positions and advocacy, and the opportunity to meet and network with Leaguers from across the country.
We have budgeted funds to partially subsidize the costs of our four delegates. If you are interested in attending, please first check the LWVUS website for details, and then contact the LWVO office (info@lwvoakland.org) to give your name and information to the Board. The LWVUS website information is at: http://www.lwv/org. Click on "for members" (on the horizontal blue bar)and then on "council and convention" at the top of the lefthand column. The final deadline for registration is May 15th, but we hope to have our delegates selected and reservations made no later than the end of April.
Central Estuary Specific Plan May Be Headed for Council
The Central Estuary Specific Plan was scheduled to make its second appearance at the Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee on March 23rd. Its next stop is likely City Council. This plan will determine the development guidelines for the area from Union Point Park to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline Park, extending from the Estuary to the Freeway.
The preferred alternative coming from the community meetings combined some of the key points of the three original proposals. It promises that the Fruitvale District will be enhanced with both commercial and housing development, which will work to create a vibrant area to both live and shop. This is a reflection of Oakland's Green City goal in which housing, commerce and BART come together.
The League is concerned about the housing development proposed for an area that is currently industrial - the Tidewater area. Housing should be located within half a mile of public transit. The Tidewater area is more than 1.2 miles to Fruitvale BART. AC Transit has said that the population density would not justify bus service to the area. Putting housing in this industrial area violates the spirit of California's new law designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, SB 375 (2008). If the City of Oakland is to become known as the "Green City," this element should be removed from the proposed plan for the area.
The League of Women Voters supports multi-modal, efficient, convenient, cost-effective, equitable, safe transportation planned in concert with land use and viable alternatives to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and single-occupancy vehicle use.
We are also concerned that putting housing on industrial land reduces the already small amount of land in the city zoned for industrial use.
Are you ready for the June Primary?
The date for California's 2010 Primary Election is Tuesday June 8th. With 5 ballot measures and quite a few statewide elective offices, not to mention our local and regional ballot issues, we have much to consider and it's not too early to line up our resources. As League members, we're often the "go to" sources among our friends, family, and co-workers.
We are fortunate to have a number of resources to help us be informed and to help others be informed voters.
The always valued Pros and Cons which provides thoughtful analysis of the ballot measures will be coming in your May issue of the VOTER.
And the ever popular Easy Voter Guide will be available on line in 5 languages. http://www.easyvoter.org
FAST FACTS is a collection of generic information pages about understanding such issues as "How to Choose a Political Party" or the basics about "Ballot Measures". "FAST FACTS" is a new project from LWV California, you can download copies free (Spanish or English) now at http://www.easyvoter.org
Key Dates to anticipate:
- May 24, 2010 is the deadline to register to vote in this election.
- June 1 is the last day to request an absenttee ballot form you county elections office.
- June 8th is Election Day
Handy Non Partisan Resources to Share now
New Board Member
Megan Chenoweth was recently appointed to the LWVO Board by the co-presidents, with Board approval, to replace Libby Scaaf, who resigned from the Board. Megan is a senior systems librarian at Innovative Interfaces Inc., an Emeryville-based company that makes software for libraries, where she works in customer support and staff training and development. Originally from upstate New York, Megan earned a degree in anthropology from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and a master's in library science from Drexel University in Philadelphia. She joined the League of Women Voters of Oakland in 2009 out of her interest in local government and civic engagement. Apart from her involvement with the League, Megan is also interested in environmental causes, especially local and sustainable food systems, energy efficiency, and recycling. She has a personal vendetta against plastic bags and paper plates.
Megan has been an Oakland resident since 2006 and lives in the Piedmont Avenue neighborhood with her husband, John, an archaeology graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, and their two cats. In their spare time, Megan and John like to run, hike, cook, and enjoy the city's fantastic bars and restaurants.
Ranked Choice Voting
The June 8 primary election in Oakland will be different from past years. No candidates for mayor, city council, city auditor, city attorney, or school board will appear on the ballot. All of these offices will be filled in a single election+the general election on Tuesday, November 2--when Oakland will be using ranked choice voting for the first time.
Oakland has a program whereby candidates for mayor, city council, city auditor, city attorney, and school board can receive public funds for campaigning if they fulfill certain requirements. In 2010 for the first time the public funding program will operate in one election, rather than two. The city council has been considering three proposals for using this money in new ways. The League is not sure that the city should be considering using this money for new programs in light of the current budget crisis. The three proposals are:
- Use the public campaign money to help pay the cost of the new ranked choice voting system which the county Registrar of Voters will bill to the cities using it--Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro. The League supports this proposal because we put a high priority in starting ranked choice voting this year and the city budget provides few other sources to fund it.
- Double the amount available to candidates in the single election in which they compete. The League's March 1 letter opposing this proposal is on our website.
- Using public campaign money to fund a voter education program about ranked choice voting by offering grants to community nonprofits. The League's March 2 letter expressing concerns about the proposal is on the website. The proposal is being revised and will appear on the March 16 council agenda. The League expects to comment on the revision.
To find League letters on the website look under Action/Advocacy on the left side of the page.
Follow up on Redistricting (Proposition 11)
From LWV California
Redistricting Commission Moves Forward
Over 30,000 Californians applied to serve on the Citizens Redistricting Commission before the initial application period closed February 16. Public response at the end was so great--600 applications in one eight-hour period--that the State Auditor extended the deadline four days. Using webinars, workshops, and personal outreach, League members throughout the state enthusiastically recruited applicants. Now the Applicant Review Panel (ARP) begins the work of sifting through the applications to select pools of the most qualified candidates who represent the diversity of our state. Visit the Auditor's Web site to learn more and to watch webcasts of the public meetings of the ARP that began February 25.
Pop. 11 Observer Corps
LWV California is recruiting members from the Sacramento region and the Bay Area to be observers at the ARP meetings held in Sacramento. League members in all parts of the state are also needed it watch these hearings as backup, monitor press coverage, and prepare to observe the work of the commission in 2011. Training via webinar will be provided. The Observer Corps will act as an impartial watchdog to make sure the spirit and letter of Prop. 11 are followed, and will provide information about the process to the League and the public. Intersted? Want to sign up for this unique project that truly reflects the spirit of the League? Contact Chris Carson, LWVC Redistricting Program Director. Not a League member? Join the League and train to be part of the Corps.
Prop. 11 Threatened
Yes! You read that right! Even before the Citizens Redistricting Commission is implemented, forces are moving to get rid of it. The LWVC opposes the so-called FAIR Act initiative that would undo Proposition 11 by eliminating the Citizens Redistricting Commission and giving the authority to draw state Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization seats back to the legislature.
Although the official proponent of the initiative is UCLA law professor Daniel Lowenstein, the real force behind the measure is Rep. Howard Berman. Donations to qualify the initiative for the ballot have been made by members of Congress from California and former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. Tell your friends and family to refuse to sign petitions for this outrageous attempt to put redistricting back into the hands of politicians who want to continue to draw their own districts.
Sandy Threlfall Elected to Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame
Sandy Threlfall, an active member of the League of Women Voters of Oakland, has been elected to the Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame. Her nomination was based on her work with Waterfront Action, Inc., whose mission is to promote public access to the Oakland-Alameda Estuary and Lake Merritt through public awareness, education, and direct action.
The founding of Waterfront Action can be traced back to an LWVO study of the Oakland Waterfront in 1992. Sandy was on the study committee. In 1993 LWVO passed the study committee's recommendation to create a Waterfront Position. For the next 6 months the study committee, Virginia Hamrick, Susan Rich, Sandra Threlfall, and Richard Winnie, took a slide show "on the road" to let Oaklanders know that we are not just a waterfront city, but have one of the longest shorelines on San Francisco Bay. By the end of the "road show" there were people ready to help open the shoreline. From that group came the Oakland Waterfront Coalition, founded in April 1994. In 2003 Waterfront Action was formed by the merger of the Oakland Waterfront Coalition with Waterfront Roundtable, an organization that was formed in 1995 to implement and track specific waterfront improvement projects falling under the jurisdiction of the City of Oakland and the Port of Oakland. Among its major areas of interest are the promotion of full implementation of the Estuary Policy Plan and the Lake Merritt Master Plan. Sandy has been an active volunteer on waterfront issues since the LWVO's Waterfront Study began.
For more information about Waterfront Action, see http://www.waterfrontaction.org.
LWV Celebrates 90th Anniversary
The Oakland and Berkeley-Albany-Emeryville Leagues came together on February 19, 2010 to host a celebration of 90 years of civic engagement with the League of Women Voters. More than 100 guests attended the event at the Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland, including several elected officials and League members from across the East Bay.
The Oakland League's very own "artist-in-residence" Rita Sklar kicked off the evening with information about the Pro Arts Gallery and its involvement in the local arts community. Helen Hutchison, past president of the Oakland League, and Sherry Smith, vice president of the Berkeley-Albany-Emeryville League, then spoke about the history of the national League, focusing on the League's traditions, legacies, and accomplishments over the past 90 years. The party would not have been complete without a visit from our very own Nikki "Elizabeth Cady Stanton" Harris, who appeared in full period costume. Ms. Cady Stanton took us back in time to her involvement in the struggle for women's voting rights and brought to life one of the League's earliest champions. We were also very honored to be presented with commemorative proclamations from a number of state and local elected representatives and the proclamations will be proudly displayed in the League office.
Thanks to everyone in the Oakland and Berkeley-Albany-Emeryville Leagues who worked to make the event such a great success. Special thanks gos to Wine on Piedmont and J. Lohr Vineyards for donation of wine for the event, and to Safeway for donation of two beautiful 90th birthday cakes.
Membership
Please welcome these new members:
Celia Davis
Diane Latko
Emma C. Roos
Make the following Changes to the Roster
(changes are in your paper copy of the VOTER)
Roshana McChester
Leslie Smith
Hot Topics - Taking a Stand on June Ballot Measures
Monday, May 3, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
The five state propositions on the June 8 ballot cover some complex and controversial issues. We will review the background and details of the proposals with Marion Taylor who is editing the "Pros and Cons" online publication for the League. Then we will talk about the League's stands on the measures with Helen Hutchison who is leading the League's advocacy campaign as Government Director on the LWV California Board.
Redwood Heights Community Center
3883 Aliso Avenue
(off Redwood Road just below Highway 13)
Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our
webmaster.
Last revised: September 1, 2010 19:59 PDT.
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League of Women Voters of Oakland, California. All rights reserved.
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