VOTER ARTICLES

League of Women Voters^®
of North and Central San Mateo County

Some Articles from Current Voter & Other Information

Membership Information, General Meeting and Board Highlights. Report From County League Day. County Residents Invited to Participate in Affordable Housing Week Activities. LWVC Says Yes on Proposition 15. San Mateo County Charter Review Committee Meetings. LWV Recommendations on the June 8 State Ballot Measures. Candidates Forum for County Supervisor. LWVUS Convention to Meet in Atlanta. High Speed Rail Update. Go Green! Get Your Voter Online. LWVUS Public Policy Positions 2008-2010. LWVUS on the Web. Next 10 and the Concord Coalition Unveil the "Federal Budget Challenge".

Membership Information, General Meeting and Board Highlights

GENERAL MEETING
PROS AND CONS OF THE JUNE STATE BALLOT MEASURES Tuesday, May 18, 7- 9 p.m.
Chetcuti Room, 450 Poplar Avenue, Library Plaza, Millbrae
Five propositions face voters on the June 8 primary election ballot. While campaigning for the candidates may be capturing the attention of most voters, advertising for at least two measures has been bombarding voters who turn on their televisions or radios. Are you confused by the ads? What do you know about the other three measures?
League members will present the pros and cons of the ballot measures at our general meeting on May 18. What are the provisions of the measures? If a measure passes, how will it affect you or our communities? Will it make a change in the way our state is governed? Do you know what is in the fine print? What are the supporters and opponents of the measures saying? The meeting is part of our voter service program, and its purpose is to inform members and the public about the provisions and arguments on both sides of the measures, not to promote the League's positions.
Join with fellow League members to get the facts about the measures and answers to your questions about the choices you must make in June. The meeting is open to the public and League members are encouraged to invite friends and neighbors. Better yet, invite someone to come with you. The Pros and Cons publication is included in this Voter, and more copies will be available at the meeting. Speakers are available for other groups on request. __________________________________________________

Election Resources Available
Pros and Cons and Easy Voter Guides are now available in the League office. Because libraries and other groups can now order directly, fewer Easy Voter Guides were ordered for this election. These election materials will be distributed at our meeting and by speakers for various groups. Call or e-mail the League office if you have a suggestion of where to distribute or need copies.
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See Voter for member Handbook Changes
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SAVE THE DATE FOR
ANNUAL MEETING Saturday, June 5, 8:45 a.m. + noon Oyster Point Yacht Club 911 Marina Boulevard, South San Francisco
Our annual meeting will begin with registration and breakfast at 8:45 a.m. The breakfast includes scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, bacon, sausage, ham, breakfast casserole, home-fried potatoes, assorted fruit and pastries, and beverages.
At 9:30 a.m., we will hear an update on Bay Area Water Transit. Speakers include Leamon Abrams, Manager, Public Affairs; and John Sindzinski, Manager of Planning; of the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) They will inform us about the plans for more extensive ferry service on San Francisco Bay. The meeting will take place at the Oyster Point Yacht Club, overlooking the new ferry terminal.
At 10:45, we will convene our business meeting (the only one for the general membership during the League year). Your participation is important as we set the direction of the League during the next twelve months. Guests are welcome to attend the business meeting, but they may not vote.
The cost for the Annual meeting breakfast (incl. tax and gratuity) and registration is $25. The deadline for reservations is Friday, May 21. The Annual Meeting kit with registration flyer will be mailed to members in early May. For more information, call the League office, 342-5853.
LWVUS Convention June 15
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The LWVC is rolling out a new tool to help you stay active on important issues that build strong communities. If you have not subscribed to LWVC Action Alerts, be sure to visit the LWVC's Act Now! page. Just click on Act Now! at http://ca.lwv.org, and complete the subscription form. You can also indicate the League priority topics that interest you.
If you have already signed up, make sure to update your profile with your mailing address, so you won't be left out when we have action opportunities targeted to specific officials in your area. Check the Act Now! page often so you'll be in the know about advocacy on the League's key issues.
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Board Highlights
At its April 2010 meeting, the Board:
--Reviewed the Treasurer's report
--Approved the motion to recommend for approval the 2010 + 2011 budget with amendments to balance the budget to the membership at the annual meeting
-- Approved the grammatical changes in the League's local positions that do not affect the substance of the support positions
--Reviewed the Nominating Committee Report
-- Discussed the program for the April meeting on water
-- Discussed the annual meeting which will be held at the Oyster Point Yacht Club
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San Mateo County Budget Idea Forum
San Mateo County expects to see a General Fund deficit of more than $150 million in the 2010-2111 fiscal year. Revenues continue to stagnate and costs increase. To promote community engagement and involve the public and employees in helping to solve the budget crisis, the County is offering an opportunity for you, as citizens of San Mateo County, to offer your suggestions. Ideas must contribute to the efficiency, economy or improvement of County operations or services. To access the forum, go to http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/portal/site/SMC. _______________________________________________
Many Thanks to League Donors
Thank you to our members who have responded to our 90th Anniversary Solicitation letter.
Donors to our General Fund: Frances M. Ashley, Jean S. Atkins, Linda Bailey, Kathleen M. Brown, Jack and Ruth Kahoun, Jean J. Kohn, Ann Kuchins, Sylvia M. Payne, Cynthia Robbins-Roth, Karlyn M. Schneider, Leah Schultz, and Jackie Speier.
Donors to the LWVC Education Fund for our League: Raj and Beth Bhatnagar, Kathleen M. Brown, Lorene Church, Ann Kuchins, Jean Matsuura, Cynthia Robbins-Roth, Sherrean Rundberg, and Leah Schultz.
Additional donations are always welcome. Note that some donors gave to both the General Fund and the Education Fund. Thanks again to those who have already donated.
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Guide to Government
Many thanks to Karen Bertrand, our Administrative Vice President, who has been working to update the Guide to Government web Web site. She recently completed entering entry of current information about local officials in our county. Federal and state officials must be updated by the LWVC team, and this work should be completed shortly.
The Guide to Government Wweb site was an outgrowth of the Smart Voter project, designed after people asked to be able to find year-round information about their local governments all in one place. As on the SmartVoter Wweb site, people can obtain a complete list of all the officials and districts that affect them simply by typing in their own address.
We have refrained from publicizing this Wweb site because the siteit has had outdated information. However, when the update of state officials is complete, we hope to publicize it as another League resource. There are bookmarks, similar to the Smart Voter bookmarks, that can be distributed to libraries and other places. When all the updates are completed, we will alert you to check out http://www.guidetogov.org.
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Preparing for the Annual Meeting
The League's annual meeting is our one business meeting of the year. This is when members elect officers and directors, adopt the annual budget, adopt local program for the ensuing year, and consider any amendments to the bylaws. Notification of items to be acted on must be sent to members at least 20 days before the meeting, and committees are now working to prepare these proposals in time for publication in the annual meeting kit. Please consider what you can do to help the following committees and their members. You will find contact information for the committee members as well as a copy of the bylaws in your Member Handbook.
Nominating Committee (See Bylaws, Article IX)
Joan Neff was elected chair of the nominating committee at the last annual meeting, along with members Kathy Everitt and Barbara Rucker. Beth Bhatnagar and Afsoon Shahrdar are the board members appointed to the committee. This year, nominations are needed for administrative vice president, voter service vice president, and treasurer, as well as three directors to serve two-year terms and one director to fill a vacancy created by a resignation during the past year. Members will also elect the nominating committee chair and two members of the committee for one-year terms. Any member may send suggestions to the nominating committee and all members are encouraged to do so. Please consider serving on the board yourself. Don't forget that you may nominate yourself.
Bylaws Committee (See Bylaws, Article VI, Sec. 4, and Art. XIII)
Members are welcome to submit suggestions for amendments to the League's bylaws. You will find a copy of the bylaws in the 2009-2010 Member Handbook. Any proposed amendments must be submitted at least two months before the annual meeting. The bylaws were thoroughly reviewed when the two Leagues merged and adopted new bylaws, and the requirements for notice of annual business meeting were amended in 2008. Members of the bylaws committee are: Chair, Kathy Everitt, Ruth Kahoun, and Don Jacobberger. Send any suggested amendments to Kathy Everitt or any committee member.
Budget Committee (See Bylaws, Art. VII, Sec. 3 and 4)
One of the League's most important committees is already working to prepare a budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The budget is a planning tool that reflects the goals, priorities, and activities the League hopes to undertake in the coming fiscal year. The committee seeks input from the board and the members about such activities and projects for the next year, provides a projection of anticipated expenses, and analyzes what income will be available to fund the activities.
The committee must submit a balanced budget to members at the annual meeting, so this is a particularly difficult job. There are fixed expenses for the maintenance of the office, service to members, and support for the other levels of League. However, the League's purpose is to provide service to the community, and the budget must include a level of income to finance our outreach, voter service, action, all the activities that are the reason that we joined the League. Your suggestions are welcome and may be submitted to any member of the budget committee: Chair Linda Jansen, Shirley Roberson, and Don Jacobberger. The budget must be submitted to the board at least two months before the annual meeting, so your early suggestions are encouraged. Linda Jansen, Budget Committee Chair
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When was the last time you visited lwvba's http://www.bayareamonitor.org? It has a new, eyecatching look, with online subscription signup, frequent news and updates, and regional resources. Check it out!

Leagues in Action
To find current information about advocacy and action activities by LWVUS and LWVC, we recommend the following Web sites and links:
Health Care - League action and background http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Health_ Care1
Also use links to Voter-ready articles and Get informed on same page. Climate Change http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Global_ Climate_Change&CONTENTID=13387&TEMPLATE=/ CM/ContentDisplay.cfm
State Finance Reform; Taxation Fairness http://ca.lwv.org/lwvc/action/letters/2009-07- 15taxation.pdf
http://ca.lwv.org + at home page hit Issues, then Redistricting and Governmental reform

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Report From County League Day

(Thanks to Shirley Des Marais and Evan Hughes, LWV South San Mateo County)
During the business meeting, chaired by Jamie Shepard, President of the LWV South San Mateo County, those attending:
-- discussed an updated version of the county positions, presented by Jackie Jacobberger, Jamie Shepard and Ellen Hope.
-- decided that we would not recommend any new positions or studies.
-- agreed to recommend the Issue of Emphasis for 2010 as follows: Education on land use, housing and transportation and their interrelationships.
-- heard that changes to our county positions must be approved by both Leagues at their Annual Meetings this spring and members will receive information in their Annual Meeting Kits.
-- agreed on the need for increased communication between the county Leagues, for example, between our local action chairs and Voter editors.
-- discussed a need for a county committee that would be involved in transportation, including High Speed Rail. California State Senator Joe Simitian was the featured speaker. He discussed the low ratings of government in polling results, despite the hard work and good intentions that he sees from both parties within the Legislature. He suggested that the public's surprising disapproval of the perceived process of government rather than the results may be due to clever and effective design of political attacks, but may have real substance due to (1) failures to be candid with voters, (2) failures to tie issues to people's daily lives, and (3) the way that the Internet has enabled very coarse language about those with whom one disagrees.
To improve relationships with opponents in the Legislature, he suggested two rules:
"Just Ask" someone on the other side to join together on something where there is good chance to agree, even if not a major issue.
"Leave a nickel on the table." When you could get your way by pushing your advantage, grant a concession anyway. It will improve your chances to win on other items where you can-not just force it through.
On steps to fix the system, he suggested ending super-majority rules such as the two-thirds requirement for budget and taxes in the State Legislature and the 60 percent rule in the U.S. Senate. One result of these requirements is that the majority now ends up looking inept and government gets nothing done. An election may be won but the winner cannot govern. He concluded his prepared remarks with a surprising quote from Chicago's Mayor Daley: "Good politics is good government, and good government is good politics."
The question and answer session covered a number of topics, including:
-- The initiative system and reforms such as making it "indirect" via legislative review
-- Water: subsidies, economics, environment issues, agriculture, Northern versus Southern California, the Delta, governance
-- Revenue sources for the State, the economy, jobs, and CEQA exemptions
-- SB 810's revival and healthcare issues
-- Financial markets' rating of State bonds
-- Reforms to California's constitution and government processes: the constitutional convention approach versus the incremental ballot measure approach.
-- Transportation budget cuts and the need for transit to get people to jobs
-- High speed rail

County Residents Invited to Participate in Affordable Housing Week Activities

A wide variety of activities are scheduled for this year's Affordable Housing Week May 8 - 15 at various locations throughout the Peninsula. Sponsored by the Housing Leadership Council and underwritten by Wells Fargo Bank, the week's schedule opens May 8 with a bus tour focusing on the northern segment of El Camino Real's Grand Blvd. plan. The tour, set from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., begins at the South San Francisco BART station. It is hosted by the Green Belt Alliance and the San Mateo County Transit District. Other scheduled events are:
Monday, May 10: 9 a.m. to 12 noon San Mateo County Supportive Housing Information Workshop Tuesday, May 11: 9 a.m. San Mateo County Board of Supervisors officially proclaim Affordable Housing Week Wednesday, May 12: 11:30 a.m. to. 1:30 p.m. Annual HEART luncheon featuring speaker David Cush, CEO of Virgin American Airlines Thursday, May 13: 11 a.m. to 1p.m. Grand opening of trestle Glen Apartments built by Bridge Housing for 119 low-income working families near the Colma BART station. Thursday, May 13: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Housing program featuring developers, planners, and elected officials who will explain how to overcome barriers to create livable affordable and sustainable communities without heating up the planet Friday, May 14: 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. HLC legislative breakfast to discuss the implementation of SB375 which is intended to ensure mitigation of greenhouse gases on a regional basis Saturday, May 15: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Foreclosure Prevention Resource Fair. Resources and counseling for homeowners facing foreclosure will be available at this fair in South San Francisco Saturday, May 15: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Habitat for Humanity Homebuilding Event. Help build homes and lives in Daly City. Learn about Habitat's amazing work and put in a little sweat equity at the same time.

LWVC Says Yes on Proposition 15

The League of Women Voters of California has endorsed Proposition 15, the California Fair Elections Act, on the June 8 ballot. The League's position states:
"Huge amounts of money are raised in California politics, giving special interests unfair influence and access and shutting out the rest of us. Proposition 15 takes an important step toward getting politicians out of the fundraising game. It is a pilot project to make voluntary public financing available to candidates for Secretary of State in 2014 and 2018. Only candidates showing broad support and agreeing to strict reporting and spending limits would receive funding. Violators would face fines, possible jail time, and prohibitions from running for office in the future. The pilot program would be funded primarily by fees on lobbyists, lobbying firms and lobbyist employers, with no taxpayer dollars going to candidates. Proposition 15 will allow elected officials to start focusing on the public's interest, instead of returning political favors to their campaign donors."
San Mateo County has an active Working Group supporting the Proposition 15 campaign, and we are looking for more volunteers to help us pass this important act. Currently, we are working on four areas:
1. House Parties to inform your friends and neighbors about Prop 15.
2. Phone Banks to call voters asking for pledges to vote "Yes on 15".
3. Tables at events, including the local farmer's markets, college campuses, grocery stores, and art festivals.
4. Letters to the Editor
We are also looking for events where a speaker may talk about Prop 15 and additional events to attend and setup a table with materials. We are particularly interested in adding North County and Coastside events. The Working Group can provide speakers and materials for these events.
Join the San Mateo County Working Group to help pass Proposition 15 on June 8! Help us to support elections that big money can't buy!
To sign up or for more information, please contact Susie Raye, Coordinator for San Mateo County, at sraye94402@yahoo.com or (650) 685-1945. For more information on Proposition 15, see http://www.YesFairElections.org.

San Mateo County Charter Review Committee Meetings

The San Mateo County Charter Review Committee continues its meetings throughout the county (see last month's Voter). The schedule of meetings, materials, and even video recordings of each meeting are posted on the Charter Review Committee's Web site:
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/CharterReviewCommittee.
Some upcoming meetings:
Wed., May 5, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, South San Francisco Municipal Services Building Wed., May 19, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, 455 County Center, Room 101, Redwood City

LWV Recommendations on the June 8 State Ballot Measures

PROP 15 California Fair Elections Act SUPPORT Huge amounts of money are raised in California politics, giving special interests unfair influence and access and shutting out the rest of us. Proposition 15 takes an important step toward getting politicians out of the fundraising game. It is a pilot project to make voluntary public financing available to Secretary of State candidates in 2014 and 2018. Only candidates showing broad support and agreeing to strict reporting and spending limits would receive funding. Violators would face fines, possible jail time, and prohibitions from running for office in the future. The pilot program would be funded primarily by fees on lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist employers, with no taxpayer dollars going to candidates. Proposition 15 will allow elected officials to start focusing on the public's interest, instead of returning political favors to their campaign donors.
PROP 16 Imposes New Two-Thirds Voter Approval Requirement for Local Public Electricity Providers OPPOSE Proposition 16 would amend the state Constitution to require a city or special district that provides electricity to obtain the approval of two-thirds of the voters before expanding its service territory or providing new service to its customers if public funds are involved. Two-thirds approval by the voters would also be required for a local government to buy power at wholesale prices to sell to residents through a Community Choice Aggregation program. The LWVC opposes this supermajority vote requirement that would allow a minority to prevent decisions on electric supply favored by a majority of the people to be served. PG&E, the largest for-profit utility in the state, is the sole sponsor of Prop 16 and would benefit from this measure's stifling of competition. The impact would be fewer choices and thus higher rates for consumers, and fewer opportunities for local agencies to offer renewable green power.
NO RECOMMENDATION ON THE OTHER MEASURES ON THIS BALLOT
PROP 13 Limits on Property Tax Assessment. Seismic Retrofitting of Existing Buildings The League generally supports regular, frequent reappraisals for property tax purposes, and this measure excludes certain construction from reappraisal. However, considering the public safety benefit of encouraging seismic retrofits, we remain neutral on this proposal.
PROP 14 Top-Two Candidate Open Primary
PROP 17 Auto Insurance Pricing
Because League positions do not cover the issues in Propositions 14 and 17, the LWVC has no stand on them.

Candidates Forum for County Supervisor

With term-limits requiring County Supervisor Rich Gordon to end his service representing District 3 on the County Board of Supervisors at the end of the year, five candidates have filed to take his place. Our League will moderate a candidates forum for them on Wednesday, April 28, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Fireside Room of Seton Coastside Hospital, 600 Marine Blvd, in Moss Beach. The Midcoast Community Council is co-sponsoring the event.
The five candidates are Matt Grocott, Jack Hickey, Don Horsley, Michael Stogner, and April Vargas. The election will take place on June 8. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in June, there will be a runoff election between the top two vote getters in the November election.
The public is invited to come and submit written questions to ask the candidates. If you do attend, please park in the upper parking lot of the hospital and not in the emergency room lot.

LWVUS Convention to Meet in Atlanta

The LWVUS will hold its biennial convention in Atlanta, GA, Friday, June 11 through Tuesday, June 15, at the Marriott Atlanta Marquis. At the League's national convention, delegates debate and adopt program, budget, and amendments to the bylaws, and elect officers and directors for the next biennium.
Our League is entitled to three delegates and, at its March 8 meeting, the board elected Jackie Jacobberger, Don Jacobberger, and Kathee Tyson to represent our members. While we are entitled to only three voting delegates, other members are welcome to attend as visitors. There will be a variety of workshops and training opportunities. Observing the plenary sessions is a great way to learn more about the League and how the organization sets its priorities for the next two years. To learn more about the convention or see the basic schedule, check the LWVUS website at lwv.org. Click on For Members in the blue bar, then on Convention and Council in the drop-down menu.

High Speed Rail Update

Our March 16 meeting gave us a lot of information about California's High Speed Rail program, funded in part by Proposition 1A in November 2008. On April 8, the California High-Speed Rail Authority released the Alternatives Analysis for the Peninsula section of the HSR line. It tells what alternatives are being considered,such as whether tracks will be elevated, at grade level, or below grade level, as the tracks pass through each city. You can download the report from http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov. Look under "What's New" in the middle of the home page for the PDF of the April 8 release. You can find out what alternatives have been ruled out and what are still under consideration in your area. Alternatives for our cities are in sections 4.3.3 through 4.3.5.
Your input and comments on the analysis are encouraged, to optimize the impact of high speed rail through the Peninsula. Comments should be directed to: Robert Doty, California High-Speed Rail Authority, 925 L Street, Suite 1425 Sacramento, CA 95814 Attn: San Francisco to San Jose Section Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report Comments. Comments can be received by the Authority through regular U.S. mail, via email with the subject line "San Francisco to San Jose Section Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report Comments" sent to comments@hsr.ca.gov, or by facsimile transmission to (916) 322-0827. Comments should be submitted by June 1, though the sooner your comments are received, the sooner they can be incorporated in decision making.

Go Green! Get Your Voter Online

We want to take advantage of our Web site for disseminating information. It's already a place you go to for election and current event information.
Now you can count on the site to read the current VOTER.
So in an effort to limit the number of items we mail and to limit our impact on the environment, we would like to send the VOTER to you electronically. Just send an email, with your preferred e-mail address, agreeing to replace this VOTER with an e-mail version to the LWVNCSMC at lwvncsmc@sbcglobal.net.

LWVUS Public Policy Positions 2008-2010

Representative Government Promote an open governmental system that is representative, accountable and responsive.
Voting Rights Citizen's Right to Vote. Protect the right of all citizens to vote; encourage all citizens to vote. DC Self-Government and Full Voting Representation. Secure for the citizens of the District of Columbia the rights of self-government and full voting representation in both houses of Congress.
Election Process Apportionment. Support apportionment of congressional districts and elected legislative bodies at all levels of government based substantially on population. Campaign Finance. Improve methods of financing political campaigns in order to ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office and promote citizen participation in the political process. Selection of the President. Promote the election of the President and Vice-President by direct-popular-vote and work to abolish the Electoral College. Support uniform national voting qualifications and procedures for presidential elections. Support efforts to provide voters with sufficient information about candidates.
Citizen Rights Citizen's Right to Know/Citizen Participation. Protect the citizen's right to know and facilitate citizen participation in government decision making. Individual Liberties. Oppose major threats to basic constitutional rights. Public Policy on Reproductive Choices. Protect the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.
Congress and the Presidency Congress. Support responsive legislative processes characterized by accountability, representativeness, decision-making capability and effective performance. The Presidency. Promote a dynamic balance of power between the executive and legislative branches within the framework set by the Constitution.
International Relations Promote peace in an interdependent world by working cooperatively with other nations and strengthening international organizations.
United Nations Support a strong, effective United Nations to promote international peace and security and to address the social, economic and humanitarian needs of all people.
Trade Support U.S. trade policies that reduce trade barriers, expand international trade and advance the achievement of humanitarian, environmental and social goals.
U.S. Relations with Developing Countries Promote U.S. policies that meet long-term social and economic needs of developing countries.
Arms Control Reduce the risk of war through support of arms control measures.
Military Policy and Defense Spending Work to limit reliance on military force. Examine defense spending in the context of total national needs.
Natural Resources Promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest.
Natural Resources Promote the management of natural resources as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems.
Resource Management Promote resource conservation, stewardship and long-range planning, with the responsibility for managing natural resources shared by all levels of government.
Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the ecosystem, with maximum protection of public health and the environment.
Air Quality. Promote measures to reduce pollution from mobile and stationary sources.
Energy. Support environmentally sound policies that reduce energy growth rates, emphasize energy conservation and encourage the use of renewable resources. Land Use. Promote policies that manage land as a finite resource and that incorporate principles of stewardship. Water Resources. Support measures to reduce pollution in order to protect surface water, groundwater and drinking water. Waste Management. Promote policies to reduce the generation and promote the reuse and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes. Nuclear Issues. Promote the maximum protection of public health and safety and the environment.
Public Participation Promote public understanding and participation in decision making as essential elements of responsible and responsive management of our natural resources.
Agriculture Policy Promote adequate supplies of food and fiber at reasonable prices to consumers and support economically viable farms, environmentally sound farm practices and increased reliance on the free market.
Social Policy Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice and the health and safety of all Americans.
Equality of Opportunity Equal Rights. Support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and efforts to bring laws into compliance with the goals of the ERA. Education, Employment and Housing. Support equal access to education, employment and housing.
Fiscal Policy Tax Policy. Support adequate and flexible funding of federal government programs through an equitable tax system that is progressive overall and that relies primarily on a broad-based income tax. Federal Deficit. Promote responsible deficit policies. Funding of Entitlements. Support a federal role in providing mandatory, universal, old-age, survivors, disability and health insurance.
Health Care Promote a health care system for the United States that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all U.S. residents and controls health care costs.
Immigration Promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business and employment needs of the United States; be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises; and provide for student visas. Ensure fair treatment under the law for all persons. In transition to a reformed system, support provisions for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status.
Meeting Basic Human Needs Support programs and policies to prevent or reduce poverty and to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families. Income Assistance. Support income assistance programs, based on need, that provide decent, adequate standards for food, clothing and shelter. Support Services. Provide for essential support services. Housing Supply. Support policies to provide a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.
Child Care Support programs and policies to expand the supply of affordable, quality child care for all who need it. Early Intervention for Children at Risk Support policies and programs that promote the well-being, development and safety of all children.
Violence Prevention Support violence prevention programs in communities.
Gun Control Protect the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Support regulation of firearms for consumer safety.
Urban Policy Promote the economic health of cities and improve the quality of urban life.
Death Penalty The LWVUS supports the abolition of the death penalty. Whatever the issue, the League believes that efficient and economical government requires competent personnel, the clear assignment of responsibilities, adequate financing, coordination among levels of government, effective enforcement and well defined channels for citizen input and review.

LWVUS on the Web

The correct website for the LWVUS is lwv.org. Several of our members have typed in http://www.lwvus.org and were perplexed at not finding information about the League of Women Voters.
The LWV California website is http://www.lwvc.org (this will go to http://www.ca.lwv.org.)

Next 10 and the Concord Coalition Unveil the "Federal Budget Challenge"

Frequent stories about our state budget woes have been on the front page of newspapers and featured in television news reports. At our November meeting, we heard from Fred Silva of California Forward about reforms that are being proposed to address some of the systemic fiscal problems in our state.
Three or four years ago, Next 10 developed the California Budget Challenge as a tool to educate and engage more Californians about the tough choices that must be made in developing the state budget. Now, Next 10 and The Concord Coalition are offering a new online simulation that lets users make policy decisions and take steps to try balancing the federal budget. It is similar to the California Budget Challenge in that there is an explanation of how each choice affects the budget, and users can see the arguments for and against each option. Try it out at http://www.federalbudgetchallenge.org
Go to http://www.next10.org for Next 10's latest publications. The 2008 version of the California Budget Challenge is at http://www.next10.org/budget/challenge/html.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: June 23, 2010 15:52 PDT.