Action and Advocacy 2010

League of Women Voters^®
of La Plata County

Action_and_Advocacy_10

LWV La Plata County takes actions and advocates their positions on key issues based upon grass roots consensus at local, state and national levels.
To view Action an Advocacy items for 2007-2009, click the archive to your left.

Upcoming Events. LWV Action and Advocacy Policies. LWVLPC Advocacy Actions. LWVUS Convention 2010. LWVUS Action and Advocacy. LWVUS Positions. Program Planning. LWVCO Action and Advocacy. LWVCO Positions. LWVLPC Positions. Past Events.

Upcoming Events

LWV Action and Advocacy Policies

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause.
Positions result from a process of study. Any given study, whether it be National, State, or Local, is thorough in its pursuit of facts and details. As the study progresses, a continuing discussion of pros and cons of each situation occurs. Prior to the results of the study being presented to the general membership, study committee members fashion consensus questions that are then addressed by the membership.
Additional discussion, pro and con, takes place as members (not part of the study committee) learn the scope of the study. After the members reach consensus, the board forms positions based on that consensus.
Consensus -- the statement resulting from the consensus questions -- that becomes a position. Firm action or advocacy can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action/advocacy cannot be taken.

LWVLPC Advocacy Actions

* LWVLPC Action on CO state ballot initiatives 60, 61 and 101
LWVLPC Leaguers:
By now many of you have heard of the 3 fiscal measures that will be on the Colorado ballot this November. The League of Women Voters of Colorado has taken a position opposing these ballot issues, as have we in La Plata County. This is a lengthy email, but these are complex issues, so please bear with me if you are interested in what you can do.

Here is a quick synopsis:

Proposition 101: Reduces state income tax, rolls back transportation fees, eliminates telecommunication fees

Amendment 60: Repeals local "debrucing" elections; reduces school property tax rates by 50%, and mandates backfill by the state; requires "enterprises" and authorities to pay property taxes

Amendment 61: Mandates no State debt of any kind for any period; restricts local debt to 10 year max which must be voter approved in November election, and must be < 10 % of assessed property value

The consequences of these proposals are, without exaggeration, devastating for school districts, water, sewer and fire districts and authorities, roads and other infrastructure, healthcare and all social services, and higher education. Construction of the Durango Public Library, the Durango Recreation Center, and the Florida Road improvement project would not be possible. Even if most sectors (the justice system, Medicaid, prisons....) of the state general fund except for K-12 funding were reduced to a small fraction, or eliminated, there would not be enough in the budget to backfill the losses in school districts, leading to a choice by our local school districts among 3 terrible alternatives: large class sizes, school closures and elimination of arts, sports, and after school programs. These proposals restrict local control of our own budgets. They would require "enterprises" and authorities such as the DOW, Durango Fire and Rescue, Durango Public Library to levy fees on users in order to continue to provide services. Further, it is estimated that these measures would lead to the loss of 73,000 jobs state-wide, half of which are in the private sector, with many more jobs lost as a secondary effect.
To learn more click on http://www.lookingforwardcolorado.com and also check http://www.bellpolicy.org

Coloradans for Responsible Reform have launched a petition drive against Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101. If you believe that these measures will jeopardize our community, and that this is not the Colorado you want, please read and sign the petition:

http://www.donthurtcolorado.com/petition-sign-up
Talk to your colleagues, friends, family, neighbors.

Vote No on 101, 60 & 61 in the November General Election.
Ellen Park

LWVLPC Legislative Chair, and member of the La Plata County Fiscal Responsibility Information Committee

LWVUS Convention 2010

*6/28/10 LWVUS:CONVENTION ACTION

*6/15/10 LWVUS Report of Convention Action Tuesday, June 15, 2010

*6/14/10 LWVUS Report of Convention Action Monday, June 14, 2010

*6/13/10 LWVUS Report of Convention Action - Sunday, June 13, 2010

*6/12/10 LWVUS Report of Convention Action - Saturday, June 12, 2010

LWVUS Action and Advocacy

*Dear LWVLPC members,
As you know, the Supreme Court handed down a decision earlier this year that allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited advertising funds in candidate elections. The practical effect of the Citizens United v. FEC decision is that such unlimited spending can be done in secret. This means, for example, that when you buy a product, you will not know if part of the profits derived by the corporation may be spent supporting a candidate you oppose, or vice versa. We at least should have this information available to us so that we can choose whether or not to buy from that company.
We have received an Action Alert from national League regarding a new piece of Legislation which has been introduced in the House and Senate to require complete disclosure of corporate and union electioneering, known as the DISCLOSE Act -- "Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections". The League of Women Voters is strongly supporting this bill.
The DISCLOSE Act will create strong new disclosure rules, require more complete disclaimers by those running ads, bar election spending by foreign corporations, create clearer coordination rules, and prohibit election ads by large federal contractors or corporations that receive federal bailout funds. Now, even foreign corporations can purchase ads in an effort to sway voters, and they can do so secretly.
Please contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to support the DISCLOSE ACT by clicking on the link below, and typing your zip code in the box on the right.
Tell your members of Congress to support the DISCLOSE Act!
Thanks,
Ellen Park, LWVLPC Legislative Chair

*LWVUS 2010 Legislative Priorities (NEW)
After a review of congressional action in 2009 and a discussion of expected activity in 2010, the LWVUS Board of Directors has adopted the following Legislative Priorities for 2010: Global Climate Change, Health Care Reform, and Money in Elections (campaign finance reform).

On the Legislative Watch List are: Arms Control, DC Voting Rights, Election Reform, Ethics and Lobbying Reform, and UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This Watch List includes issues which need to be monitored for action opportunities in the 111th Congress.

It is understood that the Board will have opportunities to review the priorities throughout the year to make changes if the situation requires it. It should also be noted that DC Voting Rights and CEDAW are perennial legislative priorities that the LWV has worked hard for in the past and is committed to working for successful passage.

For a tally of the member recommended items for advocacy, see the Report on Member Recommended LWV Priorities for Advocacy 2010.

LWVUS Positions

* as of 12/9/09: LWVUS Positions in Brief

2010-11 National Program Planning

*1/26/10: 26 members and 2 guests of LWVLPC met on January 6, 2010 and agreed to submit the following National Program Planning recommendations to LWVUS for consideration at the 2010 LWVUS Convention.

*As is done every two years, the LWV of La Plata County is participating in the national (LWVUS) program planning process for 2010-2011.

In preparation for our LWVLPC local program planning meeting, we ask all local LWV-LPC members to click and review the following materials:

1. 11/18/09 LWVUS Program Planning Webinar
For additional information or questions on Program Planning, email progplan@lwv.org.

2. LWVUS Program Planning Leader's Guide 2007-2008

3. LWVUS Positions in Brief as of 12/9/09

4. LWVUS Impact on Issues 2008- 2010 can now be ordered from LWVUS for $7.00US.

LWVCO Action and Advocacy

LWVCO Positions

* updated June 2009: LWV-CO Positions in Brief

LWVLPC Positions

* updated June 2009: LWV-LPC Positions in Brief

Past Events

*1/7/2010: As is done every two years, the LWV of La Plata County is participating in the national (LWVUS) program planning process for 2010-2011.
Our initial all-member meeting on this subject will be held on Thursday, January 7 from 1-3pm at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Durango.
Please scroll to the 2010-11 National Program Planing paragraph below for more information concerning our local planning activities.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: August 13, 2010 15:47 PDT.