THE VOTER Decembermber

2016

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T H E V O T E R

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

OF SONOMA COUNTY Volume 22 Issue 9 Visit us at www.lwvsonoma.org December 2016

It’s time for our

HOLIDAY PARTY

Join us for a sparkling afternoon with League Friends

Enjoy Mexican fare, wine and fine company

LaRosa Restaurant

500 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa

On Courthouse Square

Sunday December 11, 2016

2-4 pm

RSVP at 546-5943 by Monday, December 5

There will be a holiday giving tree for donations.

No charge for members.

THE VOTER Decembermber

2016

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Treasurer’s report: Letters of

acknowledgement and appreciation have been sent

out to several generous donors.

Nancy Burrington discussed her presentation

to a class at Sonoma State. The slide presentation is a

well done depiction of the history of the League.

Discussion on the cable franchise position. It is

obsolete and needs updating. Action will be taken to

address this.

The LWVC will be asking for inputs on positions

next year. We will need to review, update or drop

positions.

The nominating committee will begin to look to

fill upcoming Board positions.

Discussion on how to attract and expand our

membership. A subcommittee was formed to look at a

monthly meeting to generate more involvement.

The government guide needs updating. It was

decided to continue the printed as well as online

versions.

Discussion on the website maintenance. More

assistance is needed here.

In January, the Voter Services committee will

review and evaluate the many events that took place

this past election season to see what went well and

what needs improvement.

Planning discussion for the Election Autopsy

event for November 15.

Planning discussion for the Holiday party to be

December 11 at La Rosa from 2:00-4:00.

Respectfully submitted, Rebecca Jones

Coming Events

Holiday Party—LaRosa Restaurant

Sunday, December 11. 2016 2-4 pm

See page 1

Bay Area League Day, Save the Date

Saturday, January 28, 2017, 8:30 am - 3 pm

San Jose, CA

LWVC Convention

June 1-4, 2017, Sacramento, CA

Standing Meetings

Board Meeting:

1st

Wednesday, 10-noon.

Voter Service Committee Meeting:

1st Thursday, 10 am.

Note: No meetings in December

Advocacy Committee Meeting: 2

nd Wednesday, 10:30 am.

Book Club: 3

rd Thursday, 10:30-noon.

Note: No meetings in December

LWVSC meetings are held in the third floor

Conference Room at the LWVSC office, 555 5th

Street, Santa Rosa.

LWVSC Board meetings are open to all

LWVSC members, and to the public upon

request. All other meetings are open.

Visit our website for updated calendar

information.

THE VOTER Decembermber

2016

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From

Nancy Burrington

LWVSC President

Even though we did a very good job of informing

our community on the local candidates for

election and the plethora of state and local ballot

measures facing us in the November election, the

long national election left many of us with the

feeling that our core values were under attack. A

general feeling of despondency mixed with

anxiety seemed to be the feeling in our

membership after November 8. However,

setbacks like low voter turnout and efforts to

suppress the vote in areas of the country do not

change our mission. A question that arose and

was discussed at the “election autopsy” was the

League’s position on the electoral college. The

national conversation has again arisen since the

popular vote and the expected electoral college

vote are again out of sync. I thought it would be

instructive to print the League’s position since it

was one that was questioned at the gathering.

Also, I found the article by our national

president, Chris Carson, an inspiring message

and help in answering the question “how do we

move forward.” I hope you will find these

enlightening.

Statement of Position on Selection of the

President, as Announced by National Board,

January 1970, Revised March 1982, Updated

June 2004 and Revised by the 2010 Convention:

The League of Women Voters of the United

States believes that the direct-popular-vote

method for electing the President and Vice-

President is essential to representative

government. The League of Women Voters

believes, therefore, that the Electoral College

should be abolished. We support the use of the

National Popular Vote Compact as one

acceptable way to achieve the goal of the direct

popular vote for election of the president until the

abolition of the Electoral College is

accomplished. The League also supports

uniform voting qualifications and procedures for

presidential elections. The League supports

changes in the presidential election system –

from the candidate selection process to the

general election. We support efforts to provide

voters with sufficient information about

candidates and their positions, public policy

issues and the selection process itself. The

League supports action to ensure that the media,

political parties, candidates, and all levels of

government achieve these goals and provide that

information.

Next meeting on December 14 at 10:30 in the

League Conference Room.

Gene Zingarelli Advocacy Committee Chair action@lwvsonoma.org

THE VOTER Decembermber

2016

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By CHRIS CARSON, President of the US

League of Women Voters

Nov 4, 2016

As I sit here on the eve of this historic election, I

think about this moment and what it means for

our history. When the League of Women Voters

was founded in 1920, it was hard to imagine a

women would ever run for president, let alone be

at the top of a major party’s ticket. At the time,

only one woman had ever served in the U.S.

Congress. Jeannette Pickering Rankin of

Montana was in the House of Representatives

and actually voted for the 19th Amendment,

prohibiting any U.S. citizen from being denied

the right to vote on the basis of sex.

Since women won the right to vote, more and

more women have occupied our halls of power.

It’s taken a century of progress to get us to this

point. That sort of change takes time. It’s never

easy. Days or weeks or even years at a time, it

may feel like we’re at a standstill. But the kind of

change and equality that the League represents

are possible.

We need to remember that long journey as we

face our unfinished work. Today, we still

experience threats to voting rights. In 2013, the

Supreme Court rolled back key parts of the

Voting Rights Act, making it harder for millions

of eligible Americans to vote. These setbacks are

frustrating, but our past achievements show why

we need to keep working to ensure equality at the

ballot box.

Even as our hard work may seem like slow

going, across the arc of our country’s history,

we’ve sailed past so many milestones.

The right to vote — which so many men and

women fought and suffered for — is too often

taken for granted. When we vote today, we honor

that heritage. I think of our predecessors, the

suffragists and League founders and what this

moment would mean to them.

And what it does mean to them?

The League’s early days seem like a page out of

deep-rooted history. But think about this:

Thousands of women who were alive when the

19th Amendment passed — and when Mrs.

Rankin broke that barrier — are casting their

votes in this election. In their lifetime alone, we

have gone from getting harassed and beaten for

trying to vote to being on the eve of possibly

electing the first woman president of the United

States.

So even as our hard work may seem like slow

going, across the arc of our country’s history,

we’ve sailed past so many milestones. No matter

who we elect on Tuesday, the year 2016 will be

another remarkable chapter in that history.

Democratic National Convention, 1920

Sophia Horne and Elizabeth Hunnicutt getting

out the vote in Atlanta, Georgia, 1926

THE VOTER Decembermber

2016

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We gathered at Mary’s Pizza Shack on

November 15 to review our work during the

election and to consider what the elections

results suggest for our work going forward.

While the League maintains its policy of not

supporting candidates or parties, many

members expressed dismay at the level of

attacks on League core values that were in

evidenced in this past election. While we may

feel the temptation to retreat from the fray, we

are aware that we carry the legacy of our

founding sisters and the many others who have

fought and suffered to secure and extend the

vote. We realize that now, more than ever, it

is time for us to step up. We will need to fight

harder than ever to insure a democracy that

works for all and a government that protects

human rights and our environment.

Susan Dalton

Edie McAtee

Judith Levy

Melissa McCollum

Lanita Morrison

We’re so glad you’re

here!

Shared

friendship,

food and

drink, and a

lively

discussion

THE VOTER Decembermber

2016

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YOUR FACEBOOK FIX

Here are some interesting articles related to the election. They are not fake news because they

originate from the New York Times, LWV, and the Washington Post.

U.S. Officials Defend Integrity of Vote, Despite Hacking Fears

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/us/politics/hacking-russia-election-fears-barack-obama-donald-

trump.html?_r=0

The 2016 Presidential Election WAS Riggedhttp://lwv.org/press-releases/2016-presidential-

election-was-rigged

Two of the most prominent arguments for the electoral college are completely wrong https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/18/two-of-the-most-prominent-

arguments-for-the-electoral-college-are-completely-wrong/

So, you don’t want to wait a whole month for more interesting articles? Check us out on Facebook

and let us know what kinds of information you would like to see on our page. Like us on Facebook!

We'd be glad to be one of your friends!

Like us on Facebook! We'd be glad to be one of your friends!

No December meeting. Next Meeting--January 19

The group met in November for the great pleasure of discussing the many possible books for the

coming year, followed by an enjoyable lunch together. See

http://www.lwvsonoma.org/files/bookgroup2017.pdf

for the list of books that were chosen as well as a list of many other interesting books that were

considered.

Book for January:

Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting, by Leslie Stall

.

THE VOTER December

20160165

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LWVSC Board of Directors

Nancy Burrington, President

Open, VP Administration

Gene Zingarelli, VP Advocacy

Rebecca Jones, Secretary

Terry Wall, Treasurer Carrie Anabo, Membership Chair

DeeDee Bridges and Nancy Richards,

Media Outreach

Chlele Gummer and Lee Lipinski,

Voter Service

Anita Lytle, Program

Susan Rouder, Member-at-large

Juanita Roland, Editor

Because of privacy concerns, we do not include email addresses for the Board in the Voter. Readers can find email addresses in the directory or they can send email to Board Members from the contact us page of the LWVSC website. www.lwvsonoma.org

Connect with the League

LWVSC www.lwvsonoma.org

www.facebook.com/lwvsonomacounty

LWV of Bay Area http://www.lwvbayarea.org

LWV of California www.ca.lwv.org

LWV of the United States www.lwv.org

https://www.facebook.com/leagueofwomenvoters

Voter’s Edge http://votersedge.org/en/ca

Addresses of Members Only websites are in the front

of the LWVSC directory.

Remember to sign up for email alerts and

newsletters when you visit these websites.

Tell us what you think!

Send in your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Email, snail-mail, or call!

We want to hear from you!

THE VOTER December

20160165

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Become a Member of the

LWV of Sonoma County

or

JOIN

NOW

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DONATION

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555 5th Street, Suite 300 O Santa Rosa, CA 95401

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The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government

and influences public policy through education and advocacy. We do not support or oppose any political party or any candidate.

We do, however, take action on selected government issues in the public interest.

555 5th Street, Suite 300 O Santa Rosa, CA 95401 (707) 546-5943

The Voter is published nine times a year by the League of Women Voters of Sonoma County.