Published by the League of Women Voters Moscow P

Published by the League of Women Voters-Moscow P.O. Box 9535 Moscow ID 83843 Vol. 50, No. 3 (Spring 2004) Web site: community.palouse.net/lwvm moscow memo President: Karen Falke 882-8338 karen@uidaho.edu MEMO Editors: Judy Brown jlbrown@turbonet.com Louise Barber louiseb@moscow.com End of the Year, End of a Term Looking back on the past year, the League of Women Voters of Moscow has had a good year. From the welcome back potluck in the fall to the upcoming annual meeting there have been many wonderful programs. We have learned about diversity at the University, various activities of the Moscow Parks and Recreation department, the Latah County Historical Society, and toured the Paradise Creek Regional High School. This, along with visits from our legislators, has made it a full year. A BIG THANKS to you. Amy Ford, Nance Ceccarelli, Sally Fredericks, Margaret Littlejohn, Sue Hovey, Beth Seale, Dick Fredericks, Andrea Beckett, and Louise Barber. They have worked hard for this group and they have been an outstanding team, which I have thoroughly enjoyed working with. I consider it an honor to have served as president of this wonderful group. I will be passing the gavel on to Amy Ford at our annual meeting, to be held May 12th at Louise Barber’s, beginning at 6:30pm. See you there. PROPOSED AGENDA -- SUMMER/FALL 2004 Summer Start of Review on Education Position Table at Farmer’s Market once a month Fall Back to League Weekly noon meetings Nancy Hosack Award Register Voters at High School and UI Homecoming Parade float (Mock Election theme) Mock Election Fall Forum Peas and Lentils Sales Finance Drive I also would like to say thanks to all of the League's Board members this past year: Karen Falke Call to Council, June 5 - 6 State Council will be held in Coeur d’Alene this year. Our League is entitled to three delegates and regardless of whether we have all three, we must pay for all three. Let’s get our money’s worth! Moscow League will be presenting a program on Mock Election. If you are interested in going to Council, please contact Amy Ford at 882-7065 or amystoneford@yahoo.com. From here on in, this newsletter is all business -- fun and games another day. We have work to do, ladies and gentlemen! READ ON!! ____________________________________________________________________ NOTICE FOR VOTE Bylaws Revision and Position Statement Review Development of Nonpartisan Statement and Diversity Policy The Bylaw/Position Statement Committee met in January and February of this year to review and revise the Bylaws and to make recommendations on the retention of each Position Statement and Continuing Study. The Board approved the Bylaws and Position Statement recommendations in March. Members will be asked to vote to accept the bylaws and position statement recommendations at Annual Meeting on May 12. The rationale/justification for changes or board recommendations are bracketed following each item. In addition, it was also recommended by LWV-ID and the LWV-US regional director that a more specific nonpartisan statement be developed. The committee also decided to develop a diversity policy as well. Both have been approved by the board and are included. Please read them so you can vote on them at Annual Meeting. Committee members were Joan Klingler, Kay Keskinen, Kathleen Warnick, and Amy Ford and the Board thanks them for their fine effort. ________________________________________________________________________________________ PROPOSAL FOR A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF THE LWV-IDaho EDUCATION POSITION STATEMENT TO ADDRESS CURRENT ISSUES For Consideration and Vote at Annual Meeting May 2004 EDUCATION IN IDAHO (Current LWVID position) Support for Revision of the state school fund distribution formula to achieve greater equalization of the educational opportunity and tax burden; support for increased state funding for public schools; support for kindergartens, career and vocational education, and special education; support for reducing the supermajority required to pass bonds. During the 2003 state convention, there were four issues that the League wanted to address but delegates to the convention were not sure that the current position was comprehensive enough to justify a vote on those issues. Those issues were 1. Matching state funding for public school buildings 2. Support for training and remediation for Idaho’s achievement standards 3. Support for early childhood education 4. Opposition to tax credits or vouchers for private and parochial schools Moscow League has been asked by the state board to 1. Look at the position as it stands for adequacy in light of the current situation 2. Look at the issues listed above to see if they are covered by the position 3. Decide which issues are a priority for study 4. Decide which issues we can find study materials for. Study process: • review the current position and its supporting materials and determine whether those materials can still support the position or if they need to be updated. Requires retrieving the material from State archives. • determine if the current position and its supporting studies are adequate to address the 4 issues. • rank by importance the study of any issue that is not covered by the current education position and offer justification for that ranking • determine if materials exist to study those issues and where they might be accessed, and if possible to provide those materials for study. • frame the studies needed if the position is inadequate and make recommendations to the LWVID board. The task would need to be completed by early fall with recommendations to the state board by January 05. ________________________________________________________________________________________ POSITION STATEMENTS AND CONTINUING STUDY After-school Activities for Youth Study Following two years of study, the League of Women Voters of Moscow has come to consensus concerning after-school activities for Junior High and High School youth: • There should be youth involvement in all phases of the planning and execution. • Youth (7th grade through 12th grade) need a program of varied activities available daily. • The location of these activities needs to be at an established site(s), dedicated solely to youth. • The Youth Centers should have broad community support and be administered by a public entity. If the center is a Boys and Girls Club, it should be administered by a broad-based community board. • There should be separate facilities or separate focus areas for Junior High and High School students. • Appropriate activities should be available. • Center hours should correspond to the ‘free time’ of those it serves. Consensus adopted: May 8, 1996 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, 02/11/04: RETAIN [Justification -- Activities for Youth It was suggested to keep this position for the time being. It is a recent position (1996). Dwight Curtis, who is the new Recreational Director for the County, will be submitting a Master Plan of the recreational facilities and programs and new proposals for both within the next few months. The committee suggested that we hold off on our recommendations on this position until Curtis’s comprehensive study can be reviewed. At that time, if the committee feels that the position has been satisfied, we can debate whether we need to retain it. So action on this position was tabled. There was a discussion about the title. It was suggested that “After School” and “study” be taken out. There is evidence that the study was originally named “Activities for Youth” and that name should be retained. “Study” is not needed.] ________________________________________________________________________________________ Moscow Mountain The League of Women Voters of Moscow supports management for recreational, educational and biological values of the portion of Section 16 on Moscow Mountain remaining at present in state endowment lands, plus an additional 20-30 acres needed as buffers for the old cedar grove and picnic areas. The League supports ownership status for this land that will best attain the management objectives. Adopted May 1993 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATON, 02/11/04: RETAIN [Justification -- Moscow Mountain It was suggested that we keep this position for the time being. The situation with Section 16 of Moscow Mountain is in flux. The section is administered by the Department of Lands, and they want quite a bit of money to sell it. Gov. Kempthorne, the Department of Lands, and the Nature Conservancy met in late January to work this out. Kempthorne directed his legal counsel to develop a set of alternatives for a resolution that would allow Section 16 to remain pristine. The committee felt that the current position statement was valid given the current situation.] ________________________________________________________________________________________ School-Age Child Care The League of Women Voters of Moscow supports school-age child care (SACC). Specifically we support: • Central coordination available to all members of the community for information and support regarding SACC; • Providing parents with information and connections with parents of their own children’s peers; • Group opportunities and direct adult supervision targeted to children Kindergarten through grade 3, using a school facility; • Providing 4th through 6th grade children with adult supervision with varying levels of independent activity; • Providing children with easy access, including transportation, to events, classes, and care providers; and (School-Age Child Care continued) • Encouraging local businesses to recognize and support their employees in meeting their child care needs. Consensus adopted: March 1, 1995 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, 02/11/04: RETAIN [Justification -- School-Age Child Care. The committee recommended retaining the position on School-Age Child Care. It seemed appropriate and relevant.] ________________________________________________________________________________________ Rehabilitative Programs in the Idaho Criminal Justice System (an LWV-ID study) Following one and one half years of study, the League of Women Voters of Moscow has come to consensus on the recommendations which resulted from the study of the question: Do rehabilitative programs in the Idaho criminal justice system increase or decrease the likelihood of felons re-offending? This study of this question was part of a LWV Idaho state study. • The legislature should appropriate funding to maintain a professional staff to administer, train, deliver, and evaluate rehabilitative, educational and transitional programs in the Idaho criminal justice system. • The legislature should appropriate funding to provide dedicated facilities and space for rehabilitative, educational, and substance abuse treatment programs in correctional institutions and districts and to establish halfway houses in the communities. • Funding should be appropriated to institutionalize essential data collection and measurement protocols rather than relying on grant money to maintain such systems. • Funding of programs should be directly linked to the number of offenders so that availability can fluctuate with the prisoner population. • Mechanisms should be put into place so that contractors, including private prison operators, can be held more immediately accountable for the programs they deliver. Consensus adopted: May 2001. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATON, 02/11/04: RETAIN [Justification -- Rehabilitative Programs in the Idaho Criminal Justice System The committee recommended retaining the position. This is part of a state study. It was noted that the state study has a different position statement than Moscow’s.] ________________________________________________________________________________________ County Planning The Moscow League of Women voters studied County Planning at a series of meetings in September and October, 1970. Following the study, League expressed this consensus: The Moscow League of Women Voters supports the concept of County Planning. The League is concerned that particular attention be paid to these areas: 1. Coordination of planning and zoning enforcement by County, City, University, and region. 2. Consideration of soil characteristics in assigning land-use to prevent the best farm land being covered by concrete and houses. 3. Provisions to discourage strip commercial and motor business development. 4. Orderly development of mobile home areas through a separate mobile home ordinance or explicit regulations in the proposed zoning ordinance. 5. Disposal of junked cars. 6. Regulation of size, height, number, and type of signs. 7. Continuation of planning after the adoption of the Ordinance and Plan. Consensus adopted: 1970 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, 02/11/04: DROP [Justification --County Planning It was suggested that the position on County Planning be dropped. The study and position were adopted in 1970 which was prior to the Comprehensive Plan that the county adopted in 1994. Most of the concerns stated in the position are now covered either by the Comprehensive Plan or by ordinances that have been adopted. One of the concerns that is not now covered in the Comprehensive Plan is “Contained Animal Feeding Operations” (CAFOs), which are a problem in Southern Idaho. After consultation with LWV-ID, it was concluded that we did not need to develop a specific position on CAFOs because the state League had made CAFOs an action item under its environmental position. We would be able to use the state’s position to speak out on any CAFO that might be proposed in Latah County. With that covered, we all felt the current position could be dropped.] ________________________________________________________________________________________ Alternative Schools The League’s position on alternative schools is as follows: “The League of Women Voters of Moscow supports the establishment of an alternative school to serve dropouts, discouraged learners, non-traditional students and other at-risk youth, with the goal of teaching basic skills, vocational education and/or college preparation leading to the attainment of either a high school diploma or a GED.” No date of adoption available. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, 02/11/04: DROP [Justification -- Alternative Schools After noting that the Alternative School had gotten a new name, Paradise Creek Regional High School, the committee recommended that we drop the position on the Alternative School. The aim of the position had been met. The statistics used in the study may no longer be valid so whatever new situation may arise with the Alternative School, we would need to restudy the issue in order to support a new position.] ________________________________________________________________________________________ CONTINUING STUDIES Cost of Drug Abuse in Latah County COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, 02/11/04: DROP Justification -- Cost of Drug Abuse to Latah County. At Annual Meeting, 2002, a member proposed a new study to try to quantify the cost of drug abuse to Latah county. In a vote of the membership, the study was adopted. The committee was chaired by the member who proposed it, Gary Young. Members Liz Sullivan and Anne Marie Goldstein, and later, Winifred and John Dixon volunteered to serve on the committee. Though a good deal of material was gathered, the committee lost both its chair and two of its members. In its review of the Cost of Drug Abuse study, the Bylaw/Position Statement committee queried both Liz and Anne Marie about the progress of the study. It was concluded that finding a realistic cost of drug abuse to Latah County was not feasible unless a tremendous amount of time and energy were to be put into it. The real costs were so well integrated into society, that we have no truly statistically significant way to measure or charge drug costs. The Bylaw/Position Statement committee also discovered, in the course of reviewing the old bylaws, that the adoption of this study by the membership at the annual meeting in 2002 was in violation of the old bylaws, specifically Article IX, Sec. 3: In other words, in order for members to vote on a proposed study at Annual Meeting, the board would have had to consider it two months prior to the annual meeting regardless of (Cost of Drug Abuse continued) whether the board approved it or not. So voting on the Cost of Drug Abuse in Latah County at Annual Meeting was not consistent with the requirements of the Bylaws. It was for all these reasons that the bylaw/position statement committee voted that this study be dropped. ________________________________________________________________________________________ League of Women Voters of Moscow Idaho Diversity Policy The League, in both its values and practices, affirms its belief in and commitment to diversity and pluralism, which means there shall be no barriers to participation in any activity of the League on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, national origin or disability. The League recognizes that diverse perspectives are important and necessary for responsible and representative decision-making. The League subscribes to the belief that diversity and pluralism are fundamental to the values it upholds and that this inclusiveness enhances the organization’s ability to respond more effectively to changing conditions and needs. The League affirms its commitment to reflecting the diversity of Moscow in its board and programs. Approved by the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Moscow March 31, 2004 ________________________________________________________________________________________ League of Women Voters of Moscow Idaho Nonpartisan Statement The League of Women Voters acts in support of, or opposition to, selected governmental issues which its members have studied. It does not support or oppose candidates, factions or political parties. However, League members as individuals—with the significant exception of certain League officers—are urged to work in the political party of their choice. In order to protect the League's nonpartisanship policy, guidelines regarding the political activities of the Board of Directors are reviewed frequently. The Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Moscow adopts the following guidelines for League members: • The League will avoid publicly discussing and implying bias concerning candidates or political parties during League functions, including board and membership meetings. The Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Moscow adopts the following guidelines for board members: • Elected Office: The President and Voter Services Chair shall not run for, or hold, any elective office. Other board members shall not run for, or hold, state elective office, but may run for a nonpartisan local office. If the President or Voter Services Chair runs for state or local office, he/she must resign from the board. The board will appoint a replacement to serve out the term of that position. Political Party Office: The President and Voter Services Chair shall not serve in any position in a political party. If the President or Voter Services Chair obtains a position with a political party, he/she must resign from the board. The board will appoint a replacement to serve out the term of that position. Political Campaigns: The President and Voter Services Chair shall not take an active, visible role in, or make a financial contribution to, any political candidate’s campaign. A visible role includes such activities as displaying political yard signs or using bumper stickers, writing letters to the editor in favor of one candidate or party over the other, or appearing in publicly displayed lists as a supporter of a candidate. The political activity of a spouse or relative of a board member are to be considered separate and distinct from the activities of the board member. Approved by the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Moscow Date 03-31-04 • •