February 19 meeting to focus on city`s new comprehensive plan

The Corpus Christi Area
Voter
League of Women Voters
PO Box 8276
Corpus Christi, TX 78468-8276
http://www.lwv-cc.org
361-445-4436
LWV-CC Officers, 2014-2015
President - Sandra Heatherley
814-9120; [email protected]
Secretary - Michele Villarreal
Kuchta; 882-4555, lawofficemvk@
yahoo.com
Treasurer - Maria Jimenez
888-7560
[email protected]
Vice President, Program
Elena Buentello; 438-2481
[email protected]
Vice President,
Community Relations
(vacant)
Vice President, Member Services
Chris Davis Garcia, 991-2784
[email protected]
Directors:
Sally Farris, (210) 313-7028
[email protected]
Coretta Graham, 815-8346
[email protected]
Matilda Saenz: 214-240-5655
[email protected]
OFF-BOARD CHAIRS
Nominating Committee
Pam Maupin, 949-8708
[email protected]
Website Editor - Lois Huff
774-1500; [email protected]
The VOTER Editors
Ricky Walraven; 992-8031;
[email protected]
Chris Davis Garcia, 991-2784
[email protected]
February 2015
February 19 meeting to focus
on city’s new comprehensive plan
This month we will have an informative program on the City
of Corpus Christi’s new comprehensive plan, PlanCC2035,
scheduled for Thursday, February 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at
the Del Mar College Center for Economic Development at 3216 S.
Staples (at Kostoryz).
Our speaker will be Annika Gunning, Project Manager and local liaison to the planning efforts. She will discuss the purpose of
Plan CC, goals, policies, strategies, implementation and schedule
of adoption.
If you would like to order a sandwich box lunch, prepared by
the DMC Catering Department, please contact 361-445-4436 to
reserve your lunch. The cost is $10. For those who want to attend but not eat, that’s fine. You may bring your own brown bag or
snack if you like.
August 21 set for Equality Day Celebration
August 21 has been selected for the date of our Women’s Equality
Day Celebration recognizing the 95th Anniversary of the LWV
We are asking all of our members to save the date and share
the information regarding this celebration as soon as the Steering
Committee has finalized our plans. The Steering Committee is
calling for more volunteers to help plan and execute this event. If
you are interested in helping, some of the areas needing leadership are:
(Please see Celebration, page 5)
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan, political
organization, encourages informed and active participation in
government, works to increase understanding of major public
policy issues, and influences public policy through education
and advocacy.
February 2015
1
THE VOTER
President’s Message
By Sandra Heatherley
Just exactly what is
Lobby Days?
It’s an
opportunity for
League members
from every
Texas chapter of
LWV to gather
for education,
networking, and
Sandra Heatherley
conversation with our locally elected state
representatives and senator. The first day’s
session begins at 1 p.m. on Monday, February
23, and will feature:
• Remarks by Chad W. Dunn of Brazil &
Dunn, legal counsel for the lead plaintiffs
in the Texas Voter ID litigation
• A water panel featuring Dr. Andrew
Sansom, Director of the Meadows Center
for Water and the Environment at Texas
State University, and David Phillips, a
fracking and water use expert
• Remarks by The Hon. Alma Allen, Texas
House of Representatives, District 131
• Remarks by Kathy Miller of the Texas
Freedom Network
That evening League members will pay
a tribute to the late Senator Ray Farabee at
the Making Democracy Work Dinner at the UT
Alumni Center. Mr. Farabee was scheduled as
the featured speaker before his death November
20, 2014. Senator Farabee’s sons, Steve and
David Farabee, will co-host the event and Steve’s
wife Karen Farabee of Austin is co-chairing the
event.
Senator Farabee helped the League pass
garnishment of wages for child support legislation
in the 1980s. He also achieved mental health
code reform, juvenile justice improvements
(taking juveniles out of the adult prison system),
and passage of a bill allowing state agencies
to maintain daycare facilities on the premises
for employees. Texas Monthly selected him
as a BEST LEGISLATOR for five consecutive
sessions.
On Tuesday morning, February 24, we will
all caucus in the state Capitol and discuss our
talking points related to the issues of:
• Online voter registration
• Funding for high-quality public education
• Funding for and access to health care,
including family planning services
• Responsible Water Management Planning
and improved environmental protection
After the caucus we all fan out in the
Capitol building to speak to our local state
representatives. This is the true “work of the
league” and a real opportunity to influence our
representatives and their staffs with facts to
support our positions. Please consider joining
our delegation which at this writing has only three
persons planning to attend. Information on how
to sign up and who to contact for ride sharing is
elsewhere in the VOTER.
As we prepare for our annual meeting in May,
a nominations committee has been formed with
Pam Maupin chairing and Chris Garcia, Ruth
Falck, and Alex Garcia serving as committee
members. In the coming months you may be
contacted by one of these folks and asked to
consider serving a specific office in LWV-CC.
Please be ready to respond in the affirmative and
help us maintain the strength of our local League.
The vacancies for officers appear on page 5.
THE VOTER
2
February 2015
Members plan to attend Lobby Days Feb. 23-24
More than 70 League members from around the
state of Texas­—including LWV-Corpus Christi
President Sandra Heatherley and members
Chris Davis Garcia and Linda Snider —plan to
participate in the LWV-Texas Lobby Days on
Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 23 and 24, in Austin.
Registration is $10 per person and can be
paid on-line at the LWV-TX website.
Lobby Days, sponsored by the League of
Women Voters of Texas, will include presentations at the state Capitol on Monday afternoon,
advocacy workshops, a special banquet on
Monday evening, and an advocacy workshop on
Tuesday morning, followed by visits with legislators to talk about League priorities.
LWV-CC will call on State Senator Jose
“Chuy” Hinojosa (D) and State Reps. Todd Hunter
(R) and Abel Herrero (D). All three participated in
the League’s legislative interview program and
are strong supporters of the League and its mission.
A block of rooms is being held by LWV-TX at
the La Quinta Austin Capitol, located downtown,
through Sunday night, Feb. 8, but that deadline
may be extended.
Rooms are $139 plus tax, and the cost applies to from one to four individuals per room. If
you are interested in lodging, call 1-866-527-1498
and identify yourself as a member of LWV-TX
(confirmation number 09071417).
The hotel has a free breakfast of waffles, hot
and cold cereals, pastries, juice, milk, and coffee.
Free Internet access also is available. Only valet
parking is offered at $12.99 per night.
For additional information about Lobby Days,
call Chris at 991-2784.
Renewals, Thank you
Y Women in Careers Banquet
Linda Fallwell-Stover
Linda Snider
set for Thursday, March 5
The Y Women In Careers Award recognizes
women in the Coastal Bend for their professional
accomplishments. Since 1979 the YWCA has
honored 253 exceptional honorees who stand
out in their career field through this award. These
women are very deserving of recognition and
serve as role models for young girls. Community
and business organizations are invited to reserve
a table seating eight individuals.
As one of the YWCA’s major fundraisers, Y
Women In Careers offers invaluable support for
the YWCA programs and communicates the vital
role the YWCA plays in our community. The Y
Women in Careers banquet will be held Thursday, March 5, at the YWCA on Corona Drive. A
reception for this year’s honorees will be at 6
p.m., with table seating at 6:30 p.m.
This year’s honorees are Barbara A. Cana-
Advertising Renewals,
Thank you
Farmers’ Market
State Rep. Todd Hunter
Screening Colonoscopy
Please see YWCA, page 4
February 2015
3
THE VOTER
Response to Citizens United stirs campaign-funding talks
By Elizabeth MacNamara,
LWVUS President
Last week marked the 5th anniversary
of Citizens United, and this week we saw the
announcement that the fund-raising machine
run by the Koch brothers intends to raise and
spend more money on the upcoming presidential
election than the two major political parties. The
response at the national level has ranged from
calls for more disclosure and strict coordination
rules to abolition of candidate contribution limits
to allow the parties and candidates to compete
with these independent efforts.
The League’s Money in Politics Committee has been hard at work. A reading list has
been posted to help our members and others
understand the legal and political underpinnings
of the rise of independent political actors.
While the decision in Citizens United did
not create this phenomenon, it certainly turbocharged the spending by these shadowy outside
groups. In addition to educating ourselves, the
League is working to limit the influence of dark
money. Last year, the League submitted comments to the IRS on its proposed rule strictly limiting the political activity of 501(c) (4) organizations.
Those comments were highly praised and while
YWCA
les, Attorney at Law; Sandra Clement, Ed.D.,
Principal, Foy H. Moody High School, CCISD;
Keely R. Hunsaker, DDS; Lillian Riojas, Director,
Refinery Public Affairs, Valero; Carie A. Roach,
Executive Vice President, Borden Insurance;
Roxanne Robertson, DDS, Orthodontist, owner,
Star Orthodontics; and Lifetime Achievement
Award to Lena Coleman Wilson, Executive Direc-
the IRS withdrew the proposed rule, we expect
that there will be another attempt to control 501(c)
organizations in the near future. The League also
commented on new FEC rules and will continue
to comment as the FEC engages in rulemaking to
address not just Citizens United but the McCutcheon decision as well. The League expects that in the 114th
Congress there will be legislation addressing the
worst abuses, and we must continue to push for
reforms like disclosure, limits on coordination,
and public financing for congressional elections.
Money in politics is a pervasive problem at all
levels of government, and while the prospects
for passing meaningful reform now may be bleak
in Congress, opportunities to make inroads at
the state and local level do exist. The League
can play an important role in making our politics
more transparent and more responsive to voters.
In the end, the only lasting antidote for
floods of money in our elections is floods of
voters at the polls. The League’s outstanding
work in registering and informing voters
continues to be, as it has for the past 95 years,
the best approach to Making Democracy Work®!
From Page 3
tor, the LC Foundation.
Seats are $80 per person ($90 after Feb. 27).
LWV-CC President Sandra Heatherley asks that
any League member who might want to attend
the banquet and purchase an individual ticket
let her know as soon as possible so that if eight
members are interested, LWV-CC could reserve a
table and all League members could sit together.
THE VOTER
4
February 2015
Celebration
•
•
•
•
•
•
From page 1
marvelous celebration and recognition of women
in our community who have been Trailblazers
in Making Democracy Work. Plan to join in and
share with your friends!!
Program Planning
Sponsor solicitation
Decorations
Silent Auction
Program and invitation printing
Publicity
If you want to help. Please plan to attend our
next steering committee meeting on February
16th at 518 Dolphin Pl. at 5:30 p.m. It will be a
Nominations committee 2015
On the ballot:
·
President (2 years 2015-2017)
·
Treasurer (2 years 2015-2017)
·
Vice President Public Relations (2 years 2015-2017)
·
Secretary (1 year 2015-2016)
·
Director (2 years 2015-2017)
·
Chairman, Nominations Committee
Continuing in Office:
·
Coretta Grahm, Director until 2016
·
Matilda Saenz, Director until 2016
·
Chris Garcia, Vice President of Member Services until 2016
Term expiring:
·
Director, Sally Farris
·
President, Sandra Heatherley
·
Treasurer, Maria Jimenez
·
Vice President of Public Relations, Bryan Bode
·
Secretary, Michele Villarreal-Kuchta (appointed in 2014)
·
Chairman, Nominations Committee, Pam Maupin
Please cut out and return to League:
********************************************************
Questionnaire on Program Planning
for 2015-2016
LWV-CC needs your input for Program planning
in the coming year. Our Bylaws provide an
opportunity for local members’ responses
and suggestions on topics or issues in local
government that the League could study or
highlight/discuss for membership programs.
At the League’s Annual Meeting, Program
recommendations are considered and confirmed
by vote.
Previous Program topics have included:
Environmental Sustainability; Improving
Educational Attainment; Bayfront Development;
Economic Development; Beach Access.
As a local resident active in the community,
what are the top three local issues on your list?
Please identify them below by general title and
a specific aspect (examples: County Jury Pool
(need to streamline process); City Government
(funding for infrastructure); City Services for
Homeless (programs in place to help mentally ill).
1.
2.
3.
Your Name __________________________
Contact Information __________________
__________________________________
Any of the incumbents or retiring
officers listed above is eligible to run for
one of the vacant offices. If they agree to
do so, then the office they currently hold
will be open and on the ballot.
February 2015
Please mail to the League at: League
Program Response, PO Box 8276, Corpus
Christi, TX 78468 or bring with you to the Feb. 19
membership luncheon.
********************************************************
5
THE VOTER
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
PO Box 8276
Corpus Christi, TX 78468
Space
LWV Corpus Christi
Renewal / New Membership Application
is available for
Join now and help in the effort to promote
political responsibility through informed,
active participation in government.
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VOTER—$100 for 10
Type of membership:
issues.Call the League at
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445-4436 for details
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(Please circle your preference above.)
Home phone____________________________________
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Please return this form to: League of Women Voters
P. 0. Box 8276, Corpus Christi, Texas 78468.
Membership is from June 1 through May 31.
Volunteer to Teach an Adult to Read!
Corpus Christi Literacy Council
Dr. Mary V. Gleason
Executive Director
4044 Greenwood Dr.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Phone: 361-826-7086
Fax: 361-826-7083
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ccliteracy.org
THE VOTER
6
February 2015
Give Someone the Gift of Reading: Become a Tutor
Corpus Christi Literacy Council
Mary V. Gleason
Executive Director
4044 Greenwood Dr.
4044 Greenwood Dr.
Phone: 361 857-5896
Phone:
361-857-5896
Fax: 361 857-5898
Fax:
361-857-5898
[email protected]
[email protected]
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