VOTER Newsletter – April 2014 - League of Women Voters of

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Volume 63 Number 4 You are cordially invited to our ANNUAL MEETING
Saturday, April 26, 2014 Deer Creek Country Club 2801 Country Creek Blvd, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 9:30 a.m. – Registration and Continental Breakfast 10:00 a.m. – Business Meeting 12:00 noon – Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Somy Ali, Founder and President, No More Tears Featuring Good Partner Award and College Scholarship Recipient Ticket – $40.00 Check must be received by April 19th NAME ____________________________________________________________ PHONE ___________________________________ Check one _____ Chicken Marsala _____ Red Snapper Francaise _____ Pasta Primavera, Sautéed Vegetables, Alfredo Mail Form and Check for $40 to: League of Women Voters P.O. Box 15952 Plantation, Florida 33318-­‐5952 Call 954-­‐735-­‐1311 for more information LWV Broward County VOTER 63(4) April 2014 1 L W V
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President’s Message Greetings everyone! National Volunteer Week is April 6-­12. The week is dedicated to “inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities.” It just so happens that the League of Women Voters offers its members year-­‐round opportunities to do just that! As League members, we: • Conduct voter registration drives • Educate and inform citizens on important issues -­‐ from healthcare and climate change to ballot amendments • Help provide information to voters through our telephone hotline • Advocate positions on public policy based on impartial League studies • Stay informed about issues that directly affect us and our community • Sharpen our skills in leadership, communications, networking, public speaking, and more These are just a few reasons to get engaged and get involved! We are encouraging all members to attend Annual Meeting this year and bring a friend. The Florida state League is asking every League member to recruit one additional member between now and June 1. Our state president, Deirdre Macnab, asked in an email to the membership on March 19, What Could the League Accomplish If We DOUBLED Our Power? As Deirdre went on to say, “…the League of Women Voters of Florida is one of the most effective and respected civic organizations in the state. Just in the last few years, we have: secured fairer redistricting standards in the state Constitution, fought back against statewide voter suppression laws, challenged the state's egregious voter registration restrictions, raised awareness about healthcare access in Florida, and advocated against attempts to sell state-­‐owned conservation land and privatize our public schools, but just imagine how much more we could accomplish if we DOUBLED our resources and our membership.” Annual Meeting is a great way to introduce a spouse, relative, friend or co-­‐worker to the League. Bring a guest and come hear our keynote speaker, Somy Ali, founder and president of No More Tears, a non-­‐profit organization that provides assistance to victims of domestic violence. See you there! LWV Broward County VOTER 63(4) April 2014 Lynne Joshi -­ President, LWVBC 2 L W V
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Voters Service Registering voters is one of the League’s most important services. Congratulations to those members who completed the online training and passed the LWVFL voter registration exam. We encourage every LWVBC member to complete the training and exam; additional training materials are available for those who request it. Thanks to Joann Aye, Scherry Donato, Kathy Turner-­Stephenson, Elaine Garver and John Simon for assisting with voter registration at the most recent Affordable Care Act presentations. This was an excellent opportunity to get in some voter registration “hands on” training. Candidate and Referendum Forums: •
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Carol Smith moderated a Candidate Forum for the three candidates vying for the Lauderdale-­By-­The-­Sea Town Commission on March 4. Bernadette Revicky moderated a Charter Amendment Forum for the City of Lauderdale Lakes on March 4. The event was very well attended and provided an excellent opportunity for voters to learn about the pros and cons of reducing the number of members of their commission. Broward County Supervisor of Elections: •
The SOE home page contains important information on the 2013 Florida Legislative Changes to Election Laws in Brief. Read to learn about changes concerning Absentee Ballots, Early Voting and signature comparison. We cannot be too informed when it comes to our voting rights. Voter Information Cards: New Voter Information Cards have been mailed to all Broward voters. PLEASE CHECK -­‐-­‐ YOUR PRECINCT NUMBER OR POLLING PLACE MAY HAVE CHANGED. Be sure you save this card. Scholarship information and the application are now posted on the League, Broward Schools, and Broward College websites. Please encourage any graduating Broward High School senior who is planning to attend Broward College to apply as soon as possible. Broward College Opportunity Scholarship: LWV Broward County VOTER 63(4) April 2014 Laura Simon -­ Voters Service Chair (h) 954-­‐430-­‐5234 (c) 954-­‐668-­‐4763
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ACA Workshops – A Success Story When the Supreme Court declared the Affordable Care Act constitutional, the LWVBC Board of Directors took action to bring factual information regarding the healthcare act to citizens in a form they could use. Now that the project is over, and we can take a breath, we’d like to tell you more about the details of its phenomenal success and perhaps brag a little. LWVBC partnered with AARP and the Broward County Library system to hold free ACA 101 workshops in all 31 public libraries throughout the county. Workshops included a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and a Q&A period. Virtually, all demographic were reached through the presentations including Hispanic, African-­‐American, Creole, LGBT, and low-­‐income populations. When ACA 101 attracted the attention of a U.S. Representative who requested we present 11 additional workshops, we said, “Sure,” and worked in coordination with 15 other groups. Navigators were added to these Phase II presentations to assist citizens with individual enrollment issues. In addition to the original 42 workshops, 14 other organizations and clubs requested presentations. The workshops were a rewarding way to engage nearly 1,500 people who, during the six months of our presentations, gained factual information about a complex government program. When attendees expressed concern over Florida’s refusal to expand Medicaid, we provided our popular Directory of Elected Officials. Responses to our presentations were overwhelmingly positive. A librarian from a low-­‐income neighborhood exclaimed that “We have never had so many people appear for a program ever before.” Twenty-­‐eight League members and 7 AARP members volunteered to speak, assist, or register voters. The League was fortunate to have great partners in this endeavor. Because the LWVBC enjoys a long-­‐term positive relationship with the Broward County Library stemming from the League’s instrumental support for a countywide library system, all 31 public libraries provided space and support for ACA 101 workshops. AARP, which has traditionally been involved in healthcare coverage, provided two training sessions as well as an informative PowerPoint. In addition, the American Library Association was proactive in providing ACA information to citizens. The cooperation established a unique mutually beneficial three-­‐way partnership that provided each organization with resources the others did not have. Workshops were publicized through the library monthly newsletters and the county government website. League flyers, press releases, and email blasts were distributed to press outlets, League members and friends, elected officials, legislative delegations, homeowner associations, churches, government buildings, city mayors, and staff. Newspaper and broadcast outlets announced the workshops. We participated in a radio talk show interview and we accessed social media such as Facebook and Twitter to promote the workshops. Of course, there is no way we could have carried out such an ambitious project without our enthusiastic members who gave their energy and time. For you, we are grateful. Come to the Annual Meeting in April when we will present AARP with our Good Partner Award. And don’t forget to watch for future projects that you may want to get involved in. Jane Gross – Treasurer LWV Broward County VOTER 63(4) April 2014 4 L W V
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Date
Friday April 4 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Event
Brown Bag Luncheon Sea Level Rise: County & City Solutions Florida Atlantic University MetroLAB -­‐ Reubin O'D Askew Tower 220 SE 2nd Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL Wednesday -­ Friday LWVF Legislative Summit & Council of Leaders Tallahassee, FL April 9 -­11 Tuesday April 22 Earth Day Saturday April 26 9:30 am Deer Creek Country Club 2801 Country Blvd Deerfield Beach, FL Saturday May 17 9:30 am LWVBC Annual Meeting and Luncheon Board of Directors Meeting -­‐ LWVBC Office 5101 NW 21st Avenue, Suite 450 Fort Lauderdale, FL LWV Broward County VOTER 63(4) April 2014 6 L W V
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WANT TO GET INVOLVED? CALL OR EMAIL A BOARD MEMBER
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[email protected] a
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Welcome New Generosity
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Members! Thank you to Elayne Garver, Carol Smith, and Sheila Andrea Simon – Steinberg who made Pembroke Pines donations in the memory of F
Nancy McKay – Muriel Cohen and Betty Fort Lauderdale Gustafson. Your support is greatly appreciated R
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The VOTER is a newsletter published ten times a year by N
The League of Women Voters Broward County If you wish to submit articles to The VOTER, LWVBC, you can send them to: Jane D
Koszoru, Editor, 81 SE 11 Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 email: [email protected]. Or -­‐ Lynne Joshi, President – email: [email protected] S
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Lynne Joshi President 302-­‐521-­‐7741 [email protected] JoAnn Maggied 1st VP 954-­‐725-­‐6442 [email protected] Harriet Mathis 2nd VP 954-­‐563-­‐3685 [email protected] Bernadette Revicky 3rd VP 954-­‐566-­‐3940 [email protected] Elayne Garver Secretary 954-­‐471-­‐1355 [email protected] Jane Gross Treasurer 954-­‐791-­‐0387 [email protected] Shaheewa Gelin Director 305-­‐495-­‐8252 [email protected] Kristine Judiekis Director 754-­‐224-­‐6156 [email protected] Jane Koszoru 954-­‐895-­‐4150 [email protected] Director Donna Meyers Director 954-­‐600-­‐4563 [email protected] Laura Simon 954-­‐430-­‐5234 Director th
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LWV Broward County VOTER 63(4) April 2014 V O T E R
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