Bulletin
League of WomenVoters of Greater Omaha
1941 South 42 Street, Suite
501
Omaha, NE 68105-2945
Phone: 402-344-3701
League of Women
Voters of Greater Omaha
December, 2006
A non-partisan political organization open to all citizens 18
years of age or older Volume 49 No 6
Holiday Luncheon *
Sustainable Development:
What Does It Mean to the
Omaha/Council
Bluffs/Lincoln Metroplex?
Speaker: Cecil Steward - President, CEO of
Sustainable Design
Thursday * December 14th * 11:30 * Field Club of
Omaha
(See flyer on page ? to
make your reservation.)
Over the next fifty years, our region is
forecast to double in size to a population of approximately 2.0 million
people. Geographically, the metropolitan
growth will occur in the midst of two of the most fragile eco-systems in the
Midwest, while threatening thousands of acres of some of the most fertile
farmlands in the U.S. How can we have
such growth and continue to assure our families, friends, and neighbors of the
high quality of life that the “Good Life” has come to represent? Our communities will not be truly
“sustainable” unless we can manage to have both growth and quality.
W. Cecil Steward, FAIA
Dean Emeritus & Emeritus Professor
UNL College of Architecture
(See
flyer on last page)
League
program planning for 2007-2008
Thursday, January 18, 2007, 7:00 p.m.
General Meeting - Wine and cheese at the home of
Polly G., LWVGO
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Thursday, November 30, 7:30 p.m., International
Relations Committee. See page 2.
Thursday, December 14, 11:30 a.m., Field Club of
Omaha: Holiday Luncheon. See above and last page.
Friday, December 15: Deadline for January Bulletin.
Thursday, January 11, 9:30 a.m., League
office. LWVGO board meeting. All members welcome.
Thursday, January 18, 7:00 p.m., League program planning for
2007-2008. See
above.
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
As this is being written, Election Day has not
yet occurred; I think most Leaguers will agree we will be glad when it is over
(some for different reasons than others)!
Requests for League involvement has been very high I've heard some say it is the most
important election of our lives. League
has been very visible (and audible) this season--we have been involved in
several interviews (The Reader, radio, newspaper, Creightonian),
Speakers' Bureau have been giving a good number of speeches in the community,
canvassing in one precinct in Northeast Omaha ,the State-wide phone has been
staffed by a diligent group (organized by Linda D.), poll workers, poll
observers All in all, LWVGO has been
very evident this election season. I
commend all of you!
Have you ever wondered why you joined the
League? For some it is “to be with
other like-minded individuals,” for others it is to “get involved in something worthwhile,” for
still others, it is “to learn about the political process and how things work.”
This is the mission statement from LWVUS:
LWV
is a non-partisan political membership organization, which:
- acts after
study and member agreement to achieve solutions in the public interest on key
community issues;
- builds citizen participation in the
democratic process;
- engages communities in promoting
positive solutions to public policy issues through education and advocacy.
LWV's core values:
- a
nonpartisan political membership organization;
- believe that our organization models
the principles of good governance;
- involvement
in good public policy;
- consider well before taking action
and prepare well before beginning to act;
- believe that responsibility of good
government rests on the shoulders of its citizens;
- believe that the rights of citizens
at home and abroad are interdependent;
- believe that citizenship requires
knowledge, as well as the ability and will to act;
LWV
believes in:
-
respect
for individuals; the power of collective decision-making for the common good;
-
value
of diversity;
-
the
empowerment of the grassroots, both within the League and in communities.
We all know that League is a volunteer
organization, and we try to do things professionally. We realize that, unfortunately, that does not
always happen, but we do practice, and are guided by, the core values.
In the upcoming months there will be many
opportunities for members to recall why they joined League and to incorporate
the core values in working on the League projects.
Barbara
T.
THE
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE LWV.
will
hold its first meeting of the season on:
November 30, 2006, 7:30 P.M.
Theme for the meetings this season: "WORLD HEALTH AWARENESS"
Guest Facilitator: Dr. Kosoko-Laski, of Creighton
University Medical Center. Dr. Laski is a renowed scholar and activist in health problaems
and concerns around the world. Omaha is
fortunate to have her established in our city.
Please attend, on time, and be prepared to challenge Dr. Laski's remarks. The
United States must be made aware of how this knowledge will impact our lives
and the lives of our future existence, as Number One or not.!
PRESIDENT’S
REPORT, Barbara T.
It is time to give thanks for:
…Gary K., Belinda G., Rita S. and Linda D., for
planning and organizing the Second Congressional District debate between Representative
Lee Terry, and challenger, Jim Esch. The event was co-sponsored by The Press Club
and the overflow crowd was treated to an informative and enlightening
event.
…Ruth and Lowen K. for
providing a primer on the amendments on the ballot to the audience of radio
station 104.5. Well done!
…Karren K., Carolyn I.
and GOTV committee members for their efforts in the State HAVA project. This project required many hours, trips to
Lincoln, planning the press conference, canvassing;
…Peg A. and all members of the Speakers' Bureau
who answered many calls for speeches throughout the community during the busy
campaign season.
…Veterans and all those who serve and protect
our country; they and their families make untold sacrifices to protect the
liberties we enjoy in America.
Thank you all!
SPEAKERS
BUREAU REPORT, Peggy A. for Jeannette S.
RECENT
SPEECHES GIVEN:
October 17 Peggy
presented “How To Participate” to two Community
Alliance Groups, a total of about 100 people; discussed the Voters Guide, early
voting, etc.
October 18 Peggy
presented “How To Participate” to residents at Quality
Living; same as above.
October 25 Linda
and Peggy taped a radio segment at 104.5, with Gloria Goodwin, which aired
Sunday, October 29. Gloria indicated an interest in having League
representatives tape future segments in an on-going basis.
October 27 Peggy
presented voting rights information to an ex-offender employment workshop at
Greater Omaha Community Action.
SCHEDULED
SPEECHES:
November 21 Linda
D. will be performing as Susan B. Anthony in “Lady Gets Arrested!” for the
Sarpy County League of Women Voters
February 1 Deb
will be speaking to a PEO group “I May Be Crazy But This is Nuts!”
February 13 Jonah
D. will be speaking at Underwood Hills Presbyterian Church. Speech to be determined.
April 6 Sally
will be doing “Mugwumps Deux”
for the Bellevue Woman's Club
May 9 Deb
will be at All Saints Episcopal Church, giving her “I May Be Crazy” speech
May 15 Deb
will give her “Crazy” speech for a PEO group
September 11 Sally
will be doing “Mugwumps” for Underwood Hills
Presbyterian Church
SPEAKERS
BUREAU NOTES:
Since the new brochures were mailed out and
delivered to libraries in early October, we have had several requests for more
brochures and for speeches.
Lately,
we have had an onslaught of people calling for speakers at the last minute.
Blame election-year panic. I had one person call at 5:00pm one afternoon,
wanting a speaker for 7:00pm that evening. Not. We have turned down 3 last-minute
callers in the past few weeks simply because nobody was available.
HELP
AMERICA VOTE ACT (HAVA) PROJECT, Linda D.
Pretty good voter turnout,
and we helped! Citizens called the 800 number as well as 344-3701 to get information. Our local members answered more than 200
questions, ranging from the easy (where can I pick up a Voters' Guide) to the
challenging (please explain the nuances and ramifications of Referendum
422). At 6:30 p.m. on Election day a caller asked us to look up her polling place. She had gone to the usual site only to find
it closed, and the government agencies no longer answering phones. We were able to assist her and she was most
grateful. Which reminds me, another
caller just wanted to say “thank you”.
We logged one hundred fifty-two and a half hours
on this effort, and that doesn't count all the time members spent delivering
Voters' Guides and other GOTV materials in response to calls.
I want to thank the following office volunteers
for all their help answering voters' questions:
Peggy A., Amy B., Sharon C., Linda D., Sally F., Pat G., Amy G.
(prospective member), Belinda G., Carol H., Carolyn I., Lakshmi
M., Mary Jane O., Keri P., Sandra P. (President, LWVNE), Erin S., Barbara T.,
Raquel A., and Annette C.
Our callers made it clear they were very
grateful for the unbiased information we provided them. Hooray for us!
NATURAL
RESOURCES REPORT, Jonah D.
The Your Water: by the People-Nebraska event
was held on October 19, 2006 at the NET Television studios located in Lincoln.
Jonah D. and Keri P. from the LWVGO participated. The discussion focused on WATER: THE ISSUE OF
THE DECADE - a discussion guide provided prior to the 19th. Discussion participants included farmers,
private citizens, students whose parents farmed, and legislators. Much of the discussion related to the high
profile issue facing the state around the Republican River water compact with
Colorado and Kansas. This compact was signed in 1943, distributing the
Republican's annual water supply to Colorado (11%), Kansas (40%), and Nebraska
(49%). The Republican starts in Colorado and Kansas, flows through a number of
western and central counties in southern Nebraska and then re-enters Kansas
near Superior in Nuckolls County. In the Republican River basin, many farmers
have become dependent on drilling wells to irrigate their crops with ground
water.
In 1998, Kansas sued Nebraska in the U.S.
Supreme Court asserting that Nebraska allowed too much ground water usage in
the Republican River basin. This decreased the amount of water flow in the
Republican thereby depriving Kansas of its share under the compact. In 2002, an
agreement was reached out of court where Nebraska was obligated to restrict
drilling along the Republican and be in compliance with the compact by
2007. Failure to abide by the compact
could mean that Nebraska might have to pay millions of dollars in compensation
to Kansas, and the federal court could take control of the Republican Water
management.
In 2005, the Nebraska Department of Natural
Resources announced that the state was in danger of non-compliance. Between the
years of 2003-2005, Nebraska used an estimated 100,000 more acre-feet of water
than its share under the compact. (An acre-foot is the amount to cover an acre
of land with one foot of water. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons.) If this water deficit is not made up by the
beginning of 2007, Kansas could sue Nebraska for breaching the contract and
possibly win. If so, Nebraska could owe Kansas a multimillion dollar figure in
damages, and federal courts could shut down a great deal of irrigation in the
Republican River basin.
There
are 89,831 active irrigation wells in Nebraska already. The water table has
declined up to 20 feet in the last five years in areas with a heavy
concentration of wells. One argument is
that the state must have the will power to follow through with large-scale retirement
of irrigated farmland. The costs would be substantial. In addition, permanently
removing irrigated farm acreage from the state's economy may have long-term
effects since it forever decreases crop output and transactions related to
harvesting the land.
A 2003 study estimated that irrigation for
agriculture contributes $4.5 billion a year to the state's economy under
drought conditions. There is agreement that community well-being and economic
development is intimately tied to the availability of adequate water sources.
Twenty percent of Nebraskans are employed in agriculture. Forty-three percent
of Nebraska's harvested cropland is irrigated.
In Nebraska, 93.2% of the estimated total
groundwater use during 1995 was for irrigation.
One proposal would establish a state water conservation fund derived
from an annual fee. Under this proposal, irrigators would bear responsibility
for the majority of the fund by paying $2 per irrigated acre and city residents
would pay $1 each. Who should be responsible - persons using the water or all
Nebraska residents who benefit from agriculture as the state's economic backbone.
The state is also facing other hard concerns
about the Platte River. In 1997, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and the U.S.
Department of Interior signed an agreement to protect endangered or threatened
species along the Central and Lower Platte River basins: The Platte River
Recovery Implementation Program. Under the agreement, the three states and
federal government agreed to increase the amount of water flow to and through
the Platte River basin to actively rehabilitate and protect the habitat of
threatened species. It is estimated that the Platte is currently short an
average of 400,000 acre-feet of water annually to protect the at-risk species.
Lake McConaughy has shrunk to nearly a third of its
usual size due to seven years of drought. While Nebraska will not be required
to pay money, Nebraska will make substantial contributions of water and land
reserved for habitat protection.
The Platte River plan therefore pits agriculture
against conservationists and business owners who profit from recreational
activities connected to the Platte. The plan has also created a division
between the irrigators. Many farmers from the western portion of the state
support the plan because they rely more on surface water irrigation than
groundwater irrigation. A recent study estimated that between $45 million and
$168 million might be needed to comply with the state and federal requirements
Nebraska faces over the Platte.
These two issues raise questions about who will
pay for such measures. Nebraskans are faced with making difficult choices about
both the Republican and Platte. Of immediate concern is the pending lawsuit
over the Republican. How will Nebraska pay for damages owed to Kansas? How will
Nebraska address the Republican's long-term water deficit to prevent future
lawsuits? Many Nebraskans already feel
they pay too much in taxes, and neither rural nor urban residents would like to
see additional increases in taxes or other fees.
In both the Platte and Republican River
situations, weighing the short and long-term costs and benefit of different
priorities will be a difficult process, and any decisions will have important
consequences. For Nebraska, water truly is the issue of the decade.
If you are interested in studying the water
issue, please email Jonah D., Natural Resource Director, and indicate your
interest and whether you would rather meet during the day or evening.
Public
Event Information
•
Subject: Emerging Green Builders
•
Type: Movie
•
Event Description: Emerging Green Builders invites you to the
inaugural Environmental Movie/Discussion showing of "The End of
Suburbia" on November 19th, at 1 pm, showing at the Mary Reipma Ross Film Theater in Lincoln. Discussion to follow,
lead by Cecil
Steward, President/CEO of the Joslyn Castle
Institute. Admission: Students are free,
suggested $5 donation. See invitation by selecting the first URL address below.
•
Location: Mary Reipma Ross Film Theater in Lincoln
•
Date/Time: Sunday, November 19, 2006 at 1:00 PM
•
Duration: 3 hour(s) 00 minute(s)
<https://www.communicationsmgr.com/projects/joslyn_castle/docs/EGBmovieAdvert%20copy.pdf>
For
more information about this project, go to http://www.ecospheres.com/
SIERRA
COLUMN BY SENATOR DON PREISTER
October 2006
Due
to term limits this is an interim unlike any we have experienced before. There are 20 current senators (representing
all the even numbered districts) who will leave office at the end of the
year. Therefore, most of these offices
are spending time sifting through files and packing up the office rather than
working on legislation for next session.
There will be at least 20 new senators next year and almost all new
committee chairs. (My term expires in 2
years so I am not affected by this first wave of term-limited senators.) The 2007 session convenes on Wednesday, January
3, 2007 with election of a new Speaker, new Committee chairs, the establishment
of new committee members, and the likelihood of many new staffers. The only certainty is that next session will
be a big change from previous sessions.
Bottom-line I think it's safe to can say - “Toto we're not in Kansas
anymore”.
My
office is working on several issues this interim. A Task Force has been meeting on organics and
genetically engineered crops (LR 397).
This interim study is in response to LB 834 - the seed pre-emption bill,
which was introduced on behalf of Monsanto last session. I'm fairly certain we'll see the bill
re-introduced in 2007. Though some of
the work of the Task Force has focused on GMO's, we
have also used it as an opportunity to look at barriers to the development of
organics in Nebraska as well as what is working for organics. The task force members represent a diverse
group that has brought a lot of wisdom and knowledge to the table. The Legislative Ag Committee is planning on
conducting a hearing on this study some time in late November or early
December. Check out the legislature's
web site for the schedule of interim studies and other legislative related
information at www.unicam.state.ne.us
Another
issue I am continuing to work on is renewable energy and energy
efficiency. There were 3 interim studies
on renewable energy introduced this year by Senators McDonald, Stuthman and Preister; LRs
372, 386 and 365. The Natural Resources
Committee has scheduled hearings on these studies in Kearney on November 8 at
1:00 p.m. The hearings will be held at
UNL-Kearney in Ponderosa Room A at the Nebraska Student Union which is located
on 1013 West 27th Street. Nebraska
continues to lag far behind other states in the development of wind
energy. Though we are ranked 6th in the
nation in wind capacity, states with lower rankings have developed far more
wind energy including our neighbor, Iowa. Senators need to hear from the public
who support the enactment of policies to promote the development of renewable
energy sources as an alternative to fossil fuel and nuclear power
generation.
I
am also working on several energy efficiency/conservation bills. Reducing the amount of energy consumed is
good for the environment, good for public health and extends the life of
existing power general facilities. It is
the least cost method of energy use!
Given the rise in energy costs everyone has experienced in the last
couple of years, this should be an issue that everyone can relate to. If you are unable to attend the hearings,
written testimony can be e-mailed or mailed to Senator Ed Schrock, Chairman of
the Natural Resources Committee, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604 or eschrock@unicam.state.ne.us
Finally, I am also
continuing my work on trying to get legislation passed to establish a system
for the recycling of electronic waste.
Three different bills have been introduced in the past 2 years - each
taking a different approach to addressing the issue. The two primary approaches are charging a
fee for recycling at the time of purchase (the fee would likely be $5 to $10
per electronic device), or requiring the manufacturer to fund the recycling
program. Either way, of course, the
consumer will end up paying for it in the price of the unit. The policy issue centers around who should
bear the responsibility to establish collection, transportation and processing
systems in Nebraska. The goal is to
enact a landfill ban on electronic devices once an e-waste recycling system is
established. Past members of the Natural
Resources Committee have been well educated about the issue of e-waste
recycling, however, next session there will be quite a few new members on the
Natural Resources Committee and a new Chairman.
My goal is to get a bill passed next session.
There are a number of other
studies and interim hearings being held this fall. Be sure to check out the interim hearing
schedule on the Legislature's web site and let me or my staff know if you have
any questions - Kate Allen at kallen@unicam.state.ne.us
or Greg Butcher at gbutcher@unicam.state.ne.us
or call 402-471-2710. I can be reached
by e-mail at dpreister@unicam.state.ne.us Don't forget to
vote on November 7th! I look forward to
continuing to work with you. Thank you
for your commitment and work that you do.
LWV
GHANAIAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Last September, SEVEN young women were able to
pursue their dreams and potential and continue their education in Ghana because
of generous donations from League members.
Without these donations, their families could not afford their school
fees, extra class fees, books, uniforms, shoes and lunch (which total about
$300 per year to attend public school in Ghana). We would like to send these girls back to
school next year. Please consider making
a tax-deductible contribution this holiday season and make a difference in their
young lives. The amount of $300 would
pay for for one girl to attend school for an entire
year, but any amount is appreciated!
Please
make your check payable to: LWV Ed Fund
of Greater Omaha/Ghanaian Scholarship, and send your check to:
LWV
Education Fund, Suite 501
1941
South 42nd Street
Omaha NE 68105-2945
READING
RESOURCE GROUP
When:
Tuesday, December 19, 2006, 7:00 p.m.
Discussion will be on the book “Overthrow” by
Stephen Kinzer,
Part Three--Invasions, Pages 219
through 322 (the end).
We welcome new readers.
BELOIT
COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST FOR THE CLASS OF 2010
Members of the class of 2010, entering college
this fall, were mostly born in 1988. For them: Billy Carter, Lucille Ball,
Gilda Radner, Billy Martin, Andy Gibb, and
Secretariat have always been dead.
1. The
Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student
union.
2. They
have known only two presidents.
3. For
most of their lives, major U.S. airlines have been bankrupt.
4.
Manuel Noriega has always been in jail in the U.S.
5. They
have grown up getting lost in "big boxes."
6. There
has always been only one Germany.
7. They
have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on a cash register.
8. They
are wireless, yet always connected.
9. A
stained blue dress is as famous to their generation as a third-rate burglary
was to their parents'.
10. Thanks to pervasive headphones in the back seat,
parents have always been able to speak freely in the front.
11. A coffee has always taken longer to make
than a milkshake.
12. Smoking has never been permitted on U.S.
airlines.
13. Faux fur has always been a necessary element
of style.
14. The Moral Majority has never needed an
organization.
15. They have never had to distinguish between
the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.
16. DNA fingerprinting has always been
admissible evidence in court.
17. They grew up pushing their own miniature
shopping carts in the supermarket.
18. They grew up with and have outgrown faxing
as a means of communication.
19. "Google"
has always been a verb.
20. Text messaging is their email.
21. Milli Vanilli has never had anything to say.
22. Mr. Rogers, not Walter Cronkite, has always
been the most trusted man in America.
(To
be continued later)
NEW
BABY
Congratulations
to Raquel A. on the birth of Nolan Beckett B.. He was born November 6 weighing 7 lb 7
oz. Hedy is
the grandmother. All are doing well.
SPEAKERS
BUREAU UPDATE
The Speakers Bureau has a new brochure that
describes all of the speeches available for presentation to interested groups.
If you need a brochure for your church group, retirement center, or civic
organization, please call Peggy A. at League office, 344-3701.
We
are always looking for a few good women (and men) to join our Speakers Bureau.
If you have an idea for a speech topic, please give us a call.
There are two types of people -- those who come
into a room and say,
"Well,
here I am!" and those who come in and say, "Ah, there you
are." -- Frederick L. Collins
MEMEBERSHIP:
Please remember: If you change your
address, phone #, e-mail, etc please let me know so we can keep our data
base up to date.
Pass this membership application on to a friend:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEAGUE
OF WOMEN VOTERS OF GREATER OMAHA
MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION
Name
______________________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________City___________State _____ ZIP _______
Home phone ____________________________Work
phone ___________________________
Fax _______________________________________
E-mail ____________________________
____Single member, $50 ___Family membership, $75 ___Additional contribution $_____
Please make your checks payable to LWVGO and
send to:
League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha
1941 S. 42nd Street, Suite
501
Omaha, NE 68105
League of Women Voters’ Holiday Luncheon
Field Club of Omaha
3615 Woolworth Avenue
Thursday, December 14 at 11:30 a.m.
“Sustainable Development: What Does It
Mean to the Omaha/Council Bluffs/Lincoln Metroplex?”
Guest Speaker - W.
Cecil Steward
President and CEO of
Sustainable Design
Cost: $15.00 per
Person - Guests Welcome!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Please return this form with your menu
choice and check made payable to LWV/GO by Friday,
December 8th. Contact the
LWV @ 344-3701 for the mailing address.
Lunch Entrees
(served
with House Salad, Chef’s Accompaniment & Rolls)
____London Broil with Sherry Mushroom Sauce
____Seafood Pasta Tetrazzini
with Spinach and Wild Mushrooms
____ Tomato Basil Pasta with Grilled Chicken Breast
Name ___________________________________________ Phone
_____________________
Number Attending ___________ X $15.00 = Total
Enclosed ________________