League of Women Voters - Greater Omaha                                  

December, 2007

Holiday Luncheon

“O! WHERE DO WE GO?”

Keeping Omaha Competitive for the Next Decade

Guest Speaker:  Omaha City Councilman Jim Suttle

Monday, December 10, 11:30 a.m.

Specia Restaurant

3125 South 72 Street

Reservations due by December 6.

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November General Meeting

LWVUS Immigration Study

Member Discussion and Concensus

Monday, November 19 - 11:30 a.m.

Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church

2650 Farnam Street

Free Soup and Salad Luncheon

Repeated at 7:00 p.m.

Reservations are not required, but a rough head count would be helpful.  Please contact Belinda G. if you are planning to come.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Monday, November 19, 11:30 a.m.:  General meeting and consensus, 2650 Farnam.  See above.

Monday, November 19, 7:00 p.m., Repeat of general meeting and consensus.  Location information removed from web copy.

Tuesday, November 20, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Book Group.  See page 4.

Thursday, November 29, 9:30-10:30 am, Nebraska Union Auditorium:  Speech by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.  See page 3.

Monday, December 3:  (No board meeting this month.)

Monday, December 10, 11:30 a.m.; Holiday Luncheon, Spezia 3124 South 72 St.:  "O! Where Do We Go?"  Councilman Jim Suttle.  See page 2 and flyer.

Tuesday, December 18, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Book Group.  See page 4.

Monday, January 7, 1:30 p.m., League office.  LWVGO board meeting.  All members welcome.

Monday, January 21, 7:00 p.m., League Program Planning for 2008-2009.   Location information removed from web copy.

 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

First, a big Thank you to Pat Galusha and Barbara Rennard, our Membership Recruitment Initiative committee.  They organized a wonderful evening of wine, cheese, and essential information for new and prospective members.  We completely filled Barbara's beautiful living room, and at one point I was wishing we could have much more time to get to know everyone there.  A great deal of interesting history was contained in that one place on October 29.

Since I believe this will reach you before our November general meeting, let me repeat what I said last time:

Please come to our November meeting!  We need as many members as possible to provide discussion and consensus for our LWVUS study on Immigration. Taking part in the consensus process is at the heart of what the League does. It is why we are a grassroots organization.  Come, enjoy lunch and discussion, and help the League of Women Voters figure out the Immigration issue. 

And there's more:  if you're not able to attend the daytime meeting, not to worry - we're providing an opportunity that same evening for the very same discussion and consensus.

Congratulations to Nancy Thompson, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands.  BBBS of the Midlands was honored as Agency of the Year in the mid-sized agency category at the recent Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference.

A note to board members and any other interested members: there will be no board meeting in December.  The next board meeting will be Monday, January 7, 2008.  I hope to see everyone at our general meeting on December 10 to hear Councilman Jim Suttle.

      Linda D.

O! WHERE DO WE GO?

Keeping Omaha Competitive for the Next Decade

by

Councilman Jim Suttle

            Councilman Jim Suttle offers a lifetime of professional skills to the taxpayers of Omaha.  He is concerned about the future of our city and toward that end has devised a plan to address the future challenges facing the citizens of Omaha.  In addition to the NCAA dilemma that Omaha is facing, there are three major civic obligations looming on the horizon.  

            1.         The projected shortfall in city pension funds,

            2.         The debt service to the convention center and hotel,

            3.         The multi-billion dollar sewer separation project mandated by the Federal government.

            Just as there are three major civic obligations on the horizon, there are three broad themes to address in the pursuit of healthy and sustainable growth for Omaha:        

            1.         Education

            2.         Omaha as a destination city

            3.         Economic Development for new and better jobs.

            Come hear Jim Suttle talk about our great city and what we can do to improve the lives of all of the citizens who live here!!

VOTER SERVICES

            On October 24 Linda D. and Helen P. registered voters at the Tabernacle of Faith.  Ruth T. and Marilyn R. conducted a registration November 1 during fall conferences at McMillan Magnet Center.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS TO HONOR COMMUNITY LEADER

The League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha is seeking nominations to its annual LWV Making Democracy Work Award.  The award, which will honor an individual for her community activism, will be presented February 18, 2008.

The League of Women Voters has had an impact on national, state, and local issues for decades.  We want to honor that tradition and those who share our passion for making a difference through this award.

Nominations are open to any woman who is or has been part of the work force and has contributed to our community in a meaningful way.  Nominees can apply themselves or may be nominated by a friend,  colleague, or organization.   An application form can be downloaded from our web site.  All applications must be received by January 15, 2008. 

The winner will be announced in February in conjunction with the League’s 88th birthday party.  The League of Women Voters is the premier organization where hands-on work leads to civic improvement. The LWV celebrates community leaders, individuals who have envisioned a way to improve the community and have mobilized others to work with them to effect a change that has  benefited the broader community.  This award will honor one such individual that has, in the League tradition, helped make our community strong, vibrant,  and fair.

League members are encouraged to nominate members of the community.  However, League members are excluded as potential recipients of this award.

For more information, please contact Barbara R. or visit our web site.

LWVGO EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Are you interested in learning more about what is happening in Education in the Omaha metropolitan area?  You are invited to join the Education Committee of the LWVGO for an opportunity to help create the focus the Education Committee will take this coming year.  The committee will set goals and determine priorities as it decides what is to be accomplished. If you are interested, please contact Barb D.  Contact information removed from web copy.  Please click here for more information.

Barb  D., Chairperson, Social Policy - Education

EVERY VOICE MATTERS

Individual Involvement in Public Health Policy

Cecile Richards (daughter of Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas), President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America & Planned Parenthood Action Fund will speak on "Every Voice Matters, Individual Involvement in Public Health Policy", Thursday, Nov 29th, 9:30-10:30am, Nebraska Union Auditorium, Free & Open to the Public.  For more details contact Sharon C.

UPDATE/GHANAIAN SCHOLARSHIPS

Our seven scholarship recipients in Ghana completed Junior Secondary School last Spring and are now entering Sr. Secondary School.  As their former Headmistress indicated, they were surprised how the young and timid girls who came to them in 2004 have grown into mature, bold, lovely, sociable, and knowledgeable girls.  If not for our support, in the form of feeding, clothing, provision of learning materials, and extra tuition, the girls might have dropped out or might have suffered the Teenage pregnancy syndrome that has plagued their community. They are all grateful!  Costs for Sr. Secondary School are very high compared to Jr. Secondary School--particularly since the girls are in boarding schools, which is customary in Ghana.  It seems like each semester we have just enough donations to get them through another semester.  If you would like to help, please send your donation (regardless of the amount) to LWVGO Ed Fund, 1941 So. 42nd Street, Suite 501, Omaha NE 68105-2945 (and indicate "Ghana Scholarship" on the memo line.)  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  We will keep you apprised of their progress. 

BOOK GROUP STUDIES PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Quick:  name the Presidential candidates.  Congratulations if you identified all of the Republicans, or Democrats.  Give yourself extra credit if you knew all those in both parties (and a sly smile if you included Stephen Colbert). 

Despite the length of the campaigns, the numerous forums and debates, the countless appearances and press releases, and the material disseminated on websites and on paper, what do we know about the character of the candidates - especially those not in the “top tier” of fundraising and polling results?  Are we confident in the leadership any will provide?  How does past experience, personally or professionally, reveal the core values of those who seek the White House?

Book Group members decided to take a new approach to their discussions this November and December.  Each member will select a candidate, read a book by or about that person, and report their findings and impressions. Rudy Giuliani, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Mitt Romney are among those chosen for November's meeting.

All League members are welcome to participate.  Select a candidate who interests you, whether or not that person is listed above, and plan to attend the November meeting:  Tuesday, November 20th from 7-9p.m.  The December meeting will be Tuesday, December 18th, 7p.m..  Contact information removed from web copy.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Steve G. & Joan H.

Aware citizens across Nebraska could be heard cheering as Congress recently overrode President Bush's veto of the Water Resources Development Act, legislation authorizing $23 billion in federal funding for water projects. This first ever veto override brings to light how concerned all of us have become over the stewardship of our water and natural resources.

These billions of dollars are being authorized and earmarked for hundreds of specific projects across the country including a handful here in Nebraska. There has been such a surge in concern with the many imbalances and crisis our planet is dealing with, we feel the league needs to play its part. To focus on a few important and current issues, study and learn all we can and then develop a method to educate voters on these issues.

We are inviting all League members who have an interest in this area to contact us, and share your concerns, ideas, and suggestions. Please start by reading the current Natural Resource program in the yellow yearbook. Omaha page 5, Nebraska page 12. There are many topics: the big Combined Sewer Overflow, retaining and using rainwater, Nebraska is very sluggish in developing use of wind and other alternative power and has no renewable energy standards and no net metering policy. Air quality, lead contamination issues, green options with building and landscaping at all levels could be considered.

Let us know what issues you are passionate about. If you would like to help sit in on an occasional NRD meeting, or help out in any way, please contact Steve or Joan.  Contact information removed from web copy.  Please click here to contact the Natural Resources committee.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The International Relations Commitee will not meet in December.  The January Bulletin will have a description for the next meeting.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership information removed from web copy.  Please click here to contact our Membership Chair.

Click here for a printable copy of the Membership Application.

SIERRA COLUMN -- Senator Don Preister

Open Meetings Act and Public Records statutes

 Citizens interested in observing and participating in the development of public policy have several statutory tools available to them which guarantee their right to have notice of, and participate in meetings and the right to examine and receive copies of all public documents.  These rights are guaranteed in the Open Meetings Act and Public Records statutes.  The Open Meetings Act can be found in statute at 84-1407 through 84-1414 and Public Records statutes are located at 84-712 through 84-712.09.   The Attorney General's Office has done a nice job of not only posting the provisions of these statutes but also a detailed discussion of the court's interpretations of these provisions.  This information can be found on the A.G.'s web site at http://www.ago.state.ne.us/

 Open Meetings Act

 The intent of the Act declares that “the formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret”.  The Nebraska Supreme Court has declared that the provisions of these statutes must be “broadly interpreted and liberally construed to obtain their objective of openness in favor of the public”. 

 The Act establishes the responsibilities of public bodies and details the rights of all citizens regarding public meetings.  Below is a list and explanation of key definitions and provisions.  Please note the list is not all inclusive.

 Public bodies are all instrumentalities exercising essentially public functions.  They include all governing bodies of political subdivisions and state agencies, independent boards, commissions, bureaus, committees, councils, or other public bodies created by law, and all study or advisory committees of the state.

 A meeting is defined as any formal or informal assembly of a public body for the purposes of briefing, discussion of public business, formation of tentative policy, or taking of any action.   Meeting includes both video and teleconferences.  A quorum of members must be present.

 Duties of public bodies:

 Reasonable advanced publicized notice of the time and place of each meeting must be given. 

 An agenda which is “sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of matters to be discussed at the meeting” must be kept continually current and available for public inspection at the principle office of the public body.  Except for emergency items, the agenda must not be altered later than 24 hours before the scheduled commencement of the meeting.

 Public bodies may make and enforce reasonable rules regarding the conduct of persons attending, speaking and videotaping, televising, photographing, broadcasting or recording meetings.

 Meetings may not be held in a place known by the body to be too small to accommodate the anticipated audience, however this provision is not violated if the body holds its meeting in its traditional meeting place.

 Reasonable arrangements must be made to accommodate the public's right to attend, hear and speaking at the meeting.

 Minutes must be kept of all meetings showing the time, place, substance of all matters discussed, and members present and absent and their individual votes on each action item.  Minutes shall be available for public inspection with 10 working days or prior to next meeting whichever is earlier.

 At least one copy of all written material to be discussed at the meeting shall be available at the meeting and available for examination and copying by members of the public.

 Documents discussed, received, or disclosed in open session shall be public records and open to public inspection.

 A copy of the Act must be posted in the meeting room and accessible to the public.  At the beginning of the meeting the public must be informed about the location of the posted information.

 Closed sessions:

 Public bodies may enter into closed session if it is clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual and if the individual has not requested a public meeting. 

 The decision to go into closed session must be supported by an affirmative vote of a majority of its voting members.  The vote must be taken in open session. 

 The entire motion, vote of each member, time the closed session and commenced and concluded must be recorded in the minutes.  The subject matter and reason necessitating the closed session shall be identified in the motion to close and restated by the presiding officer immediately prior to entering into closed session.

 The body must restrict its discussion in closed session to only the stated purpose and no formal action may be taken during the closed session.   Formal action means  “a collective decision or collective commitment or promise to make a decision on any question, motion, proposal, resolution, order or ordinance, or formation of a position or policy”.  

 Rights of public:

 Citizens may attend and speak at meetings (though a body is not required to allow citizens to speak at each meeting but may not forbid public participation at all meetings).

 Citizens may videotape, televise, photograph, broadcast or record meetings.

 Citizens cannot be required to identify themselves as a condition for admission to the meeting, however citizens may be required to identify themselves in order to address the body.

 Enforcement of the Act:

 Any citizen may file suit in district court to seek compliance with or to prevent violations of the Act even if the citizen attended the meeting and did not raise this concern during the meeting. 

 Any action taken at a public meeting which violates the Act must be declared void if suit is filed within 120 days of the meeting.  Once a meeting has been declared void by the Court, the public body is prohibited from considering any information they obtained at the illegal meeting.  “Void” means the body's action is ineffectual and has no legal force or binding effect. 

 Any action taken which is a substantial violation of the Act is voidable by the Court if filed within 180 days of the meeting. 

 The Attorney General and county attorney shall enforce the Act.  If a citizen hires a private attorney and the Court finds that the public body did violate the Act, the Court may award attorney fees. 

 Criminal sanctions may be imposed on any public body member who knowingly violates or conspires to violate the Act. 

 No closed session, informal meeting, chance meeting, social gathering, e-mail, fax or other electronic communication may be used to circumvent the requirements of the Open Meetings Act.

 Public Records:

 Public records include “all records and documents, regardless of physical form belonging to the state, county, city, village, political subdivision or tax-support district in this state, or any agency, branch, department, board, bureau, commission, council, subunit or committee” of any of those listed.

 The public has a right to examine, make notes of, and make copies using their own equipment of all public documents free of charge. 

 Upon receipt of a written request for access to records or copies, the custodian of the records shall provide access or copies within 4 business days of receiving the request. 

 If the request cannot, with reasonable good faith efforts, be fulfilled within 4 business days then a written explanation must be provided to the requester which includes the earliest practicable date for fulfilling the request, estimate of copying costs, and opportunity for the requester to modify or prioritize the items within the request.

 Fees for copying may be charged to the requester which may not exceed the actual cost of making the copies available.  If the copies requested will cost more than $50, the custodian of the documents may require the requester to furnish a deposit prior to fulfilling the request. 

 Records which may be withheld from the public:

 The statute lists specific documents which may be withheld unless the record has been disclosed in open court, open administrative proceeding, open meeting or disclosed by a public entity.  (See 84-712.05 for the complete list), however any “reasonably segregable public portion of a record must be provided to the public after deletion of the portions which are allowed to be withheld.

 If the request is denied  the record custodian must provide the following information to the requester:

  A description of the contents of the record withheld and statement of specific reasons for denial;

          The name of the public official or employee responsible for the decision to deny the request; and

           Notification to the requester of any administrative or judicial right of review

 Enforcement:

 Any citizen may file for speedy relief by filing a writ of mandamus.  In this action the court may command the public body to perform a particular act required by statute.

 A citizen may petition the Attorney General to review the matter and the A.G. must make the determination with 15 days.  If the A.G. determines that the public body is not in compliance and the body refused to comply, then the citizen may request in writing that the A.G. bring suit.  The A.G. must bring suit within 15 days.

 The court also has jurisdiction to issue an injunction. 

Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.  -- W. Clement Stone 

The things you refuse to meet today always come back at you later on, usually under circumstances which make the decision twice as difficult as it originally was.  -- Eleanor Roosevelt

 Jokes of the proper kind, properly told, can do more to enlighten questions of politics, philosophy, and literature than any number of dull arguments.  -- Isaac Asimov