WAVE LENGTHS

Wave Lengths

A publication of the League of Women Voters of Lincoln County - October 2006 October 2006

Our October 19^th meeting will provide a forum for discussion of Measures on the November ballot. (See Measures, page 4.)

An explanation of each Ballot Measure and its expected impact will be covered.

The League position on each measure will be reviewed, and pro and con positions will be presented. Materials will be provided.

This is an opportunity for League members and residents of Lincoln County to engage in a discussion of each of these measurers.

It is the position of the League of Women Voters that an informed voter is more able to make decisions on what are often complex issues.

Please join us, and bring friends and neighbors to participate in this effort to inform and exchange ideas through education and discussion.

Our meeting will be held at the Newport Library at 12:00 noon.

Election Calendar

WAVE LENGTHS October 2006

Student Mock Elections

Oregon Student Mock Election (OSME) is a statewide program directly affiliated with the national organization. In Oregon, the Mock Election will be carried out in hundreds of public, private and home schools around the state.

Students will be voting on the candidates for Governor, Representatives in Congress, and Oregon statewide offices, as well as selected Oregon ballot measures and national issues. The Lincoln County League is contacting each high school in the county to assist in their participation.

Our students will join thousands of others around the country who will cast their vote on November 2, 2006. On Oregon Mock Election Day, November 3, Oregon’s results will be announced at the OSME Final Event.

If you want to assist in this program, please contact Joan Haffner who is providing materials and information for schools in Lincoln County.

Next BOARD MEETING

Monday, October 30,

West Coast Bank Board Room

506 SW Coast Hwy, Newport

All members are welcome to attend.

Executive Committee: Ruth Kistler, Susan Krein, Charmian Mass

Vice President/Voter Service                             Nancy Jones

Vice President/Treasurer                                       Ruth Kistler

Secretary                             Suzanne Maxson

Directors:                           Charmian Mass

    LWVOR Liaison            Joan Haffner

                                             Nancy Leonard

                                             Susan Krein

                                             Andi Sachs

Committee Chairs:

   Land Use                          Janice Gerdemann

   Membership/

       Newsletter                   Sue Krein

   Nominating                      Carol Hall

   Publicity

   Voters Service                 Nancy Jones

WEB SITE

Tony and Joan Haffner, who manage our Web Site, have created a new look and added information and new features to what is a creative tool for members and those who want to know more about the Lincoln County League.

They have added photo links to local communities and we can see many possibilities for promoting events and activities in Lincoln County.

Take a look at the site:

lwvlincolncounty.org

Tony and Joan, it’s terrific! We thank you.

WAVE LENGTHS                                                                                                                        October 2006

League members at the September meeting heard from Senitila McKinley about the importance of education in ending the cycle of homelessness. She explained that perhaps the most valuable skill children develop in school is the ability to process information to make good decisions.

As Homeless Youth Program Coordinator for Lincoln County, Senitila finds these youth, works to keep them in school, assists in finding housing, meeting transportation needs, addressing medical concerns and child safety issues… the number of concerns to be addressed is extensive.

Senitila stated that youth in Lincoln County leave home due to poverty. Often cited is the problem that there is simply not enough to eat.

Basic living expenses/income in Lincoln County:

Family Unit Size 1 adult+1 child 1 adult+3 children

Basic Living Expenses $2,166/mo. $3,340/mo.

County Median Income $1,583/mo. $1,583/mo.

Senitila named two actions to be considered in addressing problems: The power of the constituency. The need to make contacts, follow up and stay with it! Informing people as to what help they are entitled to. This is a significant part of the work she does, which is putting together people and programs.

When the issue of providing affordable housing was raised, Senitila expressed concern that people not be institutionalized. She knew that due to the cost of land, it was proposed that housing be built up, rather than out, with multi-story construction. She could foresee the construction of large, sterile, institutional style facilities, which have been breeding grounds for abuse and crime in the past. One of the problems in construction of multi-unit developments is system development charges which must be paid up front. She cited the example of a 30-unit development with construction costs of $3.5 million, which would carry an upfront system development cost of $240,000. Complicating this effort, non-profits cannot contract with builders without licensing as contractors, which is a legislative issue.

In summary, there are severe problems to be solved to reduce and prevent homelessness, and many actions that need to be considered and undertaken to solve these problems.

The position proposed for consensus was adopted, but is only a step in the long process ahead in solving problems that cause and solutions that will reduce and prevent homelessness of youth and families.

POSITION: Homeless Youth

LWV Lincoln County supports state and local programs and services, which intervene to prevent conditions that lead to homelessness.

LWV Lincoln County supports the ASF (Adoption and Safe Families Act), which provides funding to local programs and services and the long range goal to put at risk children into a permanent healthy family environment through adoption or, if possible, education and treatment for parent(s) to return the children to their families, or to place them with other family members.

LWVLC supports state, county, city, and private programs, specifically including schools, which attempt to identify children at risk before a situation becomes critical.

LWVLC supports and encourages proactive programs to assist youth and families, including affordable housing and emergency shelters, daycare centers for children, and improved public transportation systems.

The LWVOR Fall Workshop 2006

Ruth Kistler

The LWVOR Fall Workshop 2006

Ruth Kistler

Lincoln County League members Ruth Kistler and Joan Haffner attended the workshop in Eugene on September 30. The summary that follows is detailed, and provides an excellent overview of the Leagues activities and positions on ballot measures.

Voter Education and Advocacy, two separate activities

The morning session started with a discussion of the differences between the League’s education and advocacy activities. Voter education activities, such as voter registration, producing Voters’ Guides, and hosting candidate and issue forums and debates, must all be done in a strictly impartial manner in order to maintain our credibility and tax-status. Advocacy for ballot measures on which the League has taken a position is not less important but must be separate. The LWVOR Voters’ Guide statements in opposition to or support of ballot measures are one example of advocacy.

The session also focused on November ballot measures with presentations on Measures 48, 41, and 39, and questions from the floor on why the League did or did not take positions on other measures. The League has joined with other organizations and individuals in the Defend Oregon Coalition to oppose measures 48 and 41. Mara Gross, outreach coordinator of the Defend Oregon Coalition, discussed these measures.

Measure 48 is a constitutional amendment that caps year-to-year increases in state government expenditures using the flawed “inflation plus population growth” formula adopted by Colorado in 1992. Mara showed a DVD, “The Real Story Behind TABOR”, which featured Coloradans lamenting the ill-advised amendment that drove their schools, health services, and infrastructure ratings to the worst in the nation; Colorado has since suspended operation of TABOR. Measure 48

would be even more devastating in Oregon

because shrinking state expenditures could

not be offset by increasing fees for services or increasing local property taxes. Measure

41 would reduce state income taxes for some (though probably not for seniors or low-income taxpayers) and shrink state revenues by more than $400 million a year. Passage of either of these measures would reduce funding available for education, health care, public safety, and infrastructure, while our state is struggling to meet these needs at current revenue levels. Despite the proponents’ slogans, neither of these measures has any provisions that would increase state government accountability or create a “rainy day fund.” Overwhelmingly,

the money supporting these measures is from out-of-state. LWVOR opposes ballot Measure 48.

Phillip Farrington, president of the Oregon chapter of the American Planning Assn., presented measure 39. This is another confusing, complicated measure, with unintended consequences. Under this measure, when a government acquires private real property by eminent domain, and the court-determined compensation is more than the initial government offer, the property owner is entitled to recover attorney fees and costs. Generally, sale of real property involves a series of offers, with the accepted offer higher than the initial offer. This measure would reward property owners for rejecting market-price offers, force more government acquisitions into the courts, and increase government land acquisition costs. Moreover, by prohibiting the conveyance of condemned real property to private parties, this measure would result in increased government real property ownership. Government could not acquire land for low-income housing if the houses were to be sold to the residents. If govern-ment is forced to acquire an entire parcel, because loss of the part essential to the government project destroyed the parcel’s value to the property owner, government would be prohibited from reselling the unneeded portion to a private owner.

LWVOR opposes ballot measure 39.

(See LWVOR Workshop, page 5.)

(From LWVOR Workshop, page 4)

After lunch, Kathy Madison, a league member and a public relations specialist for the city of Eugene, spoke to us about getting the League’s message out. She said that her (limited) interviews showed that people recognized our logo (good) but were less familiar with who we are and what we do.

The final afternoon session concerned distributing and publicizing the Voters’ Guide, and was led by Joan Haffner and Bea Epperson. Members shared good locations to place Voters’ Guides, such as libraries, bodegas (Spanish version), and senior centers (large print version).

LWV Lincoln County

Program Calendar

Oct 19 Membership Meeting

Ballot Measure Forum

Oct 30 Board Meeting

Nov 16          Membership Meeting

LWVOR Judicial Study and Lincoln County

District Attorney   Program Presentation

Nov 27          Board Meeting

Dec 21          Membership Meeting

Mid Coast Watershed Council Activities

Jan 8            Board Meeting

Jan 29 Membership Meeting

Various local leagues shared what they do tocall attention to the Voters’ Guide when it is

Various local leagues share what they do to call attention to the Voters’ Guide which it is inserted in a newspaper, including alerting the reader by means of the paper’s banner, and local radio public service announcements asking listeners to look for the insert in their newspapers.

In summary, it was a good meeting, with many useful take-home messages on how to present the League and our stand on the ballot measures. It was especially enjoyable to talk with other members; I always find them inspired, dedicated, and extremely knowledgeable.

Grapefruit Order packets will be sent to

members next week. We know you are

getting calls from people wanting to order

grapefruit, and we are working on getting

materials and information out to you.

Grapefruit will be $16.00 per box, the

same price as last year.

Order deadline is mid-November.

Delivery date is early

December.