Year in Review:
2007-2008

by Terry Hluchyj

LWVKA is alive and well and growing stronger!

Our activities this year were based on a strategic plan we developed following a spring 2007 leadership retreat. That plan was organized around four areas on which to focus our efforts: membership, election administration processes, voter outreach and education, and issue study and advocacy.

We thought we were busy last year, but look what we’ve done this year! And, as we approach the presidential election in November, we are receiving more and more requests for our publications and services. Being more active in the past couple of years has made us more visible. Here’s a summary of what we did between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008.

Membership
Michigan was chosen as one of five states to participate in the LWVUS Membership Recruitment Initiative. We joined the effort with a number of other Michigan Leagues, so we have been focusing more on visibility and activities that will attract new members and keep current members. Paula Aldridge, Kay Anderson and Connie Ferguson attended a training meeting in Lansing last October, and Paula, Kay, Diane Grundy and Jean Jones have been working on planning and implementation for the initiative. Paula, Diane and Jean also organized our annual Get Acquainted Brunch for new and prospective members in September. Monica Evans hosted the event at the Parkview Hills Clubhouse.

To capture the spirit of our work in a member recruitment message, the Board decided to adopt the LWVMI statement: “The League of Women Voters is where hands-on work to safeguard democracy leads to civic improvement. Join us in making democracy work!”

Election Administration Processes
In response to a reported shortage of qualified poll workers, Diane Worden recruited twenty-seven League members and friends to serve as poll workers in the City of Kalamazoo and other jurisdictions; thirteen were invited to serve. She also surveyed those who worked at the election regarding their experience and shared the information with officials in the Kalamazoo City Clerk’s office who expressed their appreciation for the feedback. She also observed aspects of the ballot counting practice to further our knowledge about how it works. Diane also led local League efforts to spread the word about the newly implemented Voter ID requirement. This effort included placing several small informative ads in the Gazette.

Voter Outreach
Terry Hluchyj, ably assisted by Diane Worden, prepared a Voter Guide for the November city elections, publishing it in record time before the election. Tamara Carpenter did the design and layout and posted it on line. Sue Nelmes, Connie Ferguson and Terry Hluchyj developed questions. Deliveries were coordinated and done by a team including Tiffany Jackson, Julie Rogers, Amy Anderson, Barb McWethy, Betty Ongley, Collette Fulmer, Steve Ferguson, Gail Walter, Hilary Pummill, Jean and Ogden Jones, Jocelyn Hodgeman, Kate Ferraro, Lorene Cook, Michele McGowen, Paula Presler, Rebekah Fennell, Sara Wick, Susan Hoffman and Tanya Potter.

Under the leadership of Diane Worden, we partnered with the Michigan Citizen Education Fund to go door-to-door in Kalamazoo’s Precinct 23, providing registration and voting information, including our Voter Guide. LWVKA members Connie and Steve Ferguson, Holly Jensen, Terry Hluchyj, Susan Kitchen, Janet Scarrow and Jack Urban, along with 10 friends, joined Diane to visit most of the precinct’s 1042 voters twice during the pre-election period. Results were encouraging, with 23% increase in voter turnout.

Suzanne Cook organized voter registration drives at KVCC’s Cougar Connection and WMU’s Bronco Bash. Volunteers included Suzanne, Camilla Davis, Rebekah Fennell, Lois Jackson, Holly Jensen, Janet Jones, Sue Nelmes, Janet Nykaza, and Gail Walters.

Janet Jones, Kate Ferraro, Jack Urban and Terry Hluchyj organized an educational forum at the Portage District Library on the KRESA and Portage Public Schools millage requests on the November ballot. Sharalyn Davis, Gail Walter and Beverly Byle conducted a Kalamazoo City Commission candidate forum in conjunction with Friendship Village.

Camilla Davis, working with Sue Nelmes and others, has been busy planning an educational program and mock election for fall 2008 for the three Kalamazoo public high schools (Central, Norrix and Phoenix). They have been working with the Kalamazoo Public Schools, the Kalamazoo City Clerk’s office and the Kalamazoo Gazette. They expect to reach about 3000 students.

As part of an LWVMI outreach, LWVKA has been registering voters each week at the Kalamazoo County office of the Michigan Department of Human Services. Mabel Stenesh and Suzanne Cook recruited workers, including Paula Aldridge, Camilla Davis, Connie Ferguson, Barbara Huber, Lois Jackson, Sue Kitchen, KC Miller, Janey Nykasa and Diane Worden. The program will continue until the deadline for registration for the November 2008 election.

Issues and Advocacy
Public Events
In August, we co-sponsored the annual Women’s Equality Day Celebration with the YWCA. Paula Aldridge represented LWVKA on the organizing committee.

As part of our state consensus study on local government, Barbara Huber and Janet Scarrow organized a public meeting in February. Panelists addressed challenges facing local government. They were: Rick Brill of KVCC; Texas Township supervisor, Ron Commissaris and clerk Linda Kerr; and David Buskirk, chair of the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners. Betty Lee Ongley served as moderator.
LWVKA helped organize the Kalamazoo Environmental Council legislative breakfast in May, which focused on energy policy. Connie Ferguson is LWVKA’s delegate to KEC.

Also in May, LWVKA with many co-sponsors organized a public meeting on Climate Change: Global Concerns and Local Actions. Speakers were Kurt Cobb, writer; Sr. Ginny Jones, from Transformations Spirituality Center; David Karowe, Western Michigan University; and Ahmed Hussen, Kalamazoo College. Paula Manley, Phyllis Thayer and Connie Ferguson made the arrangements, and Paula acted as moderator. This program was made possible by a grant from Oxfam America and League of Women Voters Education Fund.

Studies and Consensus
This year we participated in both national and state studies. Paula Manley chaired the immigration policy study committee, working with Kay Anderson, Ken Manley, KC Miller and Jackie Wylie. They studied many facets of this important topic, held several committee meetings and published three Bulletin articles. Their efforts culminated in a consensus meeting in January. LWVUS adopted a consensus statement shortly thereafter. A follow-up public meeting is planned for late autumn, 2008.

Barbara Huber, with the assistance of Janet Scarrow, led the LWVMI local governance study. Key local government officials were asked to provide input and a public meeting was held in February. They published Bulletin articles and held a consensus meeting on February 12.

Advocacy
Following suggestions from Ann Perry and the Poverty Reduction Initiative, we worked with LWVMI and the Michigan League for Human Services to oppose SB 662, which would have frozen the Earned Income Tax Credit until the Rainy Day Fund reached $250,000. LWVMI joined Michigan League for Human Services in opposing this Bill, which has been in committee since July 2007. We also joined LWVUS in supporting reauthorization and increases in SCHIP, a children’s health insurance program known as MICHILD in Michigan. It was passed by Congress and vetoed by the President. After the veto override attempt failed, the current program was extended to March 2009. As a member of the Kalamazoo Environmental Council, we were represented in a letter to Representative Upton urging him to take leadership on the global warming issue.

Locally, we supported two KRESA millage proposals. Voters adopted both proposals. The November 2007 ballot included a proposal to fund a new facility to replace the Croyden Avenue School and renovate Croyden to accommodate the County’s Young Adult and Early Childhood programs. Barb McWethy researched the proposal. Following board support, Terry Hluchyj wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Kalamazoo Gazette, urging voters to approve the proposal. The May ballot proposal was for a renewal of KRESA’s 3-year school enhancement millage. Janet Jones and Connie Ferguson made statements and Connie wrote a Viewpoint in support of the enhancement millage.

Discussion of term limits for the state legislature continues, and Laurel Luehrig gathered information to keep us up to date on this topic through board reports and the Bulletin. We shared this with LWVMI.

We looked at both LWVUS and LWVKA program positions at our January program planning meeting and discussed what changes or additions might be needed to allow us to address rising issues. We submitted our recommendations for LWVUS and decided that no changes were needed at the local level.

Other Activities
Fund Raising
Thanks to Rebekah Fennell’s efforts, we received two grants to assist our voter outreach efforts in fall 2008, $1,750 from the Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation and $2,000 from the John E. Fetzer Institute Fund at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. This additional funding will allow us to publish an increased number of Voter Guides, purchase other materials for distribution, and generally provide service to more voters. We also received donations from members and non-members in response to two fund-raising mailings. The following members and friends helped prepare the mailings: Kay Anderson, Beverly Byle, Julia Costello, Rebekah Fennell, Steve and Connie Ferguson, Florence Fetzer, Alice Gordon, Terry Hluchyj, Jean and Ogden Jones, Richard Knapp, Laurel Luehrig, Tanya Potter, Jessica Reiser and Diane Worden. Thanks to Tanya for hosting the mailing parties.

Finances
Treasurer Tanya Potter’s financial report through June 30, 2008 shows that our general fund had income of $13,232.20 and expenditures of $14,048.58, a net deficit of $816.38. The fund balance was $2,839.68. The LWVKA Education Fund showed income of $10,648.17, expenditures of $4,178.91 and a balance of $19,640.22. The endowment fund held $31,115.40. Thanks to Paula Aldridge for auditing our books.

Newsletter
Bulletin editor Cheryl Lyon-Jenness oversaw production and distribution of 10 issues of our newsletter, assisted by Camilla Davis, Kathy Beach and Jean Jones. Many members contributed articles during the year.

Meetings
The Board met 11 times, with each meeting preceded by a meeting of several officers where upcoming issues were examined and the agenda was developed. This new process was intended to help us prepare for meetings so we can spend the time of the whole group more productively.

The April LWVKA annual meeting, held at the new Girl Scouts Glowing Embers Council Building, featured a talk by Glowing Embers CEO Jan Barker. Members elected a slate of officers and directors including: Connie Ferguson and Terry Hluchyj, co-presidents; Paula Manley and Ken Manley, co-vice presidents for program; Tanya Potter, treasurer; Paula Adridge, Barbara Havira, KC Miller and Carol Urban, directors; and Janet Jones, Kay Perry and Cheryl Lyon-Jenness, nominating committee. Continuing board members are Kay Anderson, vice-president for organization; Camilla Davis, secretary; and Laurel Luehrig, Jessica Reiser and Diane Worden, directors.

Connie Ferguson attended the LWVUS biennial convention in Portland, OR, in June and returned with a collection of materials and ideas.

Thanks to all, including those not specifically mentioned, for supporting us with your membership, your talents, and your dues and contributions. The League of Women Voters of the Kalamazoo Area is alive and well, and growing stronger!