|
|
La Plata League 2012
LWVLPC_12
Our mission, our structure, our history and our archives at Fort Lewis College, Center for Southwest Studies
click to your right to view news about the La Plata League 2007-2011
 Like us on  or Tweet us on 
*All external (non-LWV) links on this site are provided for your convenience only. The League of Women Voters of La Plata County exercises no control of the information or opinions contained on them. Provision of these links does not indicate an endorsement of their contents by the LWVLPC.
To view the LWV Colorado 2011-2012 calendar, click LWVCO 2011-2012 Calendar (final)
To view the LWVUS 2011-2012 calendar, please click LWVUS 2011-2012 Calendar as of 8-10-11
Upcoming Events.
Upcoming On-Line Classes.
LWVLPC Public Statements.
Legislative Action.
All-Member Meetings.
LWVLPC Newsletters.
LWVLPC Membership-Donations.
Our Mission.
Other Leagues.
Program Planning 2012.
Government Privatization Study - 2011.
Our History.
Policies, Bylaws, Job desc.
LWVLPC sponsored events.
Member Recognition.
Member Recipes.
References.
Past Events.
Upcoming Events
* Wednesday, 5/16/12: LWVLPC 2012 Annual Meeting. 4-6:30PM at the Rochester Hotel, Durango, CO
- Click flyer
for more information.
- Click agenda
to view the Annual Meeting Agenda
- click 2012 Annual Meeting Mailing for more information.
- click Proposed 2012-2013 Annual Budget to view the proposed budget for 2012-2013
LWVLPC 2012 Annual Meeting.
Speaker: former State Senator Pat Pascoe, http://www.patpascoe.com/
Julie Leonard, LWVCO executive director, will also be with us
- 6/8-12/12: FIRST CALL TO LWVUS CONVENTION 2012
From LWVUS President Elisabeth G. MacNamara
Join Us for the LWVUS 50th National Convention in Washington DC! at the Washington Hilton Hotel, 1919 Connecticut Avenue on June 8-12, 2012.
Imagine, Commit, Act! "The Power of the Vote!"
Click LWVUS Convention to read more.
- Jan 26 - April 12 (weekly) Fort Lewis Professional Associates: Life-Long Learning Winter/Spring 2012 Series All presentations are in Noble Hall, Rm 130 from 7-8:30pm unless otherwise noted.
Upcoming On-Line Classes
*The following are free on-line courses offered through Coursera.Coursera offers courses from the top universities, for free. Learn from world-class professors, watch high quality lectures, achieve mastery via interactive exercises, and collaborate with a global community of students. These classes are not sponsored or supported by the League of Women Voters
- Health Policy and the Affordable Care Act Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, starting June 2012 for 4 weeks.
This course will explore the many problems of the American health care system and discuss the specific ways that the Affordable Care Act will impact access, quality, costs, as well as medical innovation.
- Digital Democracy J. Alex Halderman starting September 3, 2012 for 5 weeks
In this course, you'll learn what every citizen should know about the security risks--and future potential -- of electronic voting and Internet voting.
LWVLPC Public Statements
2/14/12 LWVLPC Letter to the Editor:
On Saturday, February 25, the League of Women Voters of La Plata County will hold its annual "Legislative Lowdown" in Program Rooms 1&2 of the Durango Public Library, 1900 E 2nd Ave. , from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. State Senator Ellen Roberts, State Senate District 6, and State Representative J. Paul Brown, House District 59, will share the podium as they discuss highlights of the current legislative session, which convened January 11, 2012. They will outline bills they are sponsoring, all of which are of special interest to us.
Our legislators hold committee positions in areas relevant to residents of La Plata County. Senator Roberts serves on several committees: the Senate Local Government Committee, the Health and Human Services, Judiciary, and Legislative Legal Services Committees. She also currently serves on two interim committees, the Water Resources Review Committee and on the Legislative Health Benefit Exchange Implementation Review Committee. Representative Brown is a member of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources & Energy Committee, Capital Development Committee, Health & Environment Committee, and Transportation Committee.
Following their informal presentations, you will have the opportunity to ask questions on topics that impact you. Please join us for this informative event. As always, snacks will be served.
Ellen Park, Legislative Chair
League of Women Voters of La Plata County
*1/12/12 LWVLPC:second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Letter to the Editor by Nadine Ansel, Treasurer, League of Women Voters of La Plata County
On Jan. 21, the nation marks the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a decision that enabled
corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence federal and state elections. As the 2012 election season ramps up, so will the corporate, union and special interest financing of political advertising...
Legislative Action
*4/27/12 LWVCO Legislative Letter #8:76 PROGRESS IN JUVENILE JUSTICE is now available for your viewing.
Click LWVCO Action and Advocacy to view comments from the LWVLPC Legislative Chair - Ellen Park.
LWVLPC ALL-Member Meetings
* Wednesday, May 16, 2012 LWVLPC 2012 Annual Meeting. 4-6:30PM at the Rochester Hotel, Durango, CO
LWVLPC Newsletters
*4/1/12 LWVLPC: The April 2012 VOTER
is now ready for your on-line viewing
Topics include:
* 1/31/12 LWVLPC: The February 2012 VOTER
is now ready for your on-line viewing.
Topics include:
LWVLPC Membership-Donations
WHY DON'T I JUST QUIT? From the LWV list serve 2012
It seems to me this year
I'm busier than before
I'm tempted to resign from the League
Instead I take on more!
Now why is that? I ask myself,
(For surely that's a reason)
I'll have more time, I tell myself,
Right after the rush season.
Besides, League members are my good friends
I couldn't let them down.
Those surface reasons, I advance -
(The real one's further down)
I think the answer lies somewhere
Deep within myself.
I want to see my talents used,
Not rusted on the shelf.
I want America to be
A better place to live.
Just talking won't improve it-
We also have to give.
I want to find myself among the workers, not the floaters-
And that is why I am neck-deep
In the League of Women Voters
*IT IS NEVER TOO LATE to consider a membership in the League of Women Voters of La Plata County (LWVLPC). Click 2012 membership renewal form
and print a copy of the 2012 form. Annual dues for individuals remain at $50 and $30 for students and additional household members.
Kindly complete one form per household and mail it with your check to our treasurer, Nadine Ancel, 358 West Los Ranchitos Dr.,
Durango, CO 81301. If you have any questions or comments, please contact our membership chair, Suzanne Becker at esmbecker@aol.com.
- If you would like to donate to the League of Women Voters of La Plata County, please click LWVLPC Donation Form All donations are very much appreciated!
- If you would like to view an informative brochure for the League of Women Voters of La Plata County, please click LWVLPC Member Brochure
Our Mission and Roles
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate.
The League of Women Voters has two separate and distinct roles.
- Voters Service/Citizen Education: we present unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues.
- Action/Advocacy: we are also nonpartisan, but, after study, we use our positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest.
To conduct our voter service and citizen education activities, we use funds from the League of Women Voters of Colorado Education Fund, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation, a nonprofit educational organization.
Our Vision, Beliefs, and Intentions guide our activities.
Other League Organizations
*Local Colorado League of Women Voters map
*Members of the La Plata County League are also members of:
Program Planning 2012
*LWVLPC Program Planning: click LWV Advocacy and Action: What are our Priorities?
to read a full report on our January 12, 2012 Program Planning meeting
*Click Program Planning slides to view the materials presented at the January 11, 2012 LWVLPC Program Planning meeting.
Government Privatization Study - 2012
*3/13/12 LWVLPC:Report of Interview on Privatization of Water
On March 13, 2012 Trish Pegram, Ellen Park and Nadine Ancel met with Bruce Whitehead,
Executive Director of Southwestern Water Conservation District, and Gene Bradley, Board
Member of Animas La Plata Conservancy District, to discuss the topic of privatization of water.
*2/28/12 LWVUS: additional reading materials on privatization by Toni Larson
- LWV Higher Education Flexibility Legislation
You have received the interview prepared by Jane Thompson and Rosemary Bergstrom
concerning privatization at Colorado State University. This interview looked at campus level
privatization. The following is legislation passed at the state level that allows public higher
education institutions more flexibility. SB10-003, SB11-52, and HB11-1301 can be considered
deregulation bills for public higher education.
- LWV Privatization Pros and Cons
Many of the comments on either side are more opinion than fact. The choice is often
based on the ideology of the decision maker, whether the person leans toward
privatization or not. The goal of the LWVUS privatization study is to establish
guidelines for making decisions regarding whether a particular service should be
privatized.
*2/26/12 LWVLPC: additional reading materials on privatization by the LWVLPC Study Committee
*1/30/12 LWVUS: Privatization Study: Public Policy Debate Produced by the Privatization of Government Services, Assets and Functions Study, 2011
The purpose of this article is to provide a description of the evolution of the public policy known as "Privatization." Privatization is a movement to deregulate private industry and transfer many government services, assets and functions to the private sector...
Marilyn Brown, Feb 1, 2012
*1/28/12 LWVLPC: Privatization Glossary
*12/28/11 LWVUS: Leaders' Guide for the Privatization Study Consensus by Gretchen Knell
Member Resource: Privatization
*11/6/11 LWVUS: The initial Privatization Study Background papers are available from the LWVUS Study team.
*The following are papers collected by the LWVLPC Committee concerned with the Government Privatization Study.
*The following additional papers concerning the Government Privatization Study have been received from Toni Larson, PhD., former LWVCO President, who has studied privatization at the state level in higher education and hospital administration.
*Scope of the Privatization Study- supplied by LWVUS:
The purpose of this study is to identify those parameters and policy issues to be considered in connection with proposals to transfer federal, state or local government services, assets and/or functions to the private sector. It will review the stated goals and the community impact of such transfers, and identify strategies to ensure transparency, accountability, and preservation of the common good.
Timeline:
- August -October 2011 Information provided to Local and State Leagues
- November 2011-May 2012:
Leagues are encouraged to participate in the study on Privatization of Government services, assets and functions, and the impact on local communities by scheduling meetings to educate members and communities about the issue and come to consensus.
History of the League of Women Voters
Read a short history of the League of Women Voters.
Click La Plata League history to access our archives maintained at Fort Lewis College.
Policies, Bylaws and Job Descriptions for LWVLPC
LWVLPC sponsored events
* During Spring 2012, the La Plata League has sponsored three informative candidate forums!
Congratulations and Thanks to All Participating Members!
Click forum photos - 2012 to view some photos.
Member Recognition
*2/28/12 Durango Herald:League helps cut through campaign rhetoric In election year, county chapter proves to be useful tool for voters By Ann Butler
Want to hear local candidates face off on the issues? Read a nonpartisan analysis of initiatives on the state ballot? Learn more about foreign-policy issues? If your answer is yes, learning about the League of Women Voters might be a good first step.
"Nationally, we have two arms + education and advocacy," former League of Women Voters of La Plata County President Stephanie Huss said. "But in Durango, we work to keep people informed."
Starting with a handout published with The Durango Herald to teach high school students how a president is elected and running through ballot analyses and candidate forums, league members are particularly busy in presidential election years.
"We always see a big upswing in membership during presidential elections," Membership Chairwoman Suzanne Becker said. "We have about 83 members now, but in 2008, we were over 100."
Not just for women - While the name will remain the same to respect its heritage, men have been joining for years. The League of Women Voters of La Plata County currently has 17 men as members...
Member Recipes
References
*March 2012 LWVLPC: Patriocracy
The independent film Patriocracy, produced by Malone Media Group, LLC, Castle Rock,
CO, and decrying the current polarization and partisanship of our political system, was
shown in the Durango Independent Film Festival in early March. The film, which offers
two sets of recommendations for mitigating our political animosity and gridlock in
Congress, has been shown to the public by several LWVs, including Larimer County
LWV.
Past Events
*Monday, 3/12/12 9:30AM - 12:30PM: Hydraulic Fracking in La Plata County and Colorado 101, Pine River Valley Bank Community Room - upstairs, 1701 Main Ave., Durango, CO.
- Click Fracking meeting summary to view a summary of the 3/12/12 meeting.
- To view the presentation given Mar 12 by Karen Spray, Environmental Specialist in the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), click part 1
part 2 and part 3
- To view the presentation given Mar 12 by Bruce Baizel, Environmental Attorney with Earthworks, an oil and gas accountability project, click fracking presentation
- Click Mar 12 Fracking to view a flier for the event.
*3/13/12 Durango Herald:Fracking forum drills into water use By Heather Scofield
It's a technique that has been used for decades. But as natural-gas and oil development efforts surge around the nation and controversy grows about the way the resources are pulled from the ground + through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking + some say calm heads and community education are needed now.
"I think education is of the utmost importance," said Kellie Hotter, a La Plata County commissioner. "We need to be dealing with facts and separating the emotion." Hotter was among more than 30 locals who attended an informational workshop about the topic Monday, put on by the League of Women Voters of La Plata County as theirs and other voters' leagues around the state prepare to produce a report about fracking in the coming months. Attendees, which included a range of local residents, politicians, natural-gas and oil industry representatives and environmental organizations, and even included two middle school students preparing a project on the subject, got a basic primer on development work around the state, regulations and resource needs related to fracking...
*Saturday, February 25, 2012: LWVLPC Legislative Lowdown 9:30-11:30AM Durango Public Library Program Room
*Click 2012 Legislative Lowdown to view a flyer
Our state legislators, Sen. Ellen Roberts and Rep. J. Paul Brown, will fill us in on their legislative
priorities for the 2012 session and answer all your questions. Mark your calendar!
*Tuesday, Feb 14, 2012: Happy League of Women Voters Day!
February 14, 2012 is our 92nd birthday + so join us on our Facebook page or Twitter feed to leave a birthday wish for the League.
Our birthday wish this year is a special one. 2012 is an important election year and there is a great deal of work to be done to help register, educate and mobilize voters. That is why the League is launching an important campaign + Power the Vote!
*1/12/12: LWVLPC members please plan on attending an all-member "Tea Party" on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 from 2-4PM at the Pine River Bank in Durango. The discussion will involve 2012 LWVLPC Programs. Click Tea Party Invite to view the invitation
Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our
webmaster.
Last revised: May 14, 2012 07:51 PDT.
© Copyright
League of Women Voters of La Plata County, Colorado. All rights reserved.
|
![[LWV]](images/lwv76.gif)
