Hey, Look Us Over! - League of Women Voters of New York State

The Newsletter of The League of Women Voters of New York 

Vol. 83 No. 3 April 2007 

Silent Auction Creates Lots of 

Noise with Lots of Lots 

A mong 

the many lots in 

the 2007 LWVNYS Auction 

is Item #4, a beautiful 

Loretta Fontaine reversible 

necklace with earrings, both 

of which flip, giving two ways 

to wear. Interested? The 

value is $150; the minimum bid, $75; and 

the ultimate bid, $225 

Get your hand up today! There’s more 

on page 8 and the 2007 Silent Action 

catalog is also available at www. 

lwvny.org. 

Yes! A Statewide Voting Standard 

T he 

New York State legislature’s decision to 

allow each county in the state to choose 

its own voting system is a disaster waiting to 

happen. The League believes this patchwork 

of expensive touch-screen DREs, administered 

by under-trained staff and poll workers will 

cause long lines at the polls, frustrated voters, 

questionable results with subsequent legal 

challenges, and confusion resulting from a mix 

of different systems around the state. Don’t 

let this happen in New York State! 

Read the latest on pertinent legislation 

to bring a sensible standard to 

voting in New York on page 6. 

The Bigger Better Bottle Bill 

W e 

never forget our issues, even if they 

don’t make an annual priority list. Governor 

Spitzer has included the Bigger, Better 

Bottle Bill (BBBB) in his 2007-2008 budget bill. 

The League of Women Voters of New York State 

has supported this legislation for several years, 

however, the bill has never passed in the State 

Senate. Please let your state Senator know that 

you support this bill because it keeps our communities 

clean with economic incentives. 

For more on our “continuing responsibilities,” 

see page 6. 

OINK! 

T hey 

say it’s a performance that’s not to be 

missed, and it’s at Convention 2007. OINK 

(Only In New YorK) is New York’s answer to the 

Capitol Steps, and one more reason to attend 

convention. Even if you are not a delegate, you 

can buy tickets for the OINK performance. 

Pre-convention coverage begins on 

this page. Visit www.lwvny.org for 

the complete registration packet. 

New League’s Success Story 

T hey 

have only been a League for a short 

time, but LWV Steuben County is already 

changing history. LWV Steuben County’s Joan 

Mistretta reports that “We had our League of 

Women Voters Candidates’ Forum in Bath. The 

church, which holds up to 400, was full. It featured 

the two major candidates for congress 

from this district. It marked the first time in my 

history here (and before that) that the Republican 

candidate has had any real opposition. I 

think it was a good event for democracy.” 

Congratulations to all in Steuben 

County. Look for more Local News 

on page 7. 

Hey, Look Us Over! 

PreSorted 

Standard 

U.S. Postage 

P A I D 

Sidney, NY 

Permit No. 3 

Reaching Out, Reaching In, in White Plains 

Kennedy Heads ’07 – ’09 Slate 

League members from across the state will be Reaching 

Out/Reaching In at the biennial LWVNYS convention 

this May. �e 52nd Convention of the League 

of Women Voters of New York State will be held May 

18-20, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White 

Plains, N.Y. �e opening plenary session will convene 

at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2007. Convention 

is the time when delegates representing the grassroots 

of our organization come together to make the important 

decisions that will guide us through the next two 

years. Come join us in White Plains to elect officers 

and directors, and participate in debate and decision 

on program emphasis for the next biennium. 

Slate Announced 

The LWVNYS board has released the 2005-2007 

nominating committee report after accepting the 

slate as recommended by Nominating Chair Judy 

Metzger, along with members Linda Ferris and �erese 

Lowenthal. 

�e committee has recommended a slate that 

includes leadership with continuity, good League experience 

and expertise. Martha Kennedy, currently 

serving as LWVNYS VP/Membership has been nomi- 

Reaching Out—For Your Help! 

V olunteer 

support is a key factor in holding a 

successful and effective convention. If you are 

interested in volunteering during convention, particularly 

if you live within commuting distance to 

White Plains, please contact Edna Vincenti at edna. 

vencenti@vincenti.com. If you have never been to 

Convention this may be a great introduction! 

nated as President 

for the 2007 – 09 

biennium. Kennedy’s 

home League is 

LWV Albany County. 

Other nominations for LWVNY officers include: 

First VP/Advocacy/Issues: Edna Vincenti, LWV Port 

Washington/Manhasset; Second VP/Membership: 

Marcia Merrins, LWV Chautauqua; �ird VP/Development: 

Betsey Swan, LWV Albany County; Fourth 

VP/Voter Service: Maggie Moehringer, LWV Albany 

County; and Secretary/Treasurer: Debbie Schichtman, 

LWV Great Neck. 

Recommended Directors for 

the biennium include: Legislative 

Director, Barbara Bartoletti, 

LWV Albany County; Director 

of Citizen Education, JoAnn 

Ross, LWV Buffalo/Niagara; 

Director of Grassroots Lobby, 

Georgia D. DeGregorio, LWV 

Rochester; Director of Mem- 

Martha Kennedy 

bership Outreach, Ruth Bonn, 

LWV Schenectady. 

�e slate of nominees for 

the Nominating Committee for the 2009–11 biennium 

are Nancy Kleintop, LWV Rochester as chair, and 

Linda Ferris, LWV Steuben and �erese Lowenthal, 

LWV Saratoga Springs as members. 

In addition to electing officers, delegates to convention 

are responsible for choosing the 2007-2009 

state program, adopting a state League budget, and 

Convention continued on page 2 

The League of Women Voters of New York State has undergone a virtual makeover—a brand new Web site. Visitors to 

www.lwvny.org will see a new, less complicated, more esthetically pleasing home page. Although the old Web page did 

the job, it was very League-centric. All the acronyms, so familiar to League members weren’t very welcoming to non-League 

visitors, potential members, or new members. Nor did the Web site provide an immediate synopsis of the LWVNYS. �e 

revamp has created a Web site that is easier to use for League members as well as visitors. Additionally, from a technical 

perspective, the old site was cumbersome and difficult to maintain. Please take some time to explore the new www. 

lwvny.org. 

�anks to our Web mistress, Debra Drake, 

the new site will be technically easier to maintain. 

She put in many, many hours of design time be 

yond her contracted hours.

Page Spring 2007 

Leagalities: the Business of Being in League 

Marcia’s Memo 

Let’s Do It! Let’s Get Together! 

By Marcia Merrins, LWVNYS President 

et’s get together.” These are three of the nicest words (well, there are three 

“Lothers….) Where will you be the weekend of May 18–20 

2007? The leadership of the League of Women Voters 

of New York will be in White Plains, New York, to 

welcome you, and discuss, plan, and execute the future 

of the League! Our theme – Reaching Out/Reaching 

In – reflects how we must energetically seek new ideas, 

and opportunities to reach new members and partners. 

This grassroots gathering will discuss how to best 

focus our organization to meet the expectations and 

demands of a multi-generational and technologically 

advanced membership society. It is essential that we Marcia Merrins 

work together. We have many passions with many diverse 

goals, yet we all need to speak with one voice. Our goal is to celebrate and build 

on our strengths. 

Convention scheduling is always ambitious! It’s amazing how much we accomplish 

in two days. We have a full plenary agenda and “Moments in the Sun. 

“Convention is the time when delegates representing the grassroots of our organization 

come together to make the important decisions that will guide us 

through the next two years. Come join us in White Plains to elect officers and 

directors, and participate in discussions, deliberations, debates, and decision on 

program emphasis for the next biennium. 

We have also tried to squeeze in workshops on raising non-PMP funds, 

membership, Vote 18, outlook for healthcare in New York, and the “Bo and 

Aimee” continuing road show— Bo Lipari of New Yorkers for Verified Voting, 

and LWVNY’s Aimee Allaud’s updates on voting machines in New York State. 

You ask “Why should I attend?” You should attend because your voice is needed 

as the League considers program and studies that will move us forward for the 

next two years. Your input is valuable and all members are urged to participate 

in this important venture. 

Visit the Web site (www.lwvny.org) often as information related to the convention 

will be updated periodically between now and May. 

Be sure to join us at lunch on May 19th to hear Eve Burton, general counsel 

for the Hearst Corporation. As soon as we have confirmation of other speakers, 

we will announce names by e-mail to Leagues and other media. 

The truth is it feels like yesterday since I looked out over the delegate body 

assembled in Albany and became your state President. And now, I am inviting 

you all to join me at our Convention 2007 to conclude two terms of office and 

welcome our new LWVNYS President. 

I look forward to catching up with friends from all over our great state and 

look forward to meeting so many of you whether you are a delegate, observer, 

invited guest, or volunteer in White Plains at “Reaching Out/Reaching In,” 

LWVNYS Convention 2007. 

Thank you for all your help and support in so many ways over the past four 

years. It’s never about the destination. It’s about the journey! And it’s been quite 

a ride! 

Comings and Goings 

Our New Greeter 

There’s a new staff member on Grand Street—Marwa Elbially. Marwa is working 

part-time as receptionist/secretary at our office. 

With Marwa on staff, our in-house dynamo Administrative Assistant Stephanie 

Lopez is now working on organizing Students Inside Albany and coordinating 

so many of the things that need to be done for convention. Meet Marwa at 

Convention. (Will you be there?) 

Georgia DeGregorio, Off-board Specialist, Domestic Violence 

Georgia DeGregorio, LWV Rochester Metro has accepted the position of Domestic 

Violence Off-board Specialist. Georgia’s history with the League began 

in 1967 when she joined the North Brookhaven League on Long Island. Georgia 

says she joined the League “to study our China Foreign Policy. I co-chaired a community 

celebration of the UN and became vice president for program.” 

By 1972, she had moved to Rochester and became involved in the LWV 

Rochester Metro, where she joined the League to learn about the political issues 

in her new hometown. In Rochester, she also began 

working with the Bishop Sheen Housing Foundation 

and the local Fair Housing Coalition. 

Georgia has been a member of the LWV Rochester 

social policy committee, which has recently been focusing 

on bullying, medicaid, early childhood education and lead 

hazard control. She has also represented her local League 

in the Domestic Violence Consortium. In addition to her 

involvement with committees, Georgia served the LWV 

Rochester Metro as secretary from 2004-2006. 

All told, her experience in local League means the 

LWV’s new Off-board Specialist, Domestic Violence is 

well prepared for the post. 

Georgia DeGregorio 

Greetings from Grand Street 

Putting on Our Running Shoes 

By Kris Hansen, LWVNYS Executive Director 

Spring has arrived heralding the start of a very busy season here on Grand 

Street. LeaderSpark, Students Inside Albany, and 

convention are being held within weeks of each 

other! It is a marathon of work, but board members, 

off-board specialists, staff, and volunteers have put 

on their running shoes and things are really taking 

shape. 

Local Leagues participating in LeaderSpark have 

begun their 2007 programs. Most LeaderSpark programs 

will end in early to mid-April with formal rec- 

ognition ceremonies to honor participants. Programs 

are currently running in Albany, Geneva, Saratoga, 

and Schenectady. Others will follow. 

Students Inside Albany is taking shape. The conference will be held from 

April 22-25 at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Albany. The schedule includes 

workshops, Assembly and Senate Shadowing opportunities, group project work, 

and tours of historic sites, with a large measure of fun also built in to the program. 

A new workshop, Leadership Skills, has been added for 2007; it will be 

facilitated, in part, by LeaderSpark graduates. This workshop, and the participation 

of LeaderSpark graduates, marks a deliberate expansion of the formal link 

between the programs and seeks to further involve LeaderSpark graduates in 

League activities. 

Convention 2007 is only a couple of months away! Registration kits are being 

mailed out as I write this article. For those interested in volunteering, particularly 

if you live in the vicinity of White Plains, contact Edna Vincenti at edna. 

vencenti@vencenti.com. Remember that there are many roles for volunteers at 

convention, so if you have the time, please consider volunteering. Don’t forget 

to look for Silent Auction details on the Web site and Big League Raffle tickets 

in the mail over the next couple of weeks. See you at convention! 

Convention continued from page 

Kris Hansen 

adopting revisions to the bylaws. 

The Convention Committee planned this gathering not only to meet requirements, 

but as a celebration too! There will be great workshops, speakers, O.I.N.K., 

Moments in the Sun, shopping at our Silent Auction, great camaraderie and just 

plain fun! It’s also an opportunity to get to know some New York Leaguers outside 

your immediate area! One of the greatest benefits of attending convention is networking. 

Saturday’s luncheon will highlight this aspect of convention by mixing 

delegates with members from other Leagues, to maximize the opportunity to meet 

new people and share ideas. There will also be an On-Site Office staffed during 

convention to assist delegates with caucus fliers, copying and computer needs, and 

caucus rooms for groups to line up support for recommendations for League priorities 

or study topic. 

Featured speaker at the convention will be Eve Burton, a specialist in law 

and journalism, who is currently vice president and general counsel of The Hearst 

Corporation, one of the nation’s largest diversified communications companies. 

Eve served as Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel at Cable News Network 

(CNN) from 2000-2001. Most notably, she led the network’s successful effort 

to obtain audio access to the U.S. Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore. Ms. Burton 

is also a visiting lecturer of constitutional law and journalism at Columbia University’s 

Graduate School of Journalism. In 2004 she was named an outstanding 

woman of the Bar by the New York County Lawyers’ Association. In addition, 

she has received First Amendment awards from the New York Chapter of the Society 

of Professional Journalists, The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. 

and the New York Press Club. She has published numerous articles on media 

access, First Amendment issues and media law in law journals and newspapers. 

She holds a B.A. from Hampshire College and a J.D. from Columbia University 

School of Law. She is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New 

York, Media Law and Communications, and of the American Bar Association 

and Forum on Communications Law. 

Please Note 

Contrary to the information contained on LWVUS’s Web site in “Leaguer’s 

Update,” Leagues in New York State are not permitted to conduct meetings by 

e-mail under Section 708 of the New York Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, 

The New York State Voter is published four times a year by the League of Women Voters of 

New York State. Subscriptions are available for $6 a year. Free for members. Reprinting permitted 

if The New York State Voter is credited. 

The League of Women Voters of New York State (LWVNYS) is one component of a unique tri-level 

organization. Members of the LWVNYS are also members of the League of Women Voters of the 

United States and, wherever possible, members of a local League as well. Membership is open to all. 

President: Marcia Merrins Executive Director: Kris Hansen 

League of Women Voters of New York State, 35 Maiden Lane, Albany, NY 1 07. 

Phone: 518-465-416 ; Fax: 518-465-081 ; E-mail: 

Web site: 

Editorial Services and Production: Joyce Hickling and Patty MacLeish, Ideas into Print, Newport, 

R.I. Printed at Tri-Town News, Inc., Sidney, N.Y. © 2007LWVNYS

The League of Women Voters of New York State 

Board Of Directors 2007 

OFFICERS 

PRESIDENT Marcia Merrins 

42 Rosalyn Court, Fredonia 14063 

716-672-4275; 716-665-1221 (cell); 

716-672-5472 (fax); mmerrins@ 

netsync.net 

1ST VICE PRESIDENT/ADVOCACY 

& ISSUES Joan Johnson 

3939 Derby Dr., Syracuse 13215 315- 

488-4339; jaj62@twcny.rr.com 

2ND VICE PRESIDENT/ 

MEMBERSHIP Martha Kennedy 

214 Winne Rd., Delmar 12054 

518-439-4559; dkennedy2@nycap. 

rr.com 

3RD VICE PRESIDENT/ 

VOTER SERVICE Paula Blum 

1385 Lyon Place, Wantagh 11793 

516-785-3213; 516-785-3263 (fax); 

paulablum@hotmail.com 

4TH VICE PRESIDENT/ 

VOTER SERVICE Lyle Toohey 

One Smokes Creek Rd., Orchard 

Park 14127; 716-662-7711 (fax), 

call first); 716-445-6575 (cell) lgtoohey@adelphia.net 

ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION 

Debra Merryweather 

327 Wilmore Place, Syracuse NY 

13208; (315) 455-5210 

E-mail dapearlie@earthlink.net 

CHILDREN’S ISSUES Ellen Kotlow 

205 Forest Haven Drive, Slingerlands 

12159 518-765-3275; 518-765-3279 

(fax); ekotlow@aol.com 

COURT RESTRUCTURING 

Helga Schroeter 

1436 Lowell Rd., Schenectady, 

12308 518-370-5042; 

E-mail helgasasquith@verizon.net 

DEATH PENALTY Ann Brandon 

64 Salisbury Rd, Delmar, NY 12054; 

518-439-4332 (phone/fax); ambrandon2@juno.com 

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 

Georgia T. DeGregario 

337 Real Point Circle, Webster 

14850; 585-787-9882; georgiatd@ 

frontiernet.net 

EDUCATION FINANCE & LEGISLA- 

TIVE ANALYST Betsey Swan 

10 Norwood Dr., Menands 12204 518- 

426-3711; faircamp@nycap.rr.com 

GOVERNMENT/CAMPAIGN 

FINANCE REFORM/GUN CONTROL 

Aimee Allaud 

85 Melrose Ave., Albany 12203; 518- 

482-2617; 85Aimee@nycap.r.r.com 

HEALTH CARE Donna Packard-Maloney 

107 Pine St. Rensselaer 12114; 

518-283-6423; 518-221-1904 (cell); 

dmahoney@nycap.rr.com 

HISTORIAN Sydelle Herzberg 

46 Longue Vue Ave., New Rochelle 

10804 914-632-7745 (fax) same, 

call first);sherzb@aol.com 

Kristen Hansen 

Executive Director LWVNYS 

& Education Foundation 

kris@lwvny.org 

Stephanie Lopez 

Administrative Assistant 

stephanie@lwvny.org 

SECRETARY/TREASURER 

Carol Hurford 

49 Marcourt Drive, Chappaqua 

10514; 914-238-1456; 914-238-1469 

(fax); binkee@erols.com 

DIRECTORS 

LEGISLATIVE Barbara Bartoletti 

9 Patroon Pointe, Rensselaer 12144 

518-286-1536; 518-469-8905 (cell); 

abartole@nycap.rr.com 

CITIZEN EDUCATION Joan Elliott 

1159 Waverly Place, Schenectady, 

12308 518- 346-4414 (Fax also); 

isladecalma@msn.com 

GRASSROOTS LOBBY 

Edna Vincenti 

99 Elderfields Rd., Manhasset 11030 

516-627-1987; edna.vincenti@ 

vincenti.com 

MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH 

Barbara Thomas 

220 West Milton Rd., Ballston Spa 

12020; 518-885-9769; barbnbob@ 

capital.net 

OFF-BOARD SPECIALISTS 

JUDICIAL Lenore Banks 

151 Alberta Drive, Amherst 14226 

716-836-5240 (phone/ fax); BLenorehbanks@cs.com 

LEAD POISONING Jane Chase 

PO Box 404, Penfield 14526; 585- 

288-2645; jchase@frontiernet.net 

NATURAL RESOURCES Roberta 

Wiernik 

43 Longview Lane, Chappaqua, 

10514 914-241-7242; RFWiernik@ 

aol.com 

PAY EQUITY Lois Haignere 

28 Bentwood Court, Albany, NY 

12203-4810; 518 608 4196 (home); 

518-464-0991 (office); haigner@ 

nycap.rr.com 

REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE 

Barbara Bartoletti 

See list under Directors 

TRANSPORTATION Gladys Gifford 

174 Capen Boulevard, Amherst 

14226 716-836-2825 

E-mail: schuford@earthlink.net 

URBAN SPRAWL Ruth Bonn & 

Anne Huberman 

Ruth Bonn, 47 Spruce Dr., Alplaus 12008 

518-384-0804; rooty@nycap.rr.com 

Anne Huberman,303 Highland 

Ave., Buffalo 14222 716-882-3083; 

anne.huberman@gmail.com 

WATER QUALITY 

Heather Baker-Sullivan 

530 Millwood Rd., Mount Kisco 

10549 914-666-3047; 914-242- 

9541 FAX; riverliffey@earthlink.net 

EDITOR, VOTER Joyce Hickling 

330 Hickling Rd., Edmeston, NY 

13335 607-965-8119; 

E-mail jhh330@earthlink.net 

LWVnYS STAFF 

62 Grand Street, Albany, New York 12207-2721 

518-465-4162 Fax: 518-465-0812 

www.lwvny.org E-mail: lwvny@lwvny.org 

Marwa Elbially 

Administrative Assistant; 

lwvny@lwvny.org 

Michael Durocher 

Staff Accountant; lwvny@lwvny.org 

Spring 2007 Page 3 

LeaderSpark Grads Head to 

Students Inside Albany 

By Joan Elliott, Citizen Education Director, 

LeaderSpark, a national non-profit program with experience dating back to 

1988, provides a curriculum, coaching, training, and other tools for groups 

who want to create practical leadership skills and new behaviors in today’s youth. 

LeaderSpark provides a sequenced practical curriculum that involves youth-driven 

discussions and hands-on interactive activities focused on real life issues. 

The League of Women Voters of New York State with local League collaborators 

is entering its third year of involvement in the program. This year, Graduates 

of LeaderSpark programs sponsored by local Leagues across the state will 

join other students in Albany this year for the Students Inside Albany conference 

at the Hampton Inn & Suites, on April 22–25, 2007. 

The LWVNYS is looking to add LeaderSpark programs in the state. Leader- 

Spark develops leaders for tomorrow including those who have the potential for 

leadership in local Leagues in the future. Facilitators’ training workshops for LeaderSpark 

leadership training programs were held on Long Island and in Albany and 

Geneva. Karen Dawson, the originator of LeaderSpark, led the training along with 

LWVNYS Executive Director, Kris Hansen. The training introduced newcomers 

to the material and also gave those with experience an opportunity to get answers 

to questions about issues they had encountered. The LWVs of Smithtown and 

Buffalo entered the program this year. Continuing programs include the LWVs 

of Albany, Geneva, Saratoga, and Schenectady. We were pleased to have such a 

good mix of urban, suburban and rural League and school participation. 

“One of the nicest parts of this program is that at least a half dozen of 

last year’s participants have come back to be volunteers in this year’s Saratoga 

LeaderSpark program,” said Jane Weihe, one of the coordinators for Saratoga’s 

program. Most programs found their best recruiters for LeaderSpark were the 

participants of the previous year’s program. 

Kristen Hansen, executive director of LWVNYS, said all LeaderSpark programs 

were well received in their local communities. In addition to imparting 

new skills to high schoolers, LeaderSpark becomes a vehicle for a local League to 

reach out to the community in a different way and to collaborate with businesses 

and organizations with which it might not have normal alliances. State Farm Insurance, 

New York United Teachers, the Civil Service Employee Association, and 

Citizens Bank have 

provided funding to 

the LWVNYS program—in 

turn the 

LWVNYS provides 

stipends to the local 

Leagues. Two 

local Leagues have 

also received donations 

from a variety 

of sources including 

stores such as Price 

Chopper and Wal- 

Mart. This support 

is an encourag- 

ing sign that the 

League is reaching 

its goal of creating 

sustainable local 

“It taught me to take a risk. 

You never know until you try.” 

Student’s Inside Albany at the Capitol in 2006. Students 

from across the state will converge on Albany on April 22–25 

projects through grassroots support. Another measure of the League’s success is 

that local Leagues are finding that facilitators of last year’s programs are eager to 

continue in 2007, and student “alums” have been able to tell about their experiences 

with LeaderSpark and Students Inside Albany and Leagues have found this 

greatly helps with recruitment of new students for their programs. 

“We know that our collective futures, whether as individuals or League 

members, depend strongly on youth,” observed Kris. “We are pleased that LeaderSpark 

may offer one tool toward bridging the generation gap and molding 

tomorrow’s leaders.” 

Kris has developed a component of Students Inside Albany that will include 

participation from the LeaderSpark graduates that will utilize the leadership skills 

that these teenagers now have. With all the attention to government change in 

New York State, this will be an exciting time for students to observe an energized 

legislature, and legislative process. As one of the participants of LeaderSpark said, 

“It taught me to take a risk. You never know until you try.” LeaderSpark raises 

awareness, allows students to practice skills, and then to put them into practice. 

It particularly appeals to students because they get involved in a lot of activities 

which help them with active learning. The bonus is that students find it fun, and 

it creates friendships across school systems. 

Local Leagues that are planning their programs for the coming year should 

consider adding LeaderSpark. Any of the programs can act as a resource for further 

information. Leagues interested in LeaderSpark should contact Kris at kris 

@lwvny.org or by calling (518) 465-4162.

Page 4 SPRING 2007 

Let’s Secure a Sane and Accessible Court System By Helga Schroeter, Off-board Specialist ,Court Restructuring 

The League of Women Voters of New York State has been consistently supportive 

of restructuring the woefully splintered state court system, which 

now consists of eleven different trial courts with overlapping and inconsistent 

jurisdiction. In contrast, California, a state with twice the population, has only 

one trial court. 

New York’s court structure has not changed at all since 1962. �e last time 

there was a serious push towards streamlining the courts dates back to 1997, ten 

years ago! 

We Want an Independent Judicial Branch 

The League’s long-term goal continues to be amendment of the state Constitution 

to provide for judicial appointment after merit screening and recommendation 

by a broad-based, diverse, nonpartisan commission. 

Anticipated Action: 

�e League anticipates a legislative solution to the Lopez Torres decision. 

To that end it supports the following: 

• Implementation of reforms to the Judicial Nominating Convention 

and petitioning process for primary ballot access. �is could include measures 

to disassociate convention delegates from the control of party bosses, including 

delegate selection months prior to the convention, three year terms for conven- conven- 

tion delegates, lowering petition requirements 

for election of delegates, decreasing the size 

of judicial election districts, enabling candidates 

to address the convention, education of 

delegates about their authority, rights and responsibilities, 

and providing delegates with the 

opportunity to consider the reports of an independent 

judicial qualification commission. 

• Establishment of a Judicial Qualification 

Commission, reflecting the diversity of the com- 

munity, that would rate a candidate as highly-qualified, 

qualified, or decline to issue a rating. Evaluation by 

individuals seeking judicial office should be mandatory 

and results should be made available to the conventions 

and voters. 

• Judicial elections should be publicly financed. 

Constitutional Amendment: 

�e �e League continues to support a constitutional 

amendment for merit selection of judges. �e �e amendment, 

together with its implementing legislation, should contain 

the following: 

• Merit selection with review of applicants by a broadbased, 

nonpartisan nominating commission composed of lawlawyers and lay people. 

• Appointment from a limited list of highly qualified applicants 

recommended by the commission. 

Legislate for the Future: 

Fund Education Now 

G uarantee 

By Betsey Swan, Off-board Specialist, Education Finance 

uarantee New York’s future by improving education now. Urge your 

state representative to: 

• Implement the Campaign for Fiscal Equity order on a statewide 

basis, with district accountability for educational outcomes. �e �e 

Governor and Legislature should exercise their prerogative to fund 

New York City schools in the $4 to $6 billion range. 

• Reduce current local property taxes so all school districts tax at the 

same rate, with any shortfall in education expenses provided by the 

State. Enact a meaningful circuit breaker tax relief program, replacing 

the current non-income based program with one tied to need, adjusted 

by means of an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA). 

• Take education out of the political arena by adoption of a foundation approach 

to education finance. After providing real property tax relief, raise 

additional funds required for education by means of the personal income 

tax, which is a better measure of ability to pay than the real property tax. 

Adjust the foundation amount annually by means of a COLA. 

• Assure stability of education finance by creation of a dedicated education 

reserve to make up shortfalls in times of economic downturn. 

• Create a capacity-building initiative to assist those districts without the 

current capacity to provide all children with a sound basic education. 

Such an initiative should include technical assistance with respect to validated 

best practices and professional development and facilitation of research 

to determine best practices in unstudied areas. 

For more background information on our financing education and charter 

schools positions, including talking points for your letters or lobbying visits, 

look for the 2007 Legislative Packet at www.lwvny.org. 

Chief Judge Judith Kaye has not allowed this issue to die, however, because 

our current system is costly and inefficient, both for the state and for the litigants 

who seek relief in court. Kaye has appointed a “Special Commission on the Future 

of the Courts.” In addition Governor Eliot Spitzer is strongly committed to 

reforming state government. �e time is ideal to push forward on court reform 

issues. 

New York’s archaic and inefficient court structure needlessly wastes the time 

and resources of litigants, businesses, municipalities, and the courts. Due to the 

rigid jurisdictional boundaries separating the state’s nine primary trial courts, 

administrators cannot effectively redistribute cases from overburdened to underutilized 

dockets. In many cases, it forces litigants to visit more than one court 

at great emotional and financial cost. It causes lengthy backlogs, unnecessary 

delays, and sometimes-conflicting results from rulings of different courts dealing 

with different aspects of a case. 

A streamlined, two-tier trial court structure would remedy the system by 

enabling court administrators to allocate cases away from overloaded courts. �is 

would substantially reduce waste, would allow court administrators to manage 

caseloads in an efficient way that optimizes court resources and would make the 

process more understandable and transparent. In addition, litigants in family 

cases would no longer be forced 

into multiple courts to resolve 

closely related matters. Additionally, 

if the cap on the number 

of Supreme Court Justices 

were lifted and cases from the 

Second Appellate Department 

were transferred to a new, less 

crowded department, all New 

Memo To Albany: 

2007 2007 Legislative Legislative To-Do To-Do List List 

Log on! 

Pick up your pen and paper! 

Get on the phone! 

Send a fax! 

It doesn’t matter how you communicate with your state legislators, 

just do it! Below is a handy list of “talking points” to make 

your communications easier. To learn more about these issues in 

depth, see the articles on these two pages. 

Judicial Selection 

P lease 

support and work this year for a constitutional amendment 

for merit selection of judges. I would like to see that 

include merit selection with review of applicants by a broad 

based, nonpartisan nominating commission composed of lawyers 

and lay people. I’d also like to see appointments made from 

a limited list of highly qualified applicants recommended by the 

commission. 

Court Restructuring 

P lease 

support and work this year for a constitutional amendment 

to streamline our court system in line with recommendations 

made by Chief Judge Judith Kaye. 

Cost-effective and Accessible Health Care 

P lease 

lend your support to legislation, which would give us 

a prescription drug assistance program also known as a prescription 

drug bulk buying program. 

Equity in School Financing 

I have 

many concerns about educating New York State’s children. 

Please support implementation of the CFE remedy on 

a statewide basis, and see that the remedy is funded above the 

minimum mandated by the court of appeals. I would also hope 

you can support a “foundation approach” to education funding. 

Charter Schools 

I am 

Yorkers would stand to benefit 

from the simpler, less 

congested, and far more 

efficient court system that 

would emerge. 

opposed to raising the cap on the number of charter schools 

allowed in this state without including measures to strengthen 

the Charter School Act. Please support measures to provide transition 

assistance for public schools impacted by a charter school, 

provide better oversight of charter schools and provide for continuing 

research into characteristics that are likely to lead to their 

success or failure. 

Reforming New York State Government 

P lease 

support a ban on gifts from lobbyists to legislators; an 

end to Albany’s pay to play culture, and legislation which 

would curb large sums of money by business and unions from 

being infused into the campaign coffers of legislators; a constitutional 

amendment this year to create a nonpartisan commission 

to draw legislative and congressional districts; a ban on the use of 

soft money going into political party housekeeping accounts; full 

public financing of campaigns as proposed by Governor Spitzer; 

measures to ensure transparency in the decisions made by public 

authorities as well as measures to ensure a truly independent 

public authorities budget office.

Health Care Bills Need Support 

By Donna Packard-Mahoney, Off-board Specialist, Health Care 

For the 2007 Legislative Session, the LWVNYS has identified two pieces of 

legislation that it believes will continue to move New York State along the 

continuum toward assuring a basic level of quality physical and mental health 

care for all state residents while also meeting League criteria for effective health 

care legislation. The League will support and lobby for passage of: 

Employer/Public Partnership Bill: An act to amend the public health, social 

services and state finance laws, in relation to employer partnerships for child health 

plus, Medicaid and family health plus; and to repeal certain provisions of the social 

services law relating thereto. 

This bill would bring relief to low-income workers who work for employers 

who offer health coverage, but who cannot afford to pay the worker’s share of 

the premium. The bill would provide workers the opportunity to participate in 

employment-based health coverage through premium assistance and employer 

buy-in programs. 

Through the premium assistance program, the state would only have to pay 

the low-income workers’ share of the premium of the employer’s private health 

insurance and not the full cost of public health insurance, making good use of 

public dollars. Wrap-around coverage will be provided through Child Health 

Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid for services not covered by the employer’s 

insurance plan. 

Through the employer buy-in program, employers would pay the state for 

public health insurance coverage for qualified low-income employees and dependents, 

with the employer’s cost being equal to the amount the employer would 

have paid for the cost of the company’s health benefit plan. State dollars would 

be well spent in this program because the state would only pay part of the cost of 

the public health insurance coverage while the employer pays the remainder. 

This legislation will also eliminate much of the red tape for individuals receiving 

Medicaid under premium assistance or employer buy-in because the local 

social services district would be able to verify with the employer that the 

employee actually exists and earns a certain salary. The coverage received through 

the employer/public partnerships would be the same scope as an individual who 

receives public health coverage in the traditional manner. 

Prescription drug assistance program (S.00316, Golden, awaiting new 

assembly number, sponsored by Gottfried): This legislation would provide 

increased access and affordability to prescription drugs by organizing the collective 

marketing power of New York’s prescription drug consumers to negotiate 

rebates with suppliers. This program could help create downward pressure on 

prescription drug prices generally, saving money in the state health plans and the 

Medicaid program. 

The program derives state revenue from rebates and applies that revenue to 

reducing costs for participants. The bill also sets up a prescription drug assistance 

board that negotiates agreements with suppliers in which the suppliers pay rebates 

to the fiscal administrator of a program for prescription drugs purchased 

by participants in the program. An advisory committee, appointed to five-year 

terms by the governor, provides advice and consultation to the board on the 

development and management of the program. 

Spring 2007 Page 5 

Reforming New York State Government 

by Barbara Bartoletti, LWVNYS Legislative Director 

With a new Governor in office who supports reform, the 2007 session presents 

a real opportunity to accomplish priorities the League has supported 

and worked toward for several years. In the first month of this Governor’s administration, 

two reforms have already been addressed. Ethics reform legislation 

has been proposed by Governor Spitzer and agreed to by legislative leaders. The 

ethics bill will likely be passed by the legislature the week of January 29, 2007, 

and signed into law shortly thereafter. Although this new ethics legislation does 

not contain all the League had advocated for, it does represent a great step forward 

in many areas governing ethics reform. Specifically, the League supported 

the following measures which are included this new ethics legislation: 

• Banning all gifts to public officials except those of a nominal amount. 

• Prohibiting lobbyists from paying for travel, lodging and other expenses 

for any state official. 

•Banning elected officials from appearing in taxpayerfinanced 

public service announcements. 

• Restricting public officials’ ability to receive paid honoraria 

for speeches given while in office. 

•Prohibiting former legislative employees from lobbying 

until two years after they leave the public payroll. However, 

this provision does not go into effect until 2009. 

• Expanding the lobbying law to include grants, loans, 

or agreement involving the disbursement of public monies. 

• Increasing maximum penalties for lobbying violations 

available under law. 

• Expanding reporting requirements of ethics commission’s 

activities and investigations. 

Still to be done 

Not addressed in the current new ethics legislation is the pay-to-play issue. 

the infusion of large sums of money by businesses and unions with public contracts 

and lobbyists into the campaign coffers of elected representatives has generated 

a widespread public belief that contributors are “paying” those officials for 

the opportunity to “play” with the government. New York should join a growing 

number of states and localities with “pay to play” restrictions on lobbyists and 

public contractors, including Connecticut, South Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, 

Kentucky, and West Virginia. 

Lobbyist training 

The new legislation did not require ethics training for lobbyists and for the 

governor, legislators, legislative employees, state agency officers, and state 

agency employees. Once good laws are on the books, the good way to prevent 

ethics violations is through education. As of January 2006, nine states had continuing 

education requirements for ethics and conflict of interest laws for various 

categories of state officials. 

Redistricting—Amend the Constitution 

The League supports the creation of an independent redistricting 

commission based on the state of Iowa’s successful 

model. At the heart of the public’s discontent is a feeling 

that state lawmakers rig the system for their own political 

gain. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the way legislative 

district lines are drawn. Currently, the State Senate 

Republicans and the State Assembly Democrats are allowed 

to draw the lines for their respective houses. The only check 

on this system is whether the Governor chooses to allow this 

practice to continue or use his veto powers to force changes. 

The League believes that creation of an independent redistricting 

commission must be a top priority for those interested 

in reform. Lawmakers should support a constitutional 

amendment to create a nonpartisan Redistricting Commission. The League supports 

a constitutional amendment to create a nonpartisan redistricting commission 

to draft the state legislative and Congressional political boundaries for the 

2012 elections. 

Such a constitutional amendment takes passage by two separately elected 

legislatures before it goes to the voters on the ballot. Our advocacy must start 

now to accomplish a constitutional amendment in time for the 2010 census. 

Budget 

A budget reform measure was signed into law on Wednesday, January 24, 

2007, after a three-way agreement with the legislature. The budget was the first 

legislative reform enacted during the new 2007 session. Governor Spitzer signed 

the legislation on January 24, 2006. This was a three-way agreement with legislative 

leaders to reform the way New York’s budget process works. This package 

encompasses many of the reforms that the League has been pushing for. With 

the passage of this legislative package, the budget process will be more open, 

transparent, and accountable. Read more about the reforms at the League Web 

page www.lwvny.org. 

But wait, there’s more 

Continuing League Action 

Responsibilities 

L eague 

members all understand that each year we must choose our legislative 

priorities for the upcoming session. Choosing which issues that we will focus 

on reflects the realities of the League’s resources. That doesn’t mean that the 

League will ever give up speaking in support of its other statements of position. 

Should the opportunity arise to advance any of these issues in 2007, the League 

will move them quickly to the front burner and a campaign will be cooking. 

If any of these issues are near and dear to your heart, here are some talking 

points for you to use in communicating with your legislators. For more information, 

see the articles on page 6 or log on to www.lwvny.org and read the latest 

State Board Report. 

Capital punishment: The League opposes the death penalty and believes that a 

civilized society should not be executing people. The United States is in a small 

minority of nations that still practice this inhumane vengeance. We instead support 

the sanction of a life without parole sentence. 

Elections: The League supports the use of paper ballot/optical scan voting for 

all of New York State, along with increased funding for voter education and poll 

worker training. 

Reproductive Choices: The League believes that public policy in a pluralistic 

society must affirm the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make 

reproductive choices, and that individual liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution 

should not be weakened or abridged. 

Salary Equity Reform: Secret salary information in the private sector hides the 

truth about pay equity. The League supports legislation to enable private sector 

employees to obtain and reveal salary information without reprisal. We support 

the use of gender neutral job evaluation systems in the public sector. 

Smart Growth and Containing Sprawl: The League supports legislation that 

will promote regional land use planning, enhance urban neighborhoods and protect 

agricultural land, open space, watersheds and other sensitive areas.

Page 6 Spring 2007 

Building Support for Pay Equity 

By Lois Haignere, Off-board Specialist , Pay Equity 

We continue to be a primary member of the New York State Pay Equity Coalition, 

and with the League’s guidance, NYSPEC takes actions to provide 

pay equity for equally evaluated job titles and equal pay to employees in New 

York State. Efforts continue to identify a Senate sponsor for the New York State 

Fair Pay Bill, even as we expect the Assembly, as it has perennially, to pass the 

bill. 

Our efforts are carrying the weight of a heavier hitting coalition membership. 

The New York State Nurses’ Association has expressed their commitment 

to being an active and supportive member. Shaun Flynn, NYSNA’s Associate 

Director for Governmental Affairs met with us in October. The Capital District 

Area Labor Federation has also announced their intention to join NYSPEC, and 

we continue to be in contact with District One, Communication Workers of 

America about membership and anticipate an affirmative response in the near 

future. 

If you are, or have been, a nurse, we need your help. We need a League 

member who is willing to learn more about the major class action lawsuit filed 

in June by nurses against national hospital corporations in four cities, including 

Albany, New York. The suit alleges that the hospitals have colluded illegally to 

hold down nurse wages. Please contact us at (518) 464-0991, or e-mail me at 

haigner@albany.net. 

NYSPEC’s booth at the School Related Professionals Conference in the fall 

gave booth volunteers, Jan Conti and Barbara Smith the opportunity to talk to 

many conference participants about the pay equity issue, as well as hand out copies 

of our brochure. New York State United Teachers has generously reprinted 

our brochure. Please contact us for copies. NYSUT also supports our lobbying 

efforts through the work of their lobbyist John Green. His assistance in setting 

up meetings with the appropriate legislators and his knowledge of others in the 

Albany area that can be helpful to us on this issue are invaluable. 

New York State: Last in the Nation 

Outrageous? Dangerous? 

By Georgia DeGregorio Off-Board Domestic Violence Specialist 

New York is the only state in the U.S. that does not have “Expanded Access 

to Family Court”, which would expand the definition of “members of the 

same family or household” for the purposes of issuing Orders of Protection for 

victims of domestic violence in Family Court. 

Examples of those who should be included in this expanded access are: 

• Elderly persons and people with disabilities, such as a grandparent who is 

abused by a live-in friend; 

• Unmarried, intimate partners who do not have biological children in 

common, and 

• Victims of teen dating violence. 

Access to family court rather than criminal court would provide: 

• Quicker access following an incident (in some cases hours in family court 

versus weeks in criminal court); 

• The ability to seek a protection order in any county and/or the ability to 

register this order out- of- state if the survivor needs to move; 

• Greater input into the type of relief that will best protect the survivor and 

his/her family (Ex: On-site Advocate who creates safety plans, coordinates 

housing counseling, etc., and a dedicated Judge who presides over 

cases from arraignment to disposition, monitors compliance, etc.); and, 

• In cases where the abuser’s behavior does not constitute a crime, allows 

other means to obtain court ordered protection (Ex: frightening behavior 

such as verbal abuse, threats, etc.). 

The NY State Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator DeFrancisco 

of the Syracuse area, has not sent this bill to the Senate floor for a vote five years 

in a row. The Assembly has passed this bill every session since 1991. 

Think about this. When the bill is introduced again in this new session, 

consider encouraging your friends to lobby your Albany representatives to get 

this bill passed—at last. 

Shouldn’t we have equal protection under the law for all citizens? 

Support a Statewide OpScan 

System! 

N ew 

York State Assemblymember Sandy Galef has reintroduced her 2005-06 

legislation. The new bill number is A05170: An act to amend the election 

law, in relation to implementing a statewide voting system using paper ballots, 

precinct-based optical scanners and ballot marking devices for voters with special 

needs; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relating to voting machines. 

The reason: To provide a secure, accessible, verifiable, transparent, and economical 

voting system for New York State. 

This bill requires the State Board of Elections to adopt a statewide voting 

system using equipment bought through a competitive bidding process which 

will become the exclusive, official voting system used in New York State. 

This bill effectively puts the responsibility back where it belongs: at the state 

government level and not with county election commissioners. A05170 was referred 

to Election Law on February 12, 2007. 

The State Senate has not responded with a companion bill. You know what 

to do! 

Ticky-tacky Thinking Keeps us Sprawling 

T hriving 

By Ruth Bonn & Ann Huberman, Urban Sprawl Off-board Specialists 

city centers enhance the quality of life in a region according to a 

study presented at a recent conference on Sustainable Development in Sche- 

nectady. The study, funded by the Center for Economic Growth, looked at alternative 

growth scenarios for the Capital Region. Unplanned sprawling growth 

and a higher density development model featuring mixed-use town centers and 

residential development in existing cities were compared. If the present development 

trends continue, the study showed, the fiscal impact will be significantly 

higher taxes. Regional quality of life will also suffer as open spaces become suburbanized 

and cities continue to struggle. 

David Rusk, in Albany on January 16, spoke of the need to tackle “the underlying 

structural problems of how New York State’s system of 1,445 municipal 

governments—what Rusk calls “little boxes”—is costly, ineffective, and actually 

retards economic growth.” Municipalities in New York, unlike most other states, 

cannot expand their boundaries to adapt to changing growth patterns. In addition, 

municipalities have land use planning and zoning authority, unregulated by 

the state, which they can exercise without consideration of effects beyond their 

boundaries. “Progress in one ‘little box’ comes at the expense of some other ‘little 

box’,” he stated. 

In 56 of the 57 counties outside of New York City, the urban center is worse 

off than 50 years ago. The state’s major cities have the second worst average credit 

rating in the country. The tax base of most upstate cities has declined over the last 

15 years. At the same time, suburbs are growing—and property taxes continue to 

climb. New York’s cities are between a rock and a hard place—their boundaries 

are fixed by law, but no laws exist to prevent the hemorrhaging of their economic 

base. 

A regional approach to economic development and land use planning is 

called for. According to Rusk, to compete for economic development with other 

areas of the country, local municipalities must work together to attack regional 

problems, including developing regional tax base sharing. 

Governor Spitzer, in a paper released on December 15, 2007, “Toward a 

Smart Growth Development Strategy for New York State,” proposes creation of 

an Office of Smart Growth that would “make grants to county planning agencies, 

as well as to non-profit planning and economic development to initiate 

regional “visioning” projects. Rusk, went a step further, advocating enactment of 

specific regional compact legislation to “strengthen local governments that want 

to attack serious regional problems through real collaboration.” 

The signals from the Spitzer administration are that strong state leadership, 

including “powerful incentives” and disincentives, will be given to motivate local 

governments to work together. We all need to start thinking outside our “little 

boxes.” For Ruth and Ann’s complete article, access the 2007 Legislative Packet 

at www.lwvny.org. 

Voter Confidence at the National Level 

T he “Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007,” HR811, 

contains much that is good, but New Yorkers for Verified Voting, along with 

other organizations believes it needs the following amendments to earn their 

support. 

1) The bill must be amended to require real, firsthand voter-marked paper ballots 

(counted by hand or by optical scanner) and to ban the use of direct 

recording electronic (DRE) voting systems 

2) The bill must be amended to also allow the development of low-tech innovations 

to provide accessibility and verifiability to people with disabilities, rather 

than mandating that such verifiability be accomplished only through computerized 

means, as HR 811’s proposed HAVA Section 301(a)(3)(B)(ii)(I) currently 

does. 

3) HR 811’s proposed HAVA Section 301(a)(2)(B) must be amended to require 

all recounts to be conducted by hand-counting the paper ballots (as HR 550 

did), including recounts mandated by State laws for races with narrow margins. 

4) As currently written, HR 811 would allow the central Election Management 

System (EMS) computer of a voting system to be connected to the Internet. 

The EMS computer of a voting system is arguably the component most critical 

to protect from Internet connection. The bill must be amended to ban all 

Internet connections for all components of a voting system. In addition, the 

bill should include a ban on the Internet transmission of voted overseas ballots 

referenced in HR 811’s proposed HAVA Section. 

5) The bill must be amended to require true Commercial Off The Shelf software, 

such as the Windows operating system and standard printer drivers, to 

be escrowed and available to officials under confidentiality, but not publicly 

disclosed. 

6) The bill must be amended to extend the authorization of the Election Assistance 

Commission through 2008 only, with provisions that enable and 

encourage the proactive oversight of the EAC by Congress and the public. 

Beyond these essential changes, the bill could be improved by also including 

the following changes: 

7) The bill’s component on the selection of the audit board should be amended 

to avoid conflicts with the authority of existing independent election oversight 

bodies in many states. 

8) The bill should state when the audits of precinct ballots should begin, as it 

does for absentee and provisional ballots. The Web site www.votersunite.org 

contains recommendations for new wordings, and justifications for these 

amendments.

Local League News 

Anne Huberman, LWV Buffalo/Niagara, 

has put together a Powerpoint presentation 

called At Taxpayers Expense: How government 

Policies Encourage Sprawl in Erie and Niagara 

Counties. It was shown to elicit reactions 

from panelists from Buffalo/Niagara who are 

experts in economic and regional development 

at a recent League meeting. 

LWV Syracuse is trying a unique fund raiser, 

the Celebrity Book Raffle. Tickets are five dollars 

for two chances to win a bushel or peck of 

books all signed by their authors. 

LWV Orleans County has been busy this 

year. �ey have sponsored programs on, 

“Better Government: Avoiding Conflict 

of Interest, Voting Machine Selection and 

Freedom of Information Laws. 

LWV Bronxville is co-sponsored a two-day 

conference with Sarah Lawrence College on 

Women at War: Soldiers, Sisters, Survivors. Janis 

Karpinski, former commander at Abu 

Ghraib, will be the keynote speaker. 

Barbara Weaver and the Voting and Election 

Committee of LWV Utica-Rome has 

put together a four-page handout on the 

Voting Machine Controversy, which includes 

a country-wide chronology of developments 

leading up to and since the 

adoption of HAVA, a glossary, and the case 

for Optical Scan. 

Laura Porter hosted a Vote Saving Party for 

her fellow members of LWV New Castle. 

Everyone took time to write a letter to the 

Westchester County Legislature in favor of 

optical scan voting machines. 

LWV Broome-Tioga held its first-ever legislative 

breakfast in November just after the 

election and had the good fortune to have all 

In Memoriam 

LWV Utica-Rome mourns the loss 

of Ruth Fillips, an active League 

member for more than 50 years. She 

is remembered for her high energy, 

optimism, spunk and her capacity to 

encourage and motivate others. 

Michael Corey will be missed by 

LWV Mid-Hudson and our sympathy 

goes to his wife League member 

Emilie Hauser. 

of their representatives, including their Congressman 

attend and lay out their plans for 

the year. LWV Saratoga waited until the State 

League had its legislative priorities in hand for 

this year to lobby their representatives at its 

legislative breakfast, planned by Susan Burton, 

Pattie Garrett and Kelly Reidy. Instead 

of a breakfast LWV Schenectady continued 

their longtime tradition of a legislative reception 

for their legislators. 

Barbara Bartoletti, LWVNY Legislative 

Director, and David Higby, Director for 

Federal Relations of the Nature Conservancy 

of New York, told LWV Albany members 

“What to Expect When You Are Lobbying” 

at a meeting that started with soups, salads 

and sweets by LWV cooks. 

LWV Port Washington Manhasset hosted 

a luncheon meeting that drew 130 to hear 

their town’s supervisor give his State of the 

Town address. Co-chairs Amy Bass and 

Rita Tanski were assisted by committee 

members Jane �omas, Sue Fitzgerald, 

Pat Mahar, Marie Bellon and Kay Mullen 

in pulling off the event. 

Planning was the subject of a well-attended 

panel held by LWV Utica-Rome. Johanna 

Albrect moderated and speakers from the 

planning offices in Utica and Rome, and 

from Genesis and Breakthrough Central 

New York touted their successes and listed 

some of the obstacles still to be overcome in 

redeveloping the area. 

Following up on last year’s successful Sunshine 

Week seminar, LWV Saratoga members 

Corinne Scirocco, Barbara �omas 

and Joanne Yepsen worked with local 

County Supervisors from both parties to 

host a two day event. 

Ann Burton arranged for Lupita Montoya 

to speak on Global Warming at LWV 

Rensselaer’s January get-together. Marcia 

Two longtime White Plains residents Jeane Garment and Lila Salzman, were honorees 

at the LWV White Plains winter fund-raiser on January 29 at the home of Nick 

and Aileen Wolff. In spite of a winter storm nearly 100 people attended the event 

which acknowledged the almost 70 years of service that the honorees together had provided 

the League. Pictured above are (left to right): LWV White Plains Co-presidents 

Judith Meyer and Marge Davies, Jeane Garment and (seated) Lila Salzman. 

SPRING 2007 Page 7 

Members of LWV Plattsburgh Barbara Landes, Inge Sapp, Linda Leighton and Jan 

Forsman listen to information on the North Country Underground Railroad. 

By Barbara �omas, LWVNYS Membership Outreach Director 

Easterling made the catering arrangements, 

and members discussed concrete steps they 

could take to cut down on global warming. 

LWV Rockland partnered with the County 

Water Quality Committee and a myriad of 

other environmental organizations to present 

a program of practical steps everyone can take 

to keep the water in Rockland County clean. 

Myra Decker, LWV Plattsburgh, was very 

persistent about informing PriceChopper 

grocery stores in the Plattsburgh region of 

the LWV’s support for recycling of plastic 

grocery bags. She was credited in the Press- 

Republican, the local newspaper, with getting 

Price Chopper to join the Hanaford 

grocery chain in recycling these bags. Myra 

noted that in California, where recycling for 

plastic grocery bags, these bags are know as 

urban tumbleweeds or shoppers kites. 

Michelle Lictenberg, president, and Laura 

Fratt and Adie Shore, chairs of the Village 

Election Systems Committee presented two 

pages of comments and recommendations 

from LWV Scarsdale on the current nonpartisan 

election system, which the LWV is on 

record as supporting for village elections. 

Dr. James Merrins, retired Superintendent 

of Schools, also famous as the husband of 

LWVNY President Marcia Merrins addressed 

LWV Chautauqua on the outlook 

for education financing in NYS. 

Sheila Crespi, chair of LWV New Castle’s 

Local Planning Committee, presented the 

League’s testimony on what should be included 

in the scoping document for the 

DEIS on a possible new firehouse. 

LWV Suffolk County arranged a visit to a 

morning session of the Mental Health Court 

and then, over a four course lunch, Leaguers 

heard from Judge Madeline Fitzgibbon, 

who supervises the Court. Judge Fitzgibbon 

emphasized restorative justice. 

Janet Mallen reports that the LWV Syracuse 

Fair Campaign Practices Committee 

Immigration 

�� 

Clean Water 

Reforming Albany 

Water 

Women in War 

Voting Machines 

Chicken-Related Diseases (Bronxville); 

Creating a Traditional Downtown Overlay 

District (Geneva); Families in Crisis (Utica- 

Rome); Global Warming (Rensselaer, 

Smithtown, Saratoga); Healthcare/ 

Emergency Contraception (Plattsburgh, 

Schenectady); Immigration (Albany, 

Broome-Tioga, Buffalo/Niagara, Oneonta, 

Saratoga, Schenectady, ); Pay Equity 

(Albany, Utica /Rome); Recreation Opportunities 

(Plattsburgh); Septic Management 

(New Castle); Social Services and 

Assistance (Oneonta); Sprawl (Buffalo/ 

Niagara); Underground Railroad in the 

North Country (Plattsburgh); Voting Machines 

(every LWV); Water Quality/Watershed 

Protection (Rensselaer, Rockland, 

Schenectady, Smithtown, Utica-Rome,); 

Women at War (Bronxville) 

Jane Lindau (at right), LWV New Castle, 

handed out voting materials at Naturalization 

Day on February 7, at White 

Plains. 

did not receive any complaints in this first 

year of operation. �ey have ambitious 

plans to work with the Maxwell School at 

Syracuse University to create a course to 

monitor political ads. 

Ruth Shur, member and former president 

of LWV Port Washington-Manhassett, 

former member of the LWVNYS Board 

where she served as Public Relations Director, 

Voter Editor and Director of Government 

and Election Law will be moving 

to the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina 

with her husband, Walter. 

Recognize Your Favorite Leaguer— 

Add a Name to the Sustainers’ Plaque 

Looking for a lasting gift to honor a League leader from your League? Look 

no further! For a gift of $200 or more, your honoree’s name will be added 

to the Sustainers’ Plaque, which is permanently displayed in the state office 

and proudly exhibited at state conventions. For more information contact 

the LWVNYS office at 518-465-4162 or .. 

Gold Stars and Bouquets 

Marsha Mortimer, a member of LWV Schenectady, was presented with the Jim 

Perry Progressive Leadership Award from Citizen Action of the Capital District. 

Marsha was the founder and organizer of Women of Color for Change and also the 

New York affiliate of Women Work. 

Congratulations, LWV New York City on receiving a New York Community Trust grant 

to offer a six-session course entitled, “How to Run for Public Office in New York City.” �e 

course will be offered at five CUNY campuses in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens 

and Staten Island. �e course was developed in part to response to two recent developments: 

the creation of the Campaign Finance Board and the institution of term limits for 

City Council seats. New York Community Trust is also providing full scholarships in each 

borough, for those who do not have the financial means to pay for the course.

SPRING 2007 Page 8 

Silent Auction 2007 

W 

ith the League’s 2007 Silent Auction, everyone is a winner! Members and friends are once again invited to participate in the League’s 

biennial event held in conjunction with the League of Women Voters of New York State Convention. Your bid can win you extraordinary 

items, and the LWVNYS Education Foundation benefits. �ere are dozens of items – like the samples you see here – to entice you. 

�e catalog will be posted on the LWVNYS Web site with paper catalogs available by request, so that you can bid even if 

you are not able to attend convention. Described on this page is a small sample of 

the many wonderful items that will be part of the auction. Bid often! 

How the bidding works. �e auction will be held by mail, e-mail, fax, and of course, at the 

convention. You do not need to be present to bid. Bid on as many items as you wish but e-mail, mail 

and fax bids must be received by 5 p.m., Monday, May 14, 2007. �e highest bids received by the 

close of the mail-in and e-mail period will become the opening bids at the opening of convention on 

Friday, May 18. However, if you bid the amount listed under “Ultimate Bid” then the item is yours. 

Mail your bid to LWVNYSEF, 62 Grand Street, Albany, New York 12207. E-mail to lwvny@lwvny. 

org or fax to 518-465-0812, Please write “Silent Auction Bid” on your envelope, the subject line of 

the e-mail or on the fax cover sheet. All items will be on display at convention. 

Use separate e-mails or separate pages for each item you are bidding on. Include the following 

information with your e-mail, mail, or fax bid: 

Bid Amount Item # Name of item 

Your name Local League 

Address Telephone 

Remember, you may also bid in person at the 52nd biennial Convention on May 18-19, 2007. 

Payment options. Do not send money with your bid. Winners will be posted at convention on 

Sunday, May 20, 2007. Items may be paid for by credit card, money order, and personal check or at 

convention, with cash. All items must be paid in full before being claimed. 

Travel and Destinations 

Visit www.lwvny.org to see many other items including a weekend stay on Martha’s 

Vineyard, Seneca Park Zoo Household Membership, a family membership to the Hudson 

River Museum , Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center Saratoga 

Springs, �e Parker House Schenectady, Angel Rock Lodge in the �ousand Islands, 

Reen’s Bed and Breakfast, Rochester, �e Batcheller Mansion Inn in Saratoga Springs, 

New Rochelle Residence Inn by Marriott, and Hilton Lake Placid Resort. 

Item #5: Four tickets to the National Soccer Hall of Fame < 

www.soccerhall.org>, plus an official soccer NHOF soccer ball, two mugs, 

and two NHOF frisbees. 

Value: $108 Minimum Bid: $54 Ultimate Bid: $162 

Item # 48: Two for Breakfast Getaway! Marriott, Wolf 

Road, Albany. One guest room for any weekend night with breakfast 

for two the following morning. 


Item #13: One night stay at the Batcheller Mansion Inn 

in Saratoga. 


Item #44: Long Acre Farm 

four Barn Buster Combo tickets 

for both the Amazing Maize Maze and the Back 40 Activity Area. 


Item #40: Four passes to the National Baseball Hall of Fame 

and Museum in Cooperstown. 


Arts And Entertainment 

Visit www.lwvny.org for other arts and entertainment 

items including tickets to LiveNation and �e State 

Room/Comedy Works. 

Item #14: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, 

Inc. Two Tickets to a performance of the New York City Ballet during SPAC’s 2007 

season. 


Item #26: Two tickets to the Buffalo Philharmonic 

Orchestra in either section B or C to any 2007 BPO 

Concert. Valid through June 9, 2007. 


Health/Beauty 

Item #10: A selection of items from Antonia’s Flowers—1 

Antonia’s Flowers 3.4 EDT/1 Antonia’s Flowers Lotion/1 Antonia’s Flowers 

Soap/1 Antonia’s Flowers Purser. 


Item # 26: The Botanical—A —A Day Spa Gift Certificate 


And More! 

Scenic Tours 

2007 Big League Raffle 

Visit www.lwvny.org for other scenic tours including �ousand 

Islands Bridge Authority/Boldt Castle and Uncle Sam 

Boat Tours in Alexandria Bay. 

Item #34: Two vouchers each good for 

two people each for a two-hour scenic 

train ride on the Upper Hudson River 

Railroad—an 8.5-mile section of the 

former Adirondack Branch of the D&H 

Railroad. , North Creek, New York along the 

Hudson River. 


Ultimate/Ultimate for all 4 tickets: $96 

Item #37: Four adult tickets for a threehour 

tour aboard the Miss Clayton by 

Clayton Island Tours , 

Clayton. Enjoy the 

breathtaking views of the 1000 Islands with a live 

narration describing the sights and rich history of the area. 


Visit www.lwvny.org for more items including a Senseo Single- 

Serve Coffee, a Cuisinart Electric Fondue Set, jewelry, a“Flavors of 

Schenectady” basket, a basket of items from Chautauqua County, 

paintings, books and more. 

Item #53: Vetreria Lux 14 1 ⁄2-inch diameter copper flaked 

glass charger. Vetreria Lux is an Italian glass factory specializing in colored or decorated 

tableware, vases, and candle lighting chargers. 


Item #54: Beautiful purse handmade by LWVNYS President, 

Marcia Merrins. 


Item #50: Two watercolors 

donated by the artist—Sonny 

Taub, who had her first art exhibit in 2004. 


Item #29: Tonner American Models 

doll. 

Each Tonner doll is a work of art as 

seen in its exceptional haute couture fabrics, including embroidered 

and hand-beaded details. �e dolls feature articulated jointing at the 

neck, shoulder, elbow, waist, hip, and knee for the most fashionable 

posing. 


Item #57: Framed Print by Charles Townsend “A 

View From Barclay Heights.” �e Townsend painting captures 

the fine details of a bucolic scene overlooking Barclay 

Pond and the setting of the Esopus Bend Nature Preserve as 

viewed from Barclay Heights. 


Item #43: Rochester Visitors Association’s Casa Larga 

Gift Basket which includes: 1 bottle of Casa Larga Tramonto, 

1 bottle of Casa Larga Pallido, biscotti, Enrico’s 

Organic Garden Pasta Sauce, whole wheat breadsticks and 

2 lbs. Pasta. 


�e winning ticket could be worth up to $5,000! 

Make some money for your local League 

and support the LWVNYS Education 

Foundation at the same time! �e LWVNYS continues 

its Big League Raffle partnership with local 

Leagues again. Twenty percent of the net proceeds will 

be returned to local Leagues that sell raffle tickets and the League that 

sells the winning ticket will receive an additional 5 percent. 

Tickets will be mailed to all League members during April. Once again the tickets 

will sell for $5 each or five tickets for $20. Take this opportunity to ask friends, family, 

neighbors and co-workers to support the wonderful work of the LWV. You can help 

make this the most successful Big League Raffle ever!

Hey, Look Us Over! - League of Women Voters of New York State

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