Sunday, November 23, 2008

Wanted: Candidates with 'fire in the belly'

Enchanta Jackson questioned Richmond City Councilman Robert Blythe. Students from Berea College studying diversity in elections helped LWV with the workshop. View and/or download their research paper Gender and Racial Diversity in Kentucky's Public Offices. Elizabeth Crowe (left) and Joe Gershtenson welcome keynote speaker Eleanor Jordan to the LWV Running for Office workshop.

A diverse and enthusiastic panel of speakers treated 40 or so equally diverse and enthusiastic potential candidates to advice, analysis and inspiration during the League’s Running for Office workshop at EKU’s Perkins Building Nov. 22.

“Make sure you have a fire in your belly,” advised Eleanor Jordan, executive director of Kentucky Commission on Women and a former state legislator from Louisville. “Passion is a must. Voters will see through a reluctant candidate.”

It wasn’t the “glamor” of office, but an effort to save a Queen Anne Victorian home in her neighborhood that led to Jordan’s first campaign. When the incumbent alderman showed no interest in the issue, Jordan launched her own campaign for Louisville city government. She lost by 97 votes, but gained the attention of veteran state Rep. Leonard Gray, who encouraged her to run for his seat when he retired.

While she was being sworn in as a state legislator — the only African-American female among 138 members, she had a “deja vu” moment of looking down at the House floor from the visitor’s gallery on a school visit when she was 12 years old.
“I remember not seeing anyone that looks like me,” she recalled. And she pledged to give a voice to both blacks and women whose representation in the legislature were minimal.

Her victories over three terms in the legislature ranged from the commonplace--securing a women’s rest room on the Third Floor to the significant -- passage of a women’s health bill that would require insurance companies to pay for such items as reconstructive breast surgery following a mastectomy.

Jordan was the leadoff in a lineup that included Kentucky political strategist Dale Emmons, Lexington at-large Councilwoman Linda Gorton, Madison County Clerk Billy Gabbard, Richmond City Councilman Robert Blythe and District Court Judge Brandy Oliver Brown.



Joe Gershtenson , director of EKU’s Institute for Political Governance and Civic Engagement .moderated a panel discussion which included Lexington at-large Councilwoman Linda Gorton and Richmond City Councilman Robert Blythe


Blythe actually lost two early races for city commission, one by only 11 votes. When he examined voter registration rolls after his defeat he was discouraged when he saw the names of “50 or so of my friends who didn’t vote because they took it for granted that I was going to win.”

Those defeats in the 70s discouraged him from running again until he had a conversation with a retired pastor in Winchester who had served in the Winchester city council. That pastor told Blythe: “You need to let younger blacks know what they can do. You need to open that door for them.”

Face-to-face with voters
Linda Gorton, a working registered nurse, stressed the importance of a grass roots campaign. When she launched her campaign for Lexington-Fayette County’s Urban County Council, she and her husband and children went door-to-door several times.

“What people want is someone who will listen to them, hear what they are saying,” Gorton said, even if you have to vote a different way on an issue. “Respect folks and their opinions,” she advised. Her face-to-face approach paid off when she ran for an at-large seat on the council this year. “Voters remembered when I knocked on their door in 1998 and sat on their bench talking issues,” she said.

District Judge Brandy Oliver Brown agreed that people will remember if you ever treated them rudely. “Have a public servant attitude and appreciate and respect people,” she said.

Brown is concerned about the negativity that is entering even judicial campaigns. “We want to win, but how much are we willing to hurt society to get elected?” she asked. If people do not trust the integrity of judges, they may hesitate to bring suits or report crimes and justice in the community will suffer, she said.

Participants were treated to some post-election analysis from political strategist Dale Emmons, who managed Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Kentucky and Bruce Lundsford’s bid to defeat incumbent Mitch McConnell.

He applauded Barack Obama’s use of technology to expand the definition of “grass roots campaigning.” “ Facebook, MySpace, texting, e-mail are now absolute necessities,” he said. But he warned that technology is not free, and reminded the audience that “a doorstep poll is the best poll money can buy. You can only buy it with time.”

Emmons urged potential candidates to have a plan for the campaign which should first involve knowing how many votes you need to win and where you will get them. He also advised candidates not to be their own campaign manager, but to get someone more objective to handle the campaign decisions.

Technology now a must
Mary Sue Helm, described by Emmons as the state’s most knowledgeable source for candidates, gave participants packets of information on the state’s filing deadlines and elections schedules as well as the legal qualifications to become a candidate for a variety of positions. One of the keys is to file for office on time. Since there are no scheduled elections (other than those to fill vacancies) in 2009, the filing deadline for primaries in 2010 will be in January 2010. The earliest date to file is November 2009.

A publication titled “ Declaring Your Candidacy has useful information including candidate filing procedures, sample forms for attaining ballot access, and qualifications for each elective office.  The manual contains an election schedule, sample filing forms of various types, contact information for state election agencies, and answers to candidates’ most frequently asked questions.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Disenfranchisement of felons explored in Dec. 1 film

EKU Students for Social Consciousness and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky are promoting awareness of felon disfranchisement by presenting a movie Monday, Dec. 1 in the Crabbe Library at EKU.

The film “Democracy’s Ghosts” diiscusses the movement to restore voting rights to convicted felons upon completion of their sentence.

Friday, October 17, 2008

LWV hosts candidate forums


LWV member Joe Gershtenson welcomes Circuit Judge candidates Judge Bill Clouse and Judge Jeffrey Walson to the Oct. 21 forum.
CIRCUIT JUDGE FORUM

Running for the circuit judge position vacated by Julia Adams are District Court Judge William T. Clouse Jr. and Family Court Judge Jeffrey M. Walson. Both candidates appeared Oct. 21 for the forum sponsored by LWV and the Institute for Politic Governance and Civic Engagement at EKU. The forum was moderated by the Institute's director, Joe Gershtenson.

One difference in the two campaigns is the acceptance of campaign donations from local attorneys. You can view the campaign expense reports that the two candidates have filed with the Registry of Election Finance Searchable Database. Find Search by name in left column to get a search window. Enter the last name of the candidate and locate 11/04/2008 in the pop up window for this election. In the next screen, you can open the summary or detailed view of the campaign report, which lists contributions by name and occupation.

LInk to Bill Robinson's story in Richmond Register.


RICHMOND CITY COMMISSION FORUM
All eight candidates for Richmond City Commission participated in the Oct. 20 candidate forum sponsored by LWV and produced by EKU Media.

Candidates for Richmond City Commission in order of the November ballot are Michael F. Bryant, Mike Brewer, Richard M. Thomas, Kay Cosby Jones, Robert R. Blythe, William H. "Bill" Strong, Rita H. Smart, and Ian Ward . LWV moderator was Lynnette Noblitt, who also is head of EKU's paralegal department.

Link to Ronica Shannon's story in the Richmond Register.

BEREA CITY COUNCIL

Candidates answered questions submitted to LWV Web site by citizens at the Oct. 14 forum. Photo by Jeanne Hibberd.
The 16 candidates for Berea City Council participated in a LWV forum in Berea Oct. 14. The candidates for the eight positions include incumbents Glenn Jennings, Chester Powell, Violet “Vi” Farmer, Greg Lakes, Denise Hagan, Howard Baker, Virgil Burnside and Truman Fields. Challengers are J. Donald “Don” Graham, Troy VanWinkle, Hubert Chasteen Jr., Ronnie Terrill, Billy Wagers, Jerry Little, Robert “Peanuts” Johnson and Glenn David Johnson.

Read Register story by Bill Robinson.

To contact the League, e-mail LWV at lwvbmc@yahoo.com.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Climate Change Workshop Oct. 15 in Berea




LWV unites groups pursuing energy efficiency in Berea community

Despite growing concerns about climate change and global warming, every one of the speakers at the LWV's forum Oct. 15 in Berea found reasons to be optimistic about the future, assuming communities and individuals change their ways.

The program began with a list of several different groups and individuals working together in Berea to become more energy efficient and sustainable.

Megan Naseman, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working with Energy and Empowerment at Berea College, described work in Madison County on energy issues that engages a wide variety of citizen and governmental endeavors. They ranged from groups working on the accessibility of locally grown food to the poor to Transition Town Berea, a project of the Interdisciplianary programs Collaboration at Berea College and Sustainable Berea.

Energy and Empowerment Grants are funded by a Learn and Serve America Community-Based Research Innovation Grant. Projects funded by the CBR Energy and Empowerment Grants will be part of a larger three-year CBR project, focusing on energy and empowerment issues in Madison County.

Participants can connect with other community-based research teams through the Energy and Empowerment listserv and through community gatherings and resource sharing. 

The workshop was anchored by a presentation by Amy Malick, Midwest Regional director of an organization whose acronym ICLEI stands for the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability is a membership association of local governments committed to advancing climate protection and sustainable development. ICLEI includes nearly 1,000 cities in the world. Malick presented a PowerPoint presentation which described the phases by whcih a local government might change its energy use. The presentation can be viewed in PDF format.
 
ICLEI’s mission is to build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments to advance deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Candidate Forums Set; Questions needed!


Jenny McWilliams and Doug Cornett of EKU Media production discuss the set with LWV members Lynnette Noblitt and Cecile Schubert in preparation for two candidate forums which will be produced in the EKU studio.

League of Women Voters of Berea and Madison County is hosting three candidate forums for those running locally in the Nov. 4 election. LWV is seeking questions from citizens of Madison County. Please think of questions you would like the candidates to address and e-mail to lwvbmc@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, Oct. 14 is the date for the Berea City Council Forum from 7 to 9 p.m. in Berea Municipal Building. The public is invited to the live program, which will then be replayed on Berea Cable Channel 12. See the TV schedule below for all the programs. Read more about the forum at Richmond Register.

There are 16 people running for the eight positions on Berea's council. They include incumbents Glenn Jennings, Chester Powell, Violet “Vi” Farmer, Greg Lakes, Denise Hagan, Howard Baker, Virgil Burnside and Truman Fields. Challengers are J. Donald “Don” Graham, Troy VanWinkle, Hubert Chasteen Jr., Ronnie Terrill, Billy Wagers, Jerry Little, Robert “Peanuts” Johnson and Glenn David Johnson.

The other two forums will be produced in the studios of EKU Media Production in the Perkins Building and the program will then be shown on local cable channel. The staff at EKU has volunteered to produce the forums as a community service. "We are very pleased to be working with the professional staff at EKU and hope that the forums will be informative for local voters," said Libby Fraas, LWV member.

Questions for the Richmond City Commission Forum will be accepted through Monday Oct. 20 Candidates for Richmond City Commission in order of the November ballot are Michael F. Bryant, Mike Brewer, Richard M. Thomas, Kay Cosby Jones, Robert R. Blythe, William H. "Bill" Strong, Rita H. Smart, and Ian Ward . LWV moderator will be Lynnette Noblitt, a paralegal professor at EKU.

Questions can also be submitted for the two candidates for Circuit Judge. The forum will be produced at EKU TV studio on Tuesday, Oct. 21 from 7 to 8 p.m. It will not be shown live, but replayed on Time Warner's local access Channel 5 in both Berea and Richmond.

Running for the circuit judge position vacated by Julia Adams are District Court Judge William T. Clouse Jr. and Family Court Judge Jeffrey M. Walson. LWV moderator will be Joe Gershtenson of EKU department of government.

To submit questions for the Berea City Council, Richmond City Commission or Circuit Judge forums, e-mail LWV at lwvbmc@yahoo.com.

For more information about LWV and its voter education programs, visit the Web site at lwvbmc.org or contact Libby Fraas at 624.1292.

Here is a schedule of the TV replay schedule of the three forums:

CIRCUIT JUDGE FORUM: Channel 5
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 7-8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 25, 3-4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 30, 9-10 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1, 3-4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2, 3-4 p.m.


RICHMOND CITY COMMISSION FORUM: Richmond Channel 12
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7-9 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 23, 7-9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 25, Noon
Thursday, Oct. 30, 7-9 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1, Noon
Monday, Nov. 3, Noon


BEREA CITY COUNCIL FORUM, Berea Cable Channel 12
Thursday, Oct. 16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 20, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 22, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 29, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7 to 9 p.m.

Monday, August 18, 2008

LWV celebrates Women's Equality Day, releases Vision Statment Aug. 26


LWV president Elizabeth Crowe welcomed members and local officials to a celebration of Women's Equality Day, Aug. 26 in the Madison County Courthouse. On Aug. 26, 1920, after decades of suffragist struggles, women in the United States were granted the right to vote. LWV was founded that same year to provide guidance to women on how to make the most of their newly won right. The League is still here to foster civic engagement of all people, all across our nation.

Besides celebrating the anniversary of women's right to vote, LWV also released its "Vision Statement for Madison County," suggesting policies and action on a variety of issues.

In 2005, LWV began organizing our local programs on the theme "Madison County 2025:  What's Your Vision?"  in order to engage community members and government leaders in thinking more about our shared future.  The Vision Statement is a culmination of dialogue with local residents, community leaders and elected officials on a wide range of social and political issues. It is meant to provide goals for our community in areas including planning and development, social justice and energy and environment.  It is our hope that this statement will also help frame discussion and debate leading up to the November elections.

Want to learn more about Women's Equality Day and the strategic role that TENNESSEE played in women's right to vote?

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

LWV voices opposition to coal-fired plants

The League of Women Voters of the United States has called for a moratorium on new construction of coal-fired power plants, based on concerns about climate change and other damaging impacts of coal.  Local LWV leaders say the national position can help usher in clean energy solutions in Kentucky communities and around the nation. 

"Global warming is happening now," said national League President Mary G. Wilson. "If we wait for federal action from our congressional leaders, it will be too late.  We must take immediate and aggressive action to halt climate change," she said.

Elizabeth Crowe, President of the League of Women Voters of Berea and Madison County said the statement is highly significant for Central Kentucky.  "Central Kentuckians suffer some of the worst air quality in the nation due to pollution from coal-fired power plants and inefficient use of the electricity we get from these facilities," she said.  "Dirty air results in poor health, whereas clean energy from renewable sources like solar and wind, plus using electricity more efficiently in the first place, preserve our health and the environment, and can spur economic development as well."
LWV suggests five mechanisms that can ensure we have enough electricity without use of additional coal-fired plants:  1) energy efficiency of lighting, heating and cooling systems, and better insulation and efficient construction of buildings; 2) increased efficiency of current electric generating facilities; 3) decreased losses of electricity in transmission lines; 4) use of excess heat from electricity generation at existing power plants for heating buildings; and 5) use of renewable energy such as solar or wind power.   

Kentucky is facing requests for several new coal-fired power plants, including a proposal by East Kentucky Power Cooperative to build a new facility in Clark County.  "League's position on climate change, and now the call for a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, affords us a great opportunity to pursue clean energy here in our communities," said local League member Cecile Schubert.

The full statement and other information is available at Background on Moratorium.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Women urged to serve on state boards, commissions

Virginia Woodward, executive director of the Governor's Office for Boards and Commissions, will be guest speaker
at a general membership meeting of the Bluegrass Women's Political Caucus Tuesday, June l0, at 6:30 p.m. in the theatre in the downtown branch of the Lexington Public Library, 140 E. Main St, Lexington. This meeting is open to the public.
In her talk, "It is Time to Get on....Boards and Commissions," Ms. Woodward will discuss requirements for serving
on the Commonwealth's various boards and commissions. A reception will be held in the Library's art gallery following her presentation, and she wll be available to answer questions.
Ms. Woodward is a former executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Women, and has also served as president of the Kentucky Women's Political Caucus state board.
For additional information on the program, or the Caucus, call Annette Mayer, 859-266-6073.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Results of May 20 City Commission runoff




Eight candidates survived the May 20 primary and will vie for four city commission seats on Nov. 4.
Top votegetter was newcomer Rita Smart, followed by the four incumbents. Here are the results:
Rita Smart, 2,532
Robert Blythe, 2,449
Mike Brewer, 1,832
Bill Strong, 1,803
Kay Jones, 1,632
Ian Ward, 1,001
Richard Thomas, 978
Michael Bryant, 920


To read more about the April 30 Candidate Forum, see the Richmond Register story by Ronica Shannon May 1 story. And also editorial column by publisher Nick Lewis.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Kentucky's African American Heroines


"Think nationally and act locally," was a theme among the dozens of Kentucky's African American social and political heroines illuminated by the research of Keren Cotton McDaniel.

Facts and stories about these relatively unknown women overwhelmed LWV members and guests at the Annual Meeting in the Seabury Center April 21.

McDaniel, a visiting scholar at Eastern Kentucky University this year, is both passionate and thorough in her quest to document the contributions these women made in terms of social justice and education in their communities.

One example was Lizzie Cook Fouse, who organized the women's clubs in Lexington to protest the death of a woman who died in jail without receiving medical attention. The protest set up procedures for handling the indigent and helpless.

McDaniel was particularly pleased to highlight the accomplishments of Mary E. Britton,(1855-1925) a Berea College graduate who followed a teaching career with a medical school degree. A supporter of the right of women to vote, she argued, "If woman is the same as man, she has the same rights; if she is distinct from men, then she has the right to make her own laws.

Another heroine was Emma Williams Clement, who was selected as Mother of the Year in 1946 by a national organization in New York City. Instead of talking about home and religion as scripted, she used her platform to promote the need for higher education for Negros, citing the college degrees earned by her six children.

McDaniel is also researching a Kentucky African American Encyclopedia with two other authors. Kentucky is the first state to compile such a publication.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Researcher, scholar to speak at Annual Meeting


Be sure to attend our annual meeting April 21 to hear special guest, Karen Cotton McDaniel, talk about lessons learned from women of vision.

McDaniel is a visiting scholar at EKU in both the African/African American Studies and Women's Studies programs.  She is a 1973 graduate of Berea College and received her Masters in Library Science from UK.  Her expertise includes the history of Kentucky African American women's clubs. 

Her topic "Transforming Vision to Action"  will explore what we can learn from women in major social movements and apply to today's social and political arena. 

As a special feature of our LWV Annual Meeting, LWV will be auctioning off poster prints by African-American artist Dr. Margaret Burroughs.  Dr. Burroughs donated the prints to LWV via her friend and Berea resident Evangeline Goss.Among her many accomplishments as an artist, educator, poet and community organizer, Burroughs was a co-founder of the DuSable Museum of African-American History in Chicago, where she currently lives. 

LWV is honored to have the opportunity to share this art with others in our community. Funds raised from the sale of the prints will support of our work for civic engagement and action here in Madison County.

The structure of this year's annual meeting allows for community members to join us for supper and McDaniel's presentation, so please invite a friends, neighbors and co-workers to the meeting.

Please RSVP to elizabeth@cwwg.org, or by phone at (859) 985-0641 by Friday, April 18th so that we know how many meals to order.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Feb. 28 set for Voter Rights Lobby in Frankfort

LWV joins other groups in urging legislators to reform the way voting rights are restored to convicted felons who have served their time. On Feb. 28, people from around the state will be coming out to rally in support of HB 70, the restoration of voting rights amendment.

If you can be in Frankfort on Feb. 28, join us in Room 111 of the Capitol Annex from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. where we will be coordinating lobbying teams and providing brief trainings on how to lobby. Please try to arrive early. If you can't help with lobbying, please try to attend the afternoon rally.

The rally will be held in the Capitol Rotunda at 1:30 p.m. Speaking there will be former felons who have been affected by disenfranchisement, members of the faith community, and state legislators.

If you cannot be in Frankfort on Feb. 28, but wish to urge legislators to vote in favor of the amendment, please take this opportunity to call or leave a message for your representative.

House Bill 70 is currently awaiting a vote on the floor of the House and has had several floor amendments attached to it which qualfiy and weaken the original measure. We need you to leave a message for your own representative, Speaker Richards, and House Majority Leader Adkins on the Legislative Message Line,1-800-372-7181.

Here are Madison County's representatives:
Rep. Harry Moberly (Richmond area and a co-sponsor of the bill)
Rep. Lonnie Napier (Berea and south Madison)
Rep. Don Pasley (Winchester and north Madison)

Message: "Please pass HB 70 through the House without any floor amendments"

The Message Line is open 7 a.m. - 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Friday.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Local LWV members rally for Mountains



Elizabeth Crowe and Annriette Stolte joined hundreds in "I Love Mountains" Day rally in Frankfort Feb. 14. Photo by Jeanne Hibberd

The rally was a rousing success, LWV members report. "Lots of people showed up, including a large contingent from Madison County," said Jeanne Hibberd. "We met briefly with Reps. Don Pasley and Lonnie Napier and thanked them for sponsoring/cosponsoring HB 164, the Stream Saver Bill. "

However, the bill has been sitting in the House Natural Resource & Environment Committee since Jan. 9. It would regulate "overburden" or the rock or soil overlying a mineral deposit and how it is handled by surface mine operators.

For more information, see Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
http://www.kftc.org/

Monday, January 14, 2008

Population & Planning: what data tell us about future



Don't worry about population growth. It's the aging of our population that will hurt our future unless we do something about it now. This is one of the wake-up calls that Ron Crouch, director of Kentucky State Data Center, delivered in a presentation loaded with more than numbers.

Crouch spoke Monday, Feb. 11 in Richmond City Hall Commission Chambers. Read Ronica Shannnon's Richmond Register story.

Housed at the University of Louisville, KSDC is the clearinghouse for census data for Kentucky and provides data on population, housing, education, employment and other social indicators.

To read more about Crouch's viewpoints, see Crouch's column "Hispanic immigration: A key to Kentucky's economic vitality" which appeared in the state Chamber of Commerce newletter last year. For more information about the Kentucky State Data Center: visit KSDC Web site .