Serving the people of West Contra Costa County

ADD YOUR INPUT ON PLAN BAY AREA, AN IMPORTANT REGIONAL ISSUE WHERE YOU CAN AND SHOULD GIVE YOUR OPINION BEFORE FEBRUARY 15.

Plan Bay Area is a long-term strategy for the Bay Area. Right now the focus is on planning and housing together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, something which the League has long supported. In January public input was sought in a single meeting in each of the nine Bay Area counties. Only 100 could attend each meeting and the process was disrupted by groups opposed to government planning processes in general.

In response to this highly unsatisfactory situation Plan Bay Area has posted a Virtual Workshop where individuals can watch videos and respond to survey questions.

It seems important that as many Bay Area members as possible participate in the survey which closes Wednesday, February 15. To participate go to <http://www.onebayarea.org/workshops/virtual.htm>

FORUM ON SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS

For more information on this Feb 19 event sponsored by the Livermore Amador Valley LWV, go to our calender page, Events from Other Leagues

LATEST ISSUE OF THE VOTER

The January-February issue is now available here, and in our Archives along with past issues.

THE NEXT NATIONAL STUDY. PRIVATIZATION:THE PUBLIC POLICY DEBATE

The next national study has begun; it has to do with the evolution of the public policy known as "Privatization." Privatization is a movement to deregulate private industry and transfer many government services, assets and functions to the private sector. Privatization is evidently growing and the US LWV convention voted to make this subject an issue for study. This means that the national office will make background materials available so that each local league can familiarize itself with the issues. In the Spring, the local leagues will be asked to meet and form a consensus. Those items on which there is consensus will then constitute the basis on which the LWV as a whole can advocate for action. Background papers of a page or two are now available on the national site (http://www.lwv.org/member-resources/privatization). Note: Some of these are quite new and have typos. The topics posted to date are the following:

Leaders' Guide for the Privatization Study Consensus About the Privatization Study Consensus Questions - Introduction Privatization: The Public Policy Debate State Level Privatization 2011 Public Library Privatization - A Case Study Strategies for Best Practice Subcontracting Public Education Privatization of Prisons Privatization of a Public Waste Water Treatment Plant Deregulation of Railroads Transparency and Accountability within Privatization Education and Privatization

Those interested in the study should contact Linda Young by clicking President on the "Contact Us page"

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SMART VOTER

From: Ashley Coates To: lwv LWV West Contra Costa

Hello,

I'm the county coordinator (a volunteer position) for http://www.smartvoter.org. I'm a member of LWV of Diablo Valley. I need some team members to help out--see below article. Thanks for publishing this on your web site.

Ashley Coates 925-283-3638

Join the smartvoter.org team!

Smartvoter.org is for every voter who can access the internet (via PC or smartphone). Voters can enter their address to see a personalized ballot with links to candidates' info. We invite all local candidates to post their information (this service is free).

The smartvoter team needs people to help with any of the following:

Non-computer jobs:
Assembling letters to candidates at a "mailing party" (during the day)
Calling candidates to ask if they received the letter and answer questions (script provided)
Reminding candidates who have not responded.
Publicity

Computer jobs:

Link news articles to each race page (instructions provided)
Read information candidates have submitted and determine whether it meets smartvoter appropriateness criteria
Enter local ballot measures

Sound fun? rewarding? Call Ashley at 925-283-3638 or email me at ashleyaoc@comcast.net

From the Webmaster: If you want to see what abundant info is available from Smart Voter, have a look at an archived election, like the 2008 election. Just click on a candidate or ballot measure to see what all is there.

CLEAN WATER BALLOT COMING AT THE END OF FEBRUARY

Volunteers are needed to observe the ballot counting. If you would like to help, please see additional information on our Election Page

BAY AREA LEAGUE DAY CAME AND WENT, BUT DO NOT DISPAIR IF YOU MISSED IT; IT WAS VIDEOTAPED.

League Day this year (Feb 4) was entitled, "Housing and the Bay Area's Future" and a keynote speaker and three panels will cover: meeting regional housing needs in light of the sustainable communities' strategy; difficulties of financing affordable housing; how to serve the hardest to house.

The video recordings will be accessible on the LWV BAY AREA web site's DOCUMENT LIBRARY on about mid-February (or so)

WANTED: A LWV MEMBER AS ALTERNATE REPRESENTIVE ON COUNTY COMMISSION

Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission is seeking applicants to fill the position of League of Women Voters Alternate Seat. There is currently a regular member but no alternate for meetings that the regular member may not be able to attend. The commission sets policy for hazardous materials and hazardous waste. There are two meetings per month, but most are attended by the regular LWV representative. If you are interested in policies with respect to hazardous materials and want to see the operation of a government agency, please see the announcement of the position by clicking here and the description of what is involved by the regular LWV representative (currently from the Diablo Valley League), by clicking here.

UPDATED FAST FACTS and Voting is Easy As 1-2-3

The Easy Voter Guide Project has recently updated the FAST FACTS series on Ballot Measures, State Taxes & Budget and How to Choose a Political Party.

FAST FACTS are also available in Spanish.

Also updated is the popular "Voting is Easy as 1-2-3". Download the 4-page Voting is as Easy as 1-2-3 in: English, Spanish, Chinese, "Korean"<http://www.easyvoterguide.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08 /evg-htv_ko11-v2.pdf>, Vietnamese.

Also, preview the inspiring new video from library-based learner leaders across the state about why they "Get Involved" in their communities. It shows that people of all backgrounds care and are making a difference. To view the video, click here

QUICK NEWS, OUR NEW LEAGUE NEW ALERT BULLETIN

QUICK NEWS, a publication of the League of Women Voters (LWVWCCC) is the new news media for the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County. The publication will be sent to members on a frequent basis and will contain brief articles about our activities. Current and past issues will be archived on the Voter/Quick News page, here

NEW FEATURE: OUR CURRENT ISSUES PAGE NOW HAS INFORMATION FOR THE VOTER ON THE CALIFORNIA BUDGET CRISIS

This expanded section (go to the second page of the web site or CLICK HERE) will be continuously supplemented with sources of information to help the voter sort fact from fiction and hence be better able to vote knowledgeably on the complex issues of governance of our state. (Readers are encouraged to contact tht webmaster with suggestions for additional sources of information and analysis.)

NEWSLETTERS FROM NATIONAL AND CALIFORNIA LWV

The National Newsletter comes out every week. Read the current and past issues here. If you wish, you can also subscribe and have it emailed to you.

The state newsletter is not available for reading on the web site, but you can subscribe and have it emailed to you. To subscribe, click here.

TAKE THE CALIFORNIA BUDGET CHALLENGE

As a beginning step toward better understanding what is involved in balancing the California budget, LWV members are encouraged to take the California Budget Challenge, a questionnaire that calculates the budgetary consequences of your judgment about how much service the state should provide and how large taxes should be to pay for them. The program was developed by Next 10, an independent, nonpartisan organization whose purpose is helping Californians to improve the state's future. For two examples (one on spending, one on taxation) of what you are asked when you take the challenge, click here. To go directly to the Challenge, click here The Next 10 web site and the LWV of California web page on the budget provide additional information on the state budget for those who want more detail than that given in the Challenge pages.

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POLICY ON HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIPS

To encourage participation of additional members of a household living at the same address, the membership fee for a second (or third, etc.) person joining the LWVWCCC is now HALF that of the first member, namely $27.50. Spouses: this is the time to join!

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