League-sponsored Candidate Forum -- 22nd Assembly District
 The first League-sponsored candidate forum is for the Assembly seat being vacated by Sheldon Wasserman. This forum is for the Democratic primary. Four candidates have accepted the League's invitation to participate. They are:
- Andy Feldman
- Guy Johnson
- Dan Kohl, and
- Sandy Pasch.
League member Mary Lou Zuege will moderate.
The forum will be held at the Shorewood Village Center (lower level of Library) from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. on Tuesday, August 5, 2008.
Primary Ballot for Sept. 9th
 Direct from the Milwaukee County Election Commission is a comprehensive document listing all races in the September primary. You can download it here as either a PDF file or a DOC file. It is organized by municipality and then by party. There is not a primary for every race. Many thanks to the Election Commission for providing this information.
DA Chisholm Announces 2 Major Policy Changes at League's Annual Meeting
Milwaukee County's new District Attorney, John Chisholm, announced these two major policy changes in the operation of the office:
First, Chisholm developed a rapid response system in his office for all police brutality complaints and personally goes to the scene of all police shootings - day or night. That way, he obtains the information first hand. It is less likely to be tainted.
The system appears successful; citizen complaints have dropped sharply. He expressed hope that public distrust of law enforcement - shockingly evident when 18 or 24 prospective jurors in a recent court case said they don't trust the Milwaukee police - will wane.
Second, He has amended drug enforcement policies to concentrate on dealers and distributors and is not unnecesarily prosecuting cases that clearly involve users not sellers. Working with the Circuit Court Judges, he has created a "drug court" that diverts people who need help into the treatment system.
League Resumes New Citizen Voter Registration
The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County welcomes new U.S. citizens to full rights of citizenship by registering them to vote immediately after the monthly naturalization ceremonies at he Federal Courthouse in Milwaukee. Upcoming ceremonies will take place on June 11 & 12 and July 23 & 24. For information, contact the League at (414) 273-8683 (VOTE) or info@lwvmilwaukee.org
A Report From the LWVMC Natural Resources Committee
Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming,
Executive Order 191
The Governor's Task Force on Global Warming (GTFGW) is developing policy options that may reduce green house gas emissions. There are six working groups, each of which have developed a Policy Template using committee members and public comment.
The work groups are
- Conservation and Energy Efficiency,
- Transportation, Carbon Tax/Cap and Trade,
- Electric Generation and Supply, Forestry and Agriculture and Industry.
Ad-hoc groups handle issues that cross boundaries including Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal, Co-Generation, and Sustainability. The Policy Templates can be found at the following website Development of Policy Templates will be an ongoing process.
During the LWVMCNR Committee meeting on January 28, 2008, the Templates were reviewed and discussed and the many members of each work group were identified. Future regulations and legislation may come from the ideas generated by the working groups. Evidently through this process many specific protocols and endpoints may be developed for all GHG emitting entities. This is an attempt to fairly establish GHG reduction goals for all sectors of the WI economy public and private.
League Local Study: Lending Practices: Part 2
The March 26, 2008 League general meeting will be focused on lending and foreclosures. To go directly to the lending/foreclosure page Click Here
Because we split the study into two parts, we are now taking up the second part of the study -- larger loans for which the borrower's home is the collateral. By this time I am sure all League members have heard something
about the burst of the sub-prime market bubble for home loans and of the massives numbers of foreclosures as a direct result.
It is tempting to focus only on the subprime market because of the destruction caused by loans made through the subprime market. However, this League study is about the lending industry as a whole and not just this one part of it. the subject of credit cards came up at our last meeting. There are still a number of issues that should be addressed.
To read about the genesis of the study and obtain study materials and articles about the first part of the study (which covered payday loans, car title loans and refund anticipation loans (RALs) Click Here
Mission
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
League's State Study on Election Administration
Protecting the rights of voters to have their votes count the same as anyone else's votes is part of the League's on-going activity. The State League has been studying the complex issue of Election Administration. The Project of Election Law @ Mortiz at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law has completed an important study on election administration in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.  From Registration to Recounts: The Elections Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States , (202 pages in a pdf file) can be read here online or downloaded for reading on your own computer. The study is important because it is using the most recent, available data. It is copyright 2007 and was released in December 2007.
These two very short articles are a good summary of the election administration in Wisconsin.
The League of Women Voters of MIlwaukee County is actively working with the State League to insure fair and open elections.
League's Great Decisons Series
Primary (February) Election Results
Want to know who won? A complete list of all local elections and presidential preference candidates is online with the results from the election on February 19.
Water Quality Issues in SE Wisconsin & the League's Position
After 2 years of meetings, the SE Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission issued its
Water Quality Management Plan Update. With approval from the required governmental bodies this update will become part of the overall plan.
This is a critical piece of a future of cleaner water. The Milwaukee County League's Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Dr. Jennifer Runquist, developed a set of concerns based on adopted League positions. These follow a summary of the plan.
Revised League Position on Energy
After much discussion and work the State League adopted a Revised Policy on Energy The Milwaukee County League's Natural Resources Committee was responsible for organizing and refining the new position. This important issue has serious consequences for us, our children and grandchildren, or, as the Native People say: "unto the 7th generation". The policy is sensible and workable. You can use this policy when talking with State Legislators.
The League's Great Decions Series is best described by the topics that are slated for discussion. All meetings include special readings and informed discussion. The remaining meetings in the series:
- Feb 16 Dealing with Our Enemies: Blacklisting the Enemy
- Feb 23 Iraq: Stategies for Dealing with Uncertainty
- March 1 Latin America: The Next President's Agenda
- March 8 Energy Policy and Global Warming
- March 15 Foreign Aid and Philanthropy - New PLayers; New Goals?
Each meeting is held on Saturday at 1:30 pm at a different location. To obtain more information contact the League. info@lwvmilwaukee.org or by phone at the number listed upper right on this page.
Coming Soon: More News of Local Work on State and National Studies
Studies of immigration and election reform are well underway. The League is often on the cutting edge of emerging and complex issues. When the League studies an issue all aspects of it are open for discussion.
There will also be special on-going reports of the work of the Natural Resources Committee and the International Relations Committee. Nuclear power, coal fired electricity plants, keeping Lake Michigan waters clean,
and the potential of mass transit are studied by the committee. Meanwhile the International Relations Committee has been studying global issues including how useful (or not) the United Nations is.
All of these studies are reasons for joining the League. Taking part in thoughtful, civil, knowledgeable discussion and decision-making are invigorating. In our democracy we can only be as strong as our best decisions. Those decisions require thoughtful discussion leading to action. You can also catch up by reading some of the back issues of League Lines Click Here the Milwaukee County chapter's newsletter
British Petroleum Terrible Pollution Record Hits Close to Home
You have seen the tv ads about what a terrific environmental citizen BP is. People all along shores of Lake Michigan in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and presumably a few in Indiana are shocked
at BP's plan to dump increased amounts of pollutants into Lake Michigan.
Indiana lawmakers have given BP permission to dump an added 1,584 pounds of ammonia (a 54% increase) into the Lake and an additional 4,925 pounds of sludge (a 35% increase) each day. What Indiana gets is a $3.8 million expansion of the BP plant in Whiting Indiana and 80 new jobs.
The League has strong positions on cleaning the Great Lakes and keeping them clean. The permit for BP to dump is still valid. So no matter what they say, what they do is what counts. Judging from their recent history, protectors of the lakes must be vigilant.
Click here for more on this issue including a brief history of BP's recent environmental record.
Connect the Dots to Campaign Finance Reform
There is a new web site that lets you see the sources of campaign contributions and cross match them with legislators' votes. The League has long advocated campaign finance reform. This new site MapLight gives us a new, powerful tool. Right now it is flooded with visitors. Wait for odd hours or for a few days and try it again if you find it too busy. This is an amazing use of the web. There is a 6 minute presentation on how it works and the different kinds of cross-referencing you can do.
State By State Analysis of the Economy for Women
The Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, DC, has released a paper on "Best and Worst State Economies for Women". Wisconsin rates a "C". You can
download the entire 28 page report here. Right-click on the title of the report (underlined) and choose "save".
Because women are the parents who usually are the caretakers for children, the economy has a more severe impact impact on women and their families.
Mission / Service / Impact
The League of Women Voters Milwaukee County makes democracy work. The League is an effective education and advocacy organization working on issues of importance to Milwaukee, the State of Wisconsin and the entire country.
The League of Women Voters is a national organization of women and men with chapters in all 50 states. For more than 80 years the League has provided thoroughly researched information to voters and has taken strong stands on the issues of the day. The League is a respected, nonpartisan organization focusing on issues, voter education and issue advocacy.
We invite you to take a look at our newsletters to see what we have been doing in the past couple years. You will see that the League has been active at the local, state and national levels of government. The League has taken stands on issues like campaign finance reform, civil liberties, nondiscrimination, affordable childcare and healthcare, the right to privacy in reproductive health, mental health parity, stewardship of natural resources, and land use reform. Above all the League strives to provide voters with the facts they need to make informed decisions. You can certainly help by volunteering a little time to the work of the League. |
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Latest News
Wisconsin League approves Milwaukee County League's Predatory Lending Recommendations
At the annual meeting, June 7, of the Wisconsin League of Women Voters, the Predatory Lending Policy Recommendations were approved. This means that the League can now lobby when predatory lending bills are introduced in the Legislature. For a copy of the recommendations please Click Here or see the May/June issue of League Lines
April 22 Equal Pay Day Shows Women Still Lagging
Women now earn 77 cents for every $1 men earn. The Equal Pay Act was passed by Congress 40 years ago. Here are 2 recent, short reports on pay equity from the Institute for Women's Policy Research:
1. The Gender Wage Ratio
2. Still A Man's Labor Market: The Long-Term Earnings Gap
National Study of Immigration Policy -- Resources
The National League has compiled study materials for use with the national immigration policy study. It is a complex issue with ramifications from the federal to the local community level.
League Members Deputized
More than 20 League of Women Voters of MIlwaukee County members attended trainig to become State Deputy Voter Registrars. All were sworn in after the pilot training on February 16, 2008. These Leaguers can now register voters anywhere in the State of Wisconsin. Want more information? info@lwvmilwaukee.org
Hot New Video on Resources
This 20 minute video called, "The Story of Stuff" is even being mentioned positively by ZDNet, a business-oriented email newsletter. Click here Find out the true cost of the stuff you buy in people and resources. The video is designed to be interactive so you can move from chapter to chapter in the order you want. If you have slow web connection leave a message for "info" (upper right corner of this page) for a CD. The video is freely distributable.
Nov. 5, League President Writes Wisconsin Chief Justice on Redistricting
The League has spent years studying the issues involved in legislative redistricting. The League has a long history of advocating for better procedures and has been involved in litigation on redistricting.
Click Here to read the entire letter.
Housing Trust Fund Gets 21 Requests for $2.5 million
The Housing Trust Fund in the City of MIlwaukee received 21 requests for funds by the deadline. That amounts to $2.5 million in housing for low & moderate income families. The League was one of the sponsors of the effort to establish the fund. League members showed up (in the rain) on a Saturday to help build a cardboard condo across the street from Milwaukee's City Hall.
State League Concurs with Local Study on Payday Lending
At the State League convention in Green Bay earlier this summer, the other League chapters in the state concured with the the Milwaukee County chapter against payday lending. practices. Also included were car title loans, refund anticiaption loans and their relatives.
August 2006
Read the questions put to the Chairman of Wisconsin's Public Service Commission by the League -- along with his answers.
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