League of Women Voters of Tallmadge October 2013 e-Voter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In This Issue
Voter Awareness Night A Place at the Table Food Bank Follow-up Vote Tuesday Signs LWVOhio Press Release Medicaid Expansion Electronics Recycling Calendar of the Month Calendar of Events Tallmadge Throw About Us Diversity Policy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To receive our newsletter, contact [email protected] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Voter Awareness Night - Carmen Thompson
Voter Awareness Night Thursday, October 17, 2013 Les Bennett Center Tallmadge Middle School 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event is coming together nicely and should be an informative evening for our community. Leslie Zaynor has graciously agreed to be our Moderator -- she did an awesome job for us in 2011! YOUR participation and help is needed that evening as well. Please contact me to see if there is a way you can help. Your consideration in responding is very much appreciated. If you should have any questions or concerns, please just let me know. Thanks! Carmen Thompson
(330) 703-1154 [email protected] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Place at the Table - Nancy Treichler
Kudos to Kim Ray and Carmen Thompson who played a major role in organizing and publicizing our September program on hunger insecurity in America. The Leagues of Women Voters in Summit and Portage counties along with the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank sponsored the showing of the award-winning documentary, A Place at the Table which described the struggle of three families to provide adequate diets for their children. Whether or not we have personally experienced hunger, this problem affects us all. It hinders educational achievement, drives up health care costs and ultimately compromises economic competitiveness. In our area alone 1 in 4 children are hungry. We can't have a strong America with weak and poorly nourished kids.
Since the 1970's the League of Women Voters has actively supported programs and policies to prevent or reduce poverty and to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families. In the early 1990's, the League lobbied Congress to pass bills designed to alleviate hunger in the United States. At that time the League coordinated an 18 month Hunger Advocacy Project designed to help state and local Leagues develop and carry out model, targeted activities to document and alleviate hunger.
It is the hope that bringing awareness of the problem and sparking dialogue about hunger, Americans will be inspired to take action and form collaborations to make healthy affordable food available to all families. We have the opportunity to impact the problem by becoming active with The Akron-Canton Food Bank through volunteering, giving money and advocating for programs which address the need. Our children are depending on us to speak and act in their behalf. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Food Bank Follow-up - Sue Yatsu
If you are interested in contacting Senator Portman, who is on the conference committee for the Farm Bill, about the measure, there is a link to a form letter below. The letter was signed by many of us who attended the showing of A Place at the Table and was sent to us by Colleen Benson of the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank.
Farm Bill Letter [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001CVhroMClkU6JDQKP730OIBI0xDnz68rqu8zYe- _qrfNYjvzTfTy9CCbH4gqS82NrnItjZtou6mcJAGYAZsso3ifUeKGnJ2bgnSewJsDf3qqZhACuD4JMtms1j4yJIXdtZ9CTpQS4boGaAilyzQI954LwD-SNHvf44CcE9ZpGHRsmvEo1XQrurX5KYH_CjOEgPTqzDLeuuJPEZxBmv- W6bA==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vote Tuesday Signs - Marlene Fire
We are looking for someone to assume the responsibility for the VOTE TUESDAY signs. This would include the storage, placement and retrieval of the signs. At the present time we have about 30 signs in good condition. This does not include the signs that members and others keep and display themselves. As you know, the signs are installed the Wednesday before an election and collected the Wednesday after.
Frank and I have enjoyed and been proud to handle this project for several years, but health issues prevent us from continuing. If you have an interest, or any questions, please give me a call or email. Marlene Fire 330.633.3829 [email protected] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Press Release - LWVOhio.org
Predictable Results: A Report from the League of Women Voters of Ohio Examining 2011 Gerrymandering and 2012 Election Results
Columbus - Today, the League of Women
Voters of Ohio (LWVO) unveiled a new report, "Predictable Results", which documents that the results of the 2012 Ohio legislative elections were completely predictable based on heavily gerrymandered districts drawn in 2011.
"The 2012 election results for Ohio's U.S. Congressional seats, Ohio Senate and Ohio House were completely predictable," said Carrie Davis, LWVO Executive Director. "The districts were drawn to pack as many Republicans or Democrats into districts as possible, so that each party would have a virtually guaranteed win in districts drawn to their advantage. This report documents that the results matched the predictions perfectly, leaving voters wondering whether they have any say in the results."
The report offers side-by-side comparisons of how the districts were drawn and the actual election results. All sixteen U.S. Congressional districts voted as predicted, all of the state Senate districts voted as predicted, and 97 of 99 state House districts voted as predicted.
"These figures clearly document that Ohio's 2011 map-drawers created safe seats for political parties." continued Davis. "The consequence of having such an overwhelming number of safe seats is that legislators are not compelled to be responsive to their constituents if they are guaranteed to win."
The report also showed the glaring disparity between the number of seats won by each party in comparison to the overall number of votes each party received statewide. "Ohio voters are basically evenly split between the two major parties," added Davis, "yet the party in control of redistricting won far more than half the seats. The number of seats held by each party does not reflect Ohioan's political values."
October 9, 2013
Carrie Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Medicaid Expansion - LWVOhio
The Ohio legislature [was] back in session Tuesday, Oct. 1, and we want to make sure expanding health care to Ohioans is at the top of their agenda.
Will you take 5 minutes to send one email and call Ohio's legislative leaders to ask them to take action on Medicaid expansion (see the instructions below)? Join Ohioans across the state taking action Tuesday in support of health care expansion. Although advocates are working on a ballot initiative, the best-case scenario is that Ohio's legislature acts now to pass Medicaid expansion, bringing federal dollars to Ohio and providing Ohioans with health care starting January 1, 2014. Please follow the instructions below to ask the legislature to act now to expand Medicaid in Ohio.
Instructions for the Day of Action [Although the Day of Action has passed, it is not too late to contact our legislators.]
Step 1: Email Legislative Leaders * Find your legislator here [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001CVhroMClkU6JDQKP730OIBI0xDnz68rqu8zYe- _qrfNYjvzTfTy9CCbH4gqS82NrnItjZtou6mdODajbz6wxWdqPgz2hqYFRk27cc7tuiwSspBe3eDsnJs4DEq7oMePMqs2KOP9UY-o=] * Fill out your zip code (and address if needed). * Edit / personalize the form email. It makes your message more effective.
Step 2: Call leaders in the Ohio House and Senate using the call script below. * Your representative and senator. * Senate President Keith Faber - 614-466-7584 * Speaker of the House Bill Batchelder -- 614-466- 8140 * Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney -- 614-466-5980 * House Minority Leader Tracy Heard -- 614-466-8010
Short message: I support the expansion of Medicaid coverage because it will create 30,000 new jobs and it will help Ohioans become more competitive and live better lives. Please act now to expand health care coverage in Ohio. Longer message: I know there is an ongoing debate about the expansion of Medicaid coverage in Ohio. I believe the time to act is now. We need movement on this issue immediately so that Ohio can take full advantage of the resources put forward by the federal government to support this expansion.
Step 3: Spread the Word * Forward this info to a friend Thanks for taking the time to take action in this critical time for health care expansion. Please forward this email to other people who care about strengthening families and communities in Ohio and give them the opportunity to take action, too. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Electronics Recycling
Do you have an old VCR, cell phone or camera that you need to get rid of? Most of us have unused and unwanted electronics cluttering up our basement shelves. Residents of Tallmadge will have an opportunity to properly dispose of those items on Saturday, October 26. The City of Tallmadge will be collecting most types of electronics including televisions, printers, scanners, microwaves, keyboards, small household appliances and computers at Tallmadge High School from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (rain or shine). The electronics will be recycled and all information on the hard drives will be destroyed. Unacceptable items include light bulbs, batteries, large appliances and hazardous waste. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Calendar of the Month
Kim Ray has kindly sent us an "Calendar of Events in Tallmadge" for the month of October. We hope to make this a monthly feature in the newsletter as well as the website. Thank you Kim! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Calendar of Events
Calendar 2013 - 2014
Sept. 26 (Th.) - A Place at the Table Oct. 17 (Th.) - Voter Awareness Night Nov. 19 (Tues.) - Agriculture Update - Hudson LWV Dec -- Holiday Brunch at the Venue -- Guest Speaker, Mayor Dave Kline Jan -- Program Planning Feb -- TBA March - The Second Amendment April -- Health Care Update - Panel discussion May -- Annual meeting, location to be determined ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tallmadge Throw
Tallmadge commemorative throws are available in navy and burgundy. The cost is $50.00. Contact Nancy Treichler at [email protected] for more information.
Tallmadge Throw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About Us
League of Women Voters of Tallmadge PO Box 435 Tallmadge, Ohio 44278
Leadership Team
Convener - Susan Yatsu Finance Coordinator - Barbara Mattern Record Keeper - Leslie Zaynor League Liaison - Nancy Treichler Publicity Coordinator - Carmen Thompson Program Coordinators - Connie Dages, Helen Fire, Marlene Fire, Peggy Manson and Nancy Wack
Associate Team Members:
Membership - Kim Ray Website and e-Voter - Tammy Hardgrove-Shomo
The Leadership Team of the LWV of Tallmadge meets on the first Saturday of the month. General membership meetings are on the third Thursday of the month (September thru November and February thru April). December and May meetings are held on Saturdays. No meetings are scheduled in June, July, August or January. General meetings are open to the public and usually begin at 7:00 pm. They are held in a variety of venues including the Community Room at Tallmadge High School. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Diversity Policy
The League of Women Voters of Tallmadge (LWVT) affirms its belief in, and commitment to, diversity and pluralism. There will be no barriers to participation in any activity of the LWVT on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. The LWVT affirms its commitment to reflecting the diversity of Tallmadge on its board and in its programs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note from the Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please send your newsletter submissions to [email protected] by the first of the month for inclusion in the next issue. I welcome your contributions and suggestions. Sincerely, Tamara Hardgrove-Shomo, Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ League of Women Voters of Tallmadge PO Box 435 Tallmadge OH 44278 www.LWVTallmadge.org League of Women Voters of Tallmadge | PO Box 435 | Tallmadge | OH | 44278