The 2008 Election is in full throttle and I call upon you for your support and assistance. With over a year to go to choosing our next President, Congressmen, School Board Members, and County Commissioners, to name just a few, the rhetoric has already begun and the political ads are already beginning.  New Marco Island and Naples City Council Members will be elected in January and there is a constitutional amendment which will have very serious implications for every Floridian. 

Already we are scheduling candidate forums and speaking engagements, and contacting our local media about running stories to encourage voter registration and voter turnout. 

There is no better time to be a member of the League of Women Voters of Collier County!  Here's how you can help:

·    Monitor activities in the following so that we can develop questions for candidate forums:

§         City of Naples

§         City of Marco Island

§         Collier County School Board

§         Collier County Commission

·    Work at a voting precinct on January 29, 2008

·    Be a member of our Speaker's Bureau

·    Renew your membership

I look forward to hearing from you about getting involved in these important voter service activities.  Contact me at President@lwvcolliercounty.org or 263-4656.

·      We sent delegates to the League of Women Voters of Florida's convention where we received awards for our newsletter, website, unique "Coffee and Capitol Report " get-togethers, and renewed community involvement.

·      We continued to monitor the legislators through the end of their Regular Session, then held a Hot Topics titled "The 2007 Legislative Session - Was League Pleased or Disappointed with the Results?"

·      We partnered with the Naples Area Chamber of Commerce in June on two Chamber TV programs.  The first was on property tax reform and the second was on League legislative priorities.  Senator Burt Saunders and Representative Mike Grant were our guests as League members queried them.  Both programs are viewable on our website by clicking here.

·      We monitored the Special Legislative Session on property tax reform and held a Hot Topics discussion on Super Exemption vs. Save Our Homes in July.

·      We expressed our concern over the School Board's poor handling of the firing of Superintendent Baker and hiring of Superintendent Thompson in a letter to the School Board and subsequent Letter to the Editor of the Naples Daily News.

·      We had Guest Editorials and Letters to the Editor published in the Naples Daily News on the 87th anniversary of the women's right to vote and Constitution Day.

·      We had articles on voting published in the Marco Island Civic Association newsletter and the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce newsletter.

·      We continued to monitor human trafficking activities.

We hope you had a great summer, and that you're looking forward to getting re-involved with League soon!

Learn About Our Florida Government...
And Help With An Important Project at the Same Time
Sandy Parker, Government Committee Chair

"Our Florida Government.  The title says it all," wrote Muriel Wagner, project manager of the Fifth Edition in 1997.  "It is our Florida government.  An informed electorate can have the greatest understanding of, and influence on, government.  It is hoped that this book, basic though it is, can lead to a better comprehension of the structure and function of Florida government and to a greater involvement in the governmental process by every citizen who reads it."

In 1997, 1,000 copies of Our Florida Government were printed and marketed to libraries, schools and colleges.  It was also made available to local leagues.  It provided not only a valuable resource to the community, but a source of funding for the LWVF Education Fund. 

As a result of the recommendations of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission and the resulting changes approved by Florida's voters in 1998, as well as further amendments to the Constitution passed in the subsequent six years, Our Florida Government's Fifth Edition is severely out-of-date. 

I have volunteered to lead the update project and I''m going to need help!   If you like to do research and to write, and would like to refresh and increase your knowledge of Florida's government, here's your chance! 

I've broken the project down into the twelve chapters of Our Florida Government.   Choose your area of interest.  You can work on your own, or as part of a team. 

Don't worry if you have no idea where to start -- guidelines, suggestions and oversight will be provided.  Proofreaders, desktop publishers (Microsoft Word or Publisher), and reviewers with good knowledge of Florida's government are also needed. 

My goal is to have the updated material ready for review by February 28, 2008.

To sign up for one of the twelve teams or for more information, contact me at Government@lwvcolliercounty.org or 239-513-1595.

The Commission has been developed in response to a number of concerns including:  juvenile recidivism, overrepresentation of minority youth, and trends involving girls, the fastest-growing segment of the juvenile justice population.  Specifically, the Commission is to develop a plan that will reform Florida's juvenile justice system.  The recommendations will be provided to Governor Crist and the Legislature. The Commission chair is Florida Atlantic University President Frank Brogan, formerly the Lt. Governor.

The Commission, composed of educators, youth who have been in the juvenile justice system, law enforcement and criminal justice officials, and business and community leaders, will be conducting public hearings throughout the state to get input from citizens as well as juvenile justice program and service providers.  For those who wish to attend, there will be a hearing in Ft. Myers on Oct. 17-18 at a location to be announced.

Additional information about the Blueprint Commission can be found at http://www.djj.state.fl.us/blueprint/index.html. 

Collier Truancy Court - At the local level, a new initiative to reduce truancy is beginning.  The Pubic School District, Sheriff's Office, State Attorney's Office, DJJ, David Lawrence Center and Lutheran Social Services are now partnering in a community-wide collaboration known as Truancy Court.  Habitually truant students (those who have 15 unexcused absences within 90 days) will be brought to Truancy Court where they may be given sanctions such as community service hours or recommendatin for alternative education.  If the intervention does not work, the student, and possibly parents, could face a judge.  Students who miss five days in a 30-day period could also be brought to Truancy Court. 

As part of the effort, a brochure, "Stopping Truancy Before It Starts," is available to parents from the Student Services office of the Collier County Public Schools.  Truancy Court should facilitate reaching habitually truant students and their families sooner and will enhance the truancy prevention initiative begun last year by the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

The Justice Committee will begin regular meetings in November.

 

A warm welcome to the following members who joined our League since the last VOTER was published: 

Elizabeth Andreini	Nikki Schaffer
Diane & Guy Carlton	Kimmie Schlottman
Karen Clegg	Rose Ann Sharp
Carol Pedretti	Abe & Martha Skinner
Trudy Rech

The following members have had changes in their email addresses since the last VOTER was published.

 

Ann Allen	Rose Mass
Jeannette Boucher	Linda Olbrych
Sandy Brown	Bernice Schmelz
Joyce Evans	Arlene Shapiro
Dottie Lipschultz

 

Contact information for new members, as well as up-to-date contact information for all members, can be found in the "For Members" section of our website at www.lwvcolliercounty.org.

·     Equitable Taxation:  Support a state fiscal structure that is equitable in its distribution of the tax responsibility and responsive to public needs.

·     Redistricting:  Support single-member election districts that are equal in population, provide access for minorities, and are not determined by the legislature.

·     Citizen Initiatives including the Statutory Initiative:  Support the citizens' right to have both constitutional and statutory initiatives.  

Natural Resources and Sustainability: Promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest, and support governmental action that results in sustainability.

·     Protection and restoration of the water supply:  Support public policies that promote conservation of freshwater and its availability for environmental, public supply, agricultural, industrial and mining uses on a priority basis.

·     Coastal Management:  Support intergovernmental stewardship of and fiscal responsibility for the Florida coast, under the management of the state, while recognizing the dominance of nature and the role of the sand transport system.

·     Energy:  Support environmentally sound policies that reduce energy growth rates emphasize energy conservation and encourage the use of renewable resources.

Civics Education: Promote the teaching of civics education in public and private schools.

Monday, 10/15/07

Board Meeting, 10:30am, Collier Athletic Club

General Meeting Lunch, 12 noon, Collier Athletic Club

General Meeting Program, 12:30pm, Collier Athletic Club

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