© 1999 - 2007 League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham and
League of Women Voters of the
United States
The Voter
January 2007
A Publication of the League
of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham.
Re-formatted here for web publication with index and links added. Web
Editor's navigational notes added in [bracketed italics].
INDEX
|
Mark your calendar!
January Membership Meeting Thursday,
January 25, 6:00 PM
Homewood
Library
Discussion of implementing a County Manager to handle administrative responsibilities in Shelby County. Read more... |
Congressman Davis Addresses LWVGB at Holiday Luncheon
| At the 2006 LWBGB Holiday Luncheon, Congressman Artur Davis said that he hopes to “encourage reasonable discourse” during the 110th Congress. In his view, both Republicans and Democrats are dissatisfied with the way current politics presuppose that we disagree. Issues, he told the group, are framed in a way to force politicians into a box. He expressed concern about the tendency for campaigns to avoid complex issues; instead, he said, they focus on portraying the opponent as “a bad person.” Davis believes that we can have “politics about purpose” and that voters’ best instincts will carry the day if they have enough information. |  U.S.
Congressman Artur Davis, D, District 7, spoke to 40 LWVGB members and
friends at our 2006 Holiday Luncheon at The Club in
Birmingham. He has since been appointed to serve on the Ways
and Means Committee during the 110th Congress.
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LWVGB was honored to have Congressman Artur Davis, D-District 7, as guest speaker at our annual Holiday Luncheon in December. His message of hope, tolerance, and peace was an inspiration to all who attended. We are hopeful that the Congressman is successful in improving the lives of all Alabamians through his work with the 110th Congress.
Our January membership meeting will be a good one! As many of you are aware, LWVGB has long supported the hiring of a professional manager for Jefferson County. We have invited Alex Dudchock, Shelby County Manager, and Ted Crockett, Shelby County Commissioner (District 8) to discuss how they implemented a county manager role and the advantages to this management approach. Jefferson County Commissioners are also invited. Please mark your calendar to attend; we hope to see you there!
-- Yvonne
Global warming, a topic of much discussion, and some controversy, will be the subject of the League’s regular monthly meeting in February. Featured speaker, Joyce Lanning, Ph.D., will discuss the conditions of global climate change and suggest ways individuals, businesses, schools, and other organizations can be a part of the solution to the growing crisis of global warming.
Dr. Lanning is a retired Professor of Public Health at UAB, where she taught in the Masters Program in Health Care Organization and Policy. We encourage you to attend this timely and informative meeting, and bring a friend or colleague.
Fingertips
Alabama Government at Your Fingertips, the popular
League-produced listing of public officials, is being updated to
reflect changes resulting from November 2006 election. The updated
version will be available in printed form and posted on our web site.
Fingertips is a useful tool for League activities, including meetings
and voter registration drives. The LWVGB also provides copies to
libraries and other organizations as requested. This on-going
project is one the League has undertaken for many years and is
well-received by the general public, as well as League
members. Members Cissy Bennett, Judith Hand, Jean Johnson,
Kaydee Erdreich-Breman, Kate Long and Yvonne Brakefield are collecting
and verifying the information.
Voter Service
The League has a long history of assisting the community for voting franchise. Members Ida Tyree Hyche, Kathy Bransinger, Kaydee Erdreich-Breman, Judith Hand, Kathryn Kerchof, and Roberta Shapiro continued that tradition with the Jefferson County Registrar during last fall’s general election. Their volunteer efforts included answering telephone inquiries and looking up information, such as a particular voter’s correct polling location.
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Constitutional Reform
The meeting will take place at the Alagasco Midtown Center, 20 South 20th Street from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Free lunch will be provided. Contact Nancy Ekberg at nanekberg@aol.com or call 205- 967-2897 if you plan to attend.
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Health Care Study
LWVGB member Paulette Rowe has agreed to chair our Health Care Study. Look for more information on activities and opportunities to participate in future issues of The Voter.
Thursday, January 25
Homewood Library
1721 Oxmoor Road
6:00 P.M.
[ map]
Do all counties have the same type of administrative operations? There has been “talk” periodically of using a county manager in Jefferson County. Would this help or would it add another layer in county government? Come to the January LWVGB meeting to hear about Shelby County’s experience with hiring a County Manager to oversee department operations while the Commissioners serve as the County’s board of directors.
Ted Crockett, Shelby County Commissioner, and Alex Dudchock, Shelby County Manager, will discuss the issues the county grappled with and how they successfully phased in a County Manager. Jefferson County Commissioners have been invited to attend.
Public Transportation
“Transportation Means Business,” a statewide conference on the need for public transportation is scheduled for April 18th in Montgomery. The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in the capitol city’s Embassy Suites Hotel. Featured speakers will include Norman Mineta, former National Secretary of Transportation and Governor Bob Riley. The conference is sponsored by the Alabama Road Builders Association, Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and others. More information will follow, but check out www.transportationmeansbusiness.org.
The League is part of the planning committee, which includes 32 organizations and governmental units. Montgomery’s “Envision 2020” is coordinating the event.
Welcome New Members!
Karen Threlkeld, Shelby County
Stephanie Lenning, Birmingham Southern student
Member Notes
Longtime member, Dr. Mable Anderson, is recuperating at home after a serious accident. Send wishes for a speedy recovery to her at P.O. Box 8831, Birmingham, 35218
Member Ida Tyree-Hyche, who is in the military, is scheduled for deployment to Kuwait. We wish her well and look forward to welcoming her back to membership upon her return.
LWVGB Board of
Directors 2006-2007
League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham
205 583-5000
admin@lwvgb.org
Yvonne Brakefield, President
583-5000
ybrakefield@lwval.org
Nancy Ekberg, 1st Vice President
967-2897
nanekberg@aol.com
Virginia Randolph, 2nd Vice President
vrandolph@lwvgb.org
Cissy Bennett, Secretary
969-0249
cissybennett@bellsouth.net
Sarah McDonald, Treasurer
967-2829
smcdonald3357@charter.net
Kaydee Erdreich-Breman
871-5541
kaydeeeb@bellsouth.net
Kate Long
879-5347
shima_om@yahoo.com
[note:
underline mark between shima and om]
Beverly Nelson, Editor, The Voter
beenel@bellsouth.net
Cary Page
879-3697
cpa323@aol.com
Carol Ann Vaughn
988-3789
cavaughn@samford.edu
Betty Warnock
254-6052
bettyjwarnock@bham.rr.com
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About the Voter:
The LWVGB Voter is a publication of the League of
Women Voter of Greater Birmingham.
Contact:
Beverly Nelson, Editor
Email: beenel@bellsouth.net
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Thursday,
January 25thLWVGB Monthly Membership Meeting
"How Shelby County Phased in the County Manager Form of Government"
Homewood Library, Room 101
1721 Oxmoor Road
[ map] [more
information ]
6:00 PM
Wednesday,
February 7thLWVGB Board of Directors
Transitional Meeting
Auxilary Room, Chapman Burns Hall
Samford University
[ #41 on this
Samford map
]
6:00
PM
Thursday,
February 22nd
LWVGB Membership Meeting
“An Inconvenient Truth”
Joyce Lanning, PhD
Homewood Library, Room 101
1721 Oxmoor Road
[ map] [more
information ]
6:00
PM
Wednesday,
February 28thACCR Birmingham Region Membership
Meeting
Alagasco Midtown Center
20 South 20th Street
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Thursday,
March 22ndLWVGB Membership Meeting
Homewood Library, Room 101
1721 Oxmoor Road
[ map]
6:00 PM
Wednesday,
April 18thPublic Transportation Statewide
Conference
“Transportation Means Business”
Embassy Suites Hotel
300 Tallapoosa St.
Montgomery, AL
[ map
] [ more information ]
7:30 AM - 3:00 PM
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