INDEX

A Note from the President

Many thanks to Elaine Witt, formerly with The Birmingham Post Herald, for her remarks to LWVGB during our October membership meeting. Highlights of the presentation on her career as a local journalist are included in this VOTER. Ms. Witt enlightened Birmingham readers for eighteen years and will surely be missed! We wish her every success in her new endeavors.

On November 1st, Nancy Ekberg, Dot Baker, Betty Likis and I attended the 60th anniversary celebration of theUnited Nations, hosted by the Birmingham Chapter of the United Nations Association (UNA) - USA. Ambassador William H. Lewis, President and CEO of UNA-USA presented his thoughts on UN reforms in the areas of Leadership and Management Restructure, Improved Relationships with the United States, Peace and Security, and Human Rights. His message clarified the need for Member States to work together to make the UN a useful instrument for the all people and left the audience with hope that these reforms will help to strengthen our world.

Mark your calendars to attend the November Membership Meeting and December Holiday Luncheon, featuring Doris Powell, chair of Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, and Dr. Jay McDonald, M.D., respectively. Details on these meetings and other points of interest are included in this month's VOTER publication.

I wish each of you a peaceful Holiday Season.


-- Yvonne

State Legislative Study - Let's Do It!

The State League's study of the Alabama Legislature will conclude early in 2006 when members across the state review and discuss the collected data and then answer consensus questions formulated by the Study Committee and the state board.

Here in Birmingham we will have two meetings to do our part of the work. Both our January 26th and February 23rd membership meetings will be devoted to this task

Briefing materials will be sent to members who receive a paper Voter immediately after the holidays. A second set of information will be sent Feb. 1st. Members receiving the newsletter electronically can access the information at www.lwval.org/legstudy/members/. Access to this link requires the same username/password combination as the "For Members" section of the LWVAL website. Please contact Jean Johnson at jjohnson@brooknet.com or 870-3063 if you need login assistance.

The League of Women Voters of Alabama Consensus Policy

Our January and February unit meetings will be devoted to reaching consensus on the Legislative Study currently being conducted by LWVAL. Sarah McDonald and Mary Lynn Bates will lead the debate locally. This is an introduction to the process for new members.

Consensus, as explained in the 2002 edition of In League, "is the technique most often used in the League for reaching member agreement. It is a process whereby members participate in a group discussion of an issue. The 'consensus' reached by members through group discussion is not a simple majority, nor is it unanimity; rather it is the overall 'sense of the group' as expressed through the exchange of ideas and opinions" (p 10-58)

The State Board determines what constitutes consensus. It considers whether local Leagues report complete member agreement, fairly general agreement or divergent points of view.

Local Leagues are notified in advance when consensus is due. Any kind of consensus requires that members of local Leagues receive a timetable for the study, background materials, and a deadline for reaching consensus. This is part of the job of the state program chairperson or person designated by the State Board to chair the consensus item.

Consensus questions are drafted by representatives of the consensus resource committee and others who can pinpoint areas for consideration and action. The State Board approves all consensus questions. The questions should be clear to the membership, phrased for usable answers, provide a yardstick for judgment, and a framework for action. Questions must be objective and reasonably brief. The questions should be based on the resource material that was used in the study and cover areas that can lead to action. Do not aim consensus questions toward action on specific bills; instead make them general enough to apply over a period of time and changing circumstances.

Sometimes consensus on one or more questions is not reached. This may happen when an insufficient number of members are concerned with the issue or when there is too much basic disagreement among members. In any case, a statement of alternative points of view is included in the report. If no consensus is reached, that fact is reported.

Reporting Consensus

A consensus report prepared by a local board for the State Board includes the following:

• The response sheet (if provided) with the consensus questions, completed to show how opinions were distributed (if such a sheet has been provided).
  
• A brief statement of the consensus position, if one has been reached, and
  
• A brief statement of alternative points of view expressed by members who did not agree with the consensus position.

• A brief statement explaining that no consensus could be reached.
  

In order for a local consensus report to be considered, it must be received by the deadline set by the State Board.

Adopted 12-2-95
Amended 7-26-97
Amended 10-7-05

Elaine Witt Recalls Eighteen Years at the Birmingham Post Herald

Elaine Witt was the featured speaker at the October LWVGB membership meeting. She spoke of her eighteen years as a local reporter and answered a barrage of questions from the audience.

When Ms. Witt came to work at the Post Herald in 1987, it was Birmingham's morning newspaper with a daily circulation of 70,000. When it stopped publishing a few weeks ago, its circulation had dropped to 7,000. In 1996, The Birmingham News, which owned the printing presses, took over the morning publication slot and the PH shifted to afternoons. It focused on second-day angles to news stories and hired good writers for feature articles. Witt became a front-page columnist in 1998, where she, "learned the awesome responsibility of writing opinions." She had freedom in this role and states that her only regrets are the untold stories.

When speaking of the greatest problems facing Greater Birmingham, Witt cites fragmented local governments. Competition for sales taxes causes cities to "lure Wal-Mart," creating sprawl and blight in vacated areas. She wonders if the city center can hold together with declining school enrollments.

Ms. Witt said her career with the Post Herald was "transformational." She does not plan to pursue another job in print journalism. We will miss her thoughtful columns and the Post Herald's voice in our community.