LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

of THE RIVERTOWNS

P.O. Box 142, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706

www.lwv-rivertowns.org

BULLETIN May 2017

COME ONE! COME ALL!

ANNUAL MEETING AND LUNCHEON

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Meeting at 10:30 AM; Luncheon at 12:00 Noon

Home of Jean Howell, 189 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry

Election of new LWVR officers and directors

Our luncheon Speaker is

Elizabeth R. (Betsy) Rosenthall, MD

A Board certified dermatologist retired still on the volunteer faculty of AECOM. A graduate of Smith College

and NYU school of Medicine she is on the Executive committee of the Board of PNHP. She has spoken and

written as a passionate advocate for an expanded and improved Medicare for all.

ALL ARE WELCOME!
 President's Message

Dear Members and Friends,

Please join us for our Annual Meeting, to be held at the home of Jean and Ernie Howell,

Saturday, June 3 at 10:30 a.m. As usual, we will have our business meeting, where we

will vote on the budget, the local program, and the slate of officers and board members.

During lunch on the veranda, our speaker will be Dr. Betsy Rosenthal, member of

Physicians for a National Health Program. The cost is only $20, and payment can be

made at the door, with checks preferred. If you haven't attended before, you are in for a

treat!

Please RSVP to sgoodwin5@optimum.net.

Susan Goodwin

BOARD BRIEFS

April: The proposed budget for 2017/18 was passed out as was the report of the
Nominating Committee. The proposed Local Program was reviewed and revised to be
presented to the membership in this Bulletin and at the Annual Meeting for approval. These
The LWV of Westchester Conflict of Interest Policy was studied and summarized by George
Calvi, and a committee formed, chaired by George, to create a policy for our league. We
have new co-chairs for our Voter Service Committee: Jodie Reaver and Carol Vinzant. Ruth
still needs a co-chair for our Membership Committee, and the LWV County Government
Committee needs new members.

OBSERVER CORPS
We would like to establish an Observer Corps to attend village and school board meetings in
our local areas and report back on major issues. Ideally, we would have one member for each
village and school board. If you would like to observe one of these groups, please contact
Susan Goodwin or any board member.

 NOMINEES FOR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 2017-2018

President: Lynn Levine Nominating Committee

Vice President: Jean Howell Karen Schatzel, chair

Treasurer: Susan Maggiotto Barbara Dannenbring

Monica Getz

Directors (to 2018) George Calvi Donna MacLetchie

Directors (to 2019) Michele Noe Carol Vinzant

Jodie Reaver Charlene Weigel

Nominations from the floor are accepted provided you have the consent of the nominee.

Continuing in office to 2018: Vice President Emma Lou Sailors Louis, Secretary Pat
Rodriguez and Directors Lisa Cohen and Ruth Kotecha.

Recommended for appointment to the Board:

Rhoda Barr Selma Thackeray

Julie Peskoe Sue Weisfeld

Susan Schwartz

RIVERFRONT/ENVIRONMENT

WHAT made it into the NYS 2017-18 budget? : The Environmental Protection Fund will remain
at $300 million. $2.5 billion available for (over years) clean water infrastructure. An additional
$800 million is available to leverage water quality improvement, hazardous waste remediation,
land acquisition to prevent source pollution, septic tank and cesspool issues, runoff infrastructure
improvements, and replacement of lead containing service lines. Expansion of
mandatory water testing to communities of less than 10,000 persons.

The Empire State Trail was fully funded.

PROPOSED LOCAL PROGRAM 20172018

We propose dropping item 10 which we have worked on for a number of years

to no avail and Item ll because although we still support county-wide
reassessment it is already being done in Greenburgh and elsewhere.

1. Continue outreach plan for new residents to introduce them to League programs and
priorities.

2. Periodically review Master Plans of each of the villages.

3. Develop a program to stimulate citizen participation in government. Outlook for work:

continue an LWVR book club based on League issues.

4. Support land use planning that provides for affordable housing, open space, and
waterfront access.

5. Support village libraries and provide educational and informational forums related to
community needs.

6. Support measures to increase local fair housing initiatives.

7. Continue outreach to students. Work with schools to encourage student participation in

Students Inside Albany and Running & Winning.

8. Continue to monitor and support riverfront planning in each of the villages. Determine
ways in which the League can promote riverfront planning that balances local land use,
environmental, and revenue generating concerns.

9. Promote awareness of the League of Women Voters of the Rivertowns positions and
activities through periodic statements to village boards and letters to the editors of local
newspapers; encourage observation and reporting of school and government meetings;
develop contacts with other civic organizations; lobby local elected officials on issues on
which the League has positions.

10. Explore consolidation of services among villages and school districts.

11. Support county-wide re-assessment.

12. Study Poverty and hunger in our villages.

LWVNYS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
The NYS League publication, 2017 Legislative Agenda, reminds us of how comprehensive
and practical our organization is. Issues being lobbied include:

Election Law: registration modernization, improved ballot design, early voting

Health Care: single payer system; improved access, cost control, safety, prevention
Good Government Issues: ethics, campaign finance and legislative reform

Natural Resources: energy, climate change, hazardous waste, water, agriculture

Judicial Issues - ballot streamlining, enforcement, juvenile justice, alternatives to
incarceration, indigent defense
State Finance and Education: taxes, education equity, opposition to tax credits
Transportation: infrastructure, public transportation
Womens Issues: fair pay, paid family leave, child care, reproductive choice

Social Welfare: living wage, non-discrimination

NYSLWV SUPPORTS CON-CON!

A constitutional convention (November 17 ballot issue) is the best avenue to meaningful

reforms. It would send a strong message that New Yorkers are fed up with Albanys
corruption and dysfunction. Numerous attempts to amend the constitution by legislative
action have failed, and any changes would require voter approval. Hopefully political
infighting, a distressing complication of past conventions, would be minimized its up to
voters, to send strong delegates to any possible convention. Some urgent issues include:

Voting reforms

Rooting out corruption, influence of money; effective ethics enforcement

Fair legislative redistricting

Streamlining the court system (historically a League concern)

Reinforcing Bill of Rights

If approved, 189 delegates from Senate districts and 15 at-large delegates would be elected
in November, 2018. Dare Thompson, NYSLWV president, emphasizes that League would
work to strengthen the delegate selection process.
NEW YORK HEALTH

The Rivertowns League continues to strongly support single payer health care: A.4738
(Gottfried)/S.4840 (Rivera) currently before the NYS state legislature. A similar bill has
twice passed in the Assembly and currently is only one vote short of Senate passage. New
York Health would cover everyone (including 1.65 million New Yorkers not covered by the
Affordable Care Act). It would be financed by federal, state and local revenue plus payroll
and non-payroll assessments based on ability to pay. Overhead (over 15% in private
insurance plans) would drop to approximately 3%. Especially with the Affordable Care Act
under attack, support is important and should be addressed to legislators (cc governor):
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, L.O.B. Room 907, Albany 12247 or 28 Wells Ave., Bldg. 3,
Yonkers 10701; scousins @senate.ny.us; AND Thomas Abinanti, L.O.B. Rm, 744, Albany
12248 or303 S Broadway Ste 229, Tarrytown 10951; abinantit@assembly.state.ny.us. OR
your legislators.

NOTED IN PASSING

Re federal Income Tax: In 2014, $2.1 trillion collected; households with income over
$250,000/year (2.7% of households) paid about 51.6% of this, averaged 27.7%. 62.3% of
households earned less than $50,000/year and paid about 5.7% of the total. (from Pew
Research Center)

Malaria deaths have dropped 60% since 2000, with the largest number in children under
three years of age in Africa.

IN THE RIVERTOWNS
We are delighted to welcome eight new members: Pam Chernof, Susanna Cobb, and
Kimberly Marcus of Tarrytown; Ellen Klein of Dobbs Ferry; Dana McCarthy of Irvington.
Patricia Peloso-Barnes of Bronxville; Julie Peskoe of Briarcliff and Ronnie Rose of
Croton on Hudson.

Have you renewed your membership? Our fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31. If
you have not renewed, please send your check to our treasurer, Susan Maggiotto or bring it
with you to our Annual meeting.

On Tuesday, May 16, Residents will vote for School Board and for 2017-18 School
District Budgets. Even if you have no children or your kids have graduated long ago, this
vote is important. Good schools enrich the quality of life in our communities as well as our
property values. Encourage your family and friends to become informed and to vote to
support the youth of our villages.
DATES Looking ahead IMPORTANT DATES!
Mon. May 8: Riverfront/Environment Committee: home of Emma Lou Louis 125 Bellair Drive,
Dobbs Ferry; 1:30 pm.

Tues. May 9: Hot Topics Breakfast Taking Action: Human Trafficking in the
Rivertowns and Beyond; hear from Allison Boak, MPH, Cofounder and Executive Director
of the International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA) about trafficking in our backyard
and what we can do, Doubletree by Hilton, 455 Broadway, Tarrytown; 8:30 am

Sat. May 13: LWVR Board meeting, Hastings Community Center, 10:00 am

Sat. May 13: Sandy Galef, NYS Assemblywoman, will discuss NYS voting systems and the
law reform bills currently in Albany, Greenburgh Public Library, 10:30 am- 12:00.

Sun. May 21- Wed. May 24: Students Inside Albany. A four day Conference designed to
increase student awareness of the inner working of state government.

Sat. June 3: Annual Meeting and Lunch, home of Jean Howell, 189 Broadway, Apt C,
Dobbs Ferry

Fri. Jun 9 Sun. Jun 11: LWVNYS Convention, Holiday Inn Express, Liverpool NY (near
Syracuse). Volunteers are needed to help at the Convention. If you can do this you
may be able to attend some sessions for free.

ARE YOU A MEMBER OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE?

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LWV The Rivertowns MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name: _____________________________________ E-mail: ___________________

Address: ______________________________________ Telephone ________________

Check one: Single $60 __ Household $90 __

Tax Deductible Contribution to the Fund for Citizen Education (separate check) $________

My interests are: Voter Service__ Water Front__ Observer Corps__ Youth Outreach__

Fund Raising__ Membership__ Bulletin/Public Relations__ Health Care__

Global Warming __ Poverty Study__ Other________________________________

Please make checks payable to: LWV the Rivertowns

Mail to: LWV The Rivertowns, P.O. Box 142, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706