LWV-Lake County Annual Meeting and Birthday Luncheon June, 2010

LWV-Lake County (Lake County League) succeeded in mixing business with pleasure! The League held a birthday party along with its annual meeting. On Saturday June 19, over 30 members and guests celebrated the 40th birthday in style at South Gate Café in Lake Forest. The event brought together old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. Long-time volunteers from Kids First Health Fair reunited. Previous past presidents had a chance to catch up. Every current and past local league in Lake County were represented. Some local elected officials also attended. The food was delicious (especially the desserts) and the room was lovely, with gorgeous floral arrangements provided by Linda Bartmes.

Rita Kirby presided and kept the business meeting short. Due to Lake County League’s biennial schedule, only Program needed to be adopted. Current positions were retained. The County League will continue to register voters (as always coordinated by Jo-An Sabonjian) and provide Candidate Forums. Lake County League Board members will continue to be active in Criminal Justice, Transportation and the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan, and the Lake County Women’s Coalition. Other actions may develop from State and National plans for this upcoming year.

The Lake County League responded to two of State’s initiatives last year. The County League was active in promoting the Census in a number of towns, especially notable were Judy Johnston’s efforts in Highwood. Also, League members obtained petition signatures for the Fair Map Amendment. Sally Zeit obtained over 200 signatures by herself!

Last year for the primary, the LWV-Lake County hosted 3 forums in coalition with a number of organizations coordinated by Mary Mathews. Additionally, Diane Sanderson developed an important new partnership with Grayslake High School. The forums covered 6 races at three levels of government. There also was a short program about judicial races in Lake County. The forums were held in Grayslake, Vernon Hills, and North Chicago. (We go where there is a need!)

The County League also co-sponsored with LWV-Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Area the program “Health Care: How to Cure the Chronic Crisis”. This very successful program was videotaped and shown on public access TV throughout the northern suburbs and online.

As part of the business meeting, Jane Partridge reported the recent activities at the National Convention in Atlanta. Membership is up and so is the enthusiasm. There are ample opportunities to be involved.

After the business meeting, the fun began with Rosemary Heilemann leading the way. Rosemary read the Proclamation that the Lake County Board had awarded LWV-Lake County for its 40 years of service to the county. A token of appreciation was given to past presidents Phyllis Albrecht, Gail Brown, Joan Kaltsas, Barbara Volin, and Sally Zeit for their hard work and leadership. Then, Joan Kaltsas addressed the audience with an amusing history of the Lake County League from her perspective as a past president.

Next, guest speaker, Corinne Wood provided insight into the political situations of Chicago and Illinois. Corinne is a longtime League member. As the former Lt. Governor and a State Representative, she has a wealth of experience. One of her many current activities is sitting on the Board of Chicago Metropolis 2020, a coalition partner of the State League. Corinne spoke not only about the status of Metropolis 2020 but also about a sister organization Change Illinois! Corinne along with Paula Lawson, LWV-IL, serve on the Steering Committee of Change Illinois! This organization works for campaign finance reform and redistricting reform. Corinne later expressed her pleasure in visiting with so many women who were dedicated to action and issues.

With that in mind, LWV-Lake County will continue to encourage informed and active participation in government, work to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influence public policy through education and advocacy.

40th Anniversary Luncheon

Members of the LWV-LC luncheon committee

We are 40 and Celebrating!

Forty years have passed, and the League of Women Voters of Lake County is looking forward to the next forty. “Back to the Future” is the theme of its birthday luncheon on Saturday, June 19, 2010 at South Gate Café, Lake Forest. Quite a party is planned, no dancing in the aisles, but certainly some laughs, reflection, and a call to action. Anyone interested (past, present, and future) in the League may join the celebration.

The League of Women Voters of Lake County (LWV-LC) has accomplished much over the last40 years. Hundreds of citizens from high school age and above have registered to vote with the help of the League. Through the League’s efforts, thousands of citizens, after attending candidates' forums or viewing the programs on cable TV, have been able to make informed voting decisions. They have been held for elective offices at all levels of government within Lake County: mayor, township, county, state, and U.S. Congress. Depending on the candidates, the forums have been amusing, boring, interesting, surprising, but always educational.

For 14 years, the League sponsored, and members volunteered at the Kids First Health Fair held in Waukegan. Over the years, thousands of deserving children received medical checkups and school supplies in this Back-to-School activity held in August.

State Senator Susan Garrett has appreciated the many facets of the League over the years. As a League member and as a League past president, she attended many candidate forums: now she participates in them. Senator Garrett said, "I am thankful for the League's work in educating both the public and elected officials. I always can depend on League members to be knowledgeable about the issues and to provide strong feedback. The League strives to make democracy work for all citizens."

The Lake County Board has issued a proclamation honoring the League and will present it at its June 8 meeting.

During the luncheon, members will honor many of the past presidents. Invitees include Phyllis Albrecht (Lake Bluff), Gail Brown and Barbara Volin (Highland Park), Madeleine Fuqua (Waukegan), Joan Kaltsas (Lake Bluff), Cari Sevcik (Lake Forest), and Sally Zeit (Waukegan) who each led the League vigorously while focusing on pertinent issues.

Over the years, the League has studied and advocated on such issues as transportation and land use, watershed management, and criminal justice. LWV-LC has held many public programs on such diverse subjects as health care, the death penalty, and the reuse of Fort Sheridan, to name a few. Many of these programs were videotaped and shown on public access TV.

Guest speaker, Corinne Wood will provide a look into the future. As a board member of Chicago Metropolis 2020, she will update us on its progress, and the future prospects of our shared interests. She also will address political reform, another League favorite subject.

Corinne Wood is a long-time League member and Lake Forest resident. She not only was the State Representative for the district, but went on to become the first woman Lt. Governor for Illinois. She played an important role leading efforts on health care, downtown economic development, rural affairs, family issues, and the environment. After 20 years in public service, Wood remains active in local and state politics by serving in various roles with the Illinois State Republican Party, the Lake County Republican Federation, and the Illinois Lincoln Series. She continues to speak on issues of women’s health, public service, and politics.

Chicago Metropolis 2020 is an organization that was formed by the Commercial Club of Chicago with a mission of ensuring that the Chicago region is one of the places in the world where people most want to work and live in the 21st Century.

While the Lake County League is celebrating its 40th birthday, the League of Women Voters of the United States is celebrating its 90th. It was founded in 1920, 6 months before the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The League of Women Voters has become a national grassroots organization with 850 local and state Leagues throughout the 50 states. Mary G. Wilson, national president of the League of Women Voters, remarked, “As we celebrate this milestone birthday, most importantly, we’ll be doing what we always do: discussing the important issues, challenging the status quo and demanding accountability."

Please contact Linda Bartmes for further information – 847-234-7069. The League can offer a rewarding experience.

League of Women Voters - Lake County, 2010

Angelo Kyle, Democratic Candidate for St. Rep., 60th Dist.

Eddie Washington, Democratic Candidate for St. Rep., 60th Dist.

John Krempotic, Democratic Candidate for Lake County Sheriff

Doug Roberts, Democratic Candidate for Lake County Sheriff

In January 2010, the League of Women Voters of Lake County hosted three successful candidate forums covering 6 races at 3 levels of government (federal, state and county) with a variety of co-sponsoring organizations. The locations also were varied: Grayslake, North Chicago, and Vernon Hills. Our adaptability keeps our League members busy!

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On Sunday, January. 10, 2010 the League of Women Voters of Lake County, the Daily Herald, and Grayslake Community High School District 127 hosted a forum for candidates running for the 8th Congressional District and for the 62nd State Representative. All 6 Republican candidates, Dirk Beveridge, John Dawson, Christopher Geissler, Maria Rodriguez, Gregory Jacobs, and Joe Walsh, participated. Democratic write-in candidate Jonathan Farnick was expected to attend, but he had car trouble. Melissa Bean, the Democratic incumbent, declined participating in any forums this period as she was uncontested on the ballot.

For the 62nd State Representative race, both Republican candidates, Sandy Cole, incumbent, and Paul Mitchell, attended. The Democratic candidate Rich Voltair was unopposed in the primary and was not invited.

In November, Diane S. had invited the Grayslake School District to co-sponsor the event. The Social Study teachers and High School administrators were excited about this learning experience for their Advanced Placement Government and Honors students. Four students acted as co-moderators with Joan Kaltsas. Many students volunteered to make this a very successful forum. The auditorium was filled with students, parents, teachers, and residents.

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On Sunday Jan. 24, the third forum was held at the Greenbelt Cultural Center in North Chicago. The races were for the 60th State Representative and Lake County Sheriff. The League had worked previously with the NAACP and Waukegan Leadership Council and asked both organizations to co-sponsor this forum. Judy H., (LWV-EV) not only moderated the forum, and but also made brief presentations about the Census Complete Count and the Fair Map Amendment petition to the full auditorium.

Democratic 60th State Rep. candidates Eddie Washington (incumbent) and Angelo Kyle attended. There were no Republicans on the ballot. John Krempotic and Douglas Roberts, candidates for Lake County Sheriff, attended. The winner in the primary will run against Mark Curran, Republican incumbent, in the general election in November.

As the State League had clarified its position regarding the Fair Map redistricting petitions, LWV-LC volunteers were able to gather signatures at the forum.

We are looking forward to the fall!

59th Dist. State Rep & Lake County Judgeship Candidates Forum

Click here to view video of the forum. Judges statements begin at approximately 73 minutes into the video. Thank you to LWV of Lake Forest Lake Bluff Area for streaming the video. Video from the LWV 10th Congressional District Forum is also available on the website. www.lwv-lflb.org

On Sunday, January 17, 2010, The League of Women Voters of Lake County co-sponsored a candidate forum with the Daily Herald Newspaper. It was held at the Laschen Community Center in Vernon Hills.

A welcome statement was given by Pete Nenni, Lake County Editor of the Daily Herald. All candidates for 59th District State Representative were in attendance. The Democratic Candidates were Carol Sente and Elliott Hartstein. The Republican Candidates were Dan Sugrue, Mohan Manian and Cynthia R. Hebda. Joan Kaltsas of the Lake Forest Lake Bluff Area was the moderator.

The Honorable Margaret Mullen gave a brief presentation on the courts in Lake County and qualities to consider when voting for judges. Six candidates for judgeships each gave a brief statement on his/her qualifications and why they were seeking the office. Republican candidates for the Appellate Court, Second District were Ann B. Jorgensen and Mary S. Schostak. Democratic candidates for 19th Circuit, Judgeship A, 4th Subcircuit candidates were Mark Levitt, Christopher M. Kennedy, Jeremy Cowen Schwartz and Dwayne Douglas. Wallace B. Dunn, Republican candidate for the 4th Subcircuit also attended but did not speak, as he is uncontested in the primary.

Lake County LWV busy w/Fair Map petitions, Candidates Forums, and "Complete Count" census activities -

Announcing the Illinois *Fair Map* Amendment

Take Back Illinois with a Citizen Initiative on Redistricting!

The LWVIL Board voted unanimously to support a Citizen Initiative on Redistricting: the Illinois Fair Map Amendment. This proposed constitutional amendment would take redistricting out of the hands of the General Assembly, allow for public participation and input, create transparency, and provide a process that would make the once-every-decade map drawing process just and equitable.

Local Leagues will collect signatures on petitions to get the proposed amendment on the November 2010 ballot, educate our communities on why it is important to support this initiative, and encourage others to support this effort as well. We are aiming for 500,000 signatures. We can do it!

More information: Press conference statement by Nancy Marcus, LWVIL president, on December 3, 2009.
For additional information go to http://www.ilfairmap.com/

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Lake County Candidates Forums

10th Congressional District Candidates' Forum

Thursday, January 7, 2010, 7:00 p.m.

New Trier West High School, Bldg. C - Room 234

7 Happ Road, Northfield, IL

This forum is being held in cooperation with the several

Leagues of Women Voters in the 10th Congressional District of Illinois.

The Democratic and Republican candidates running in the

Feb. 2 Primary Election have been invited to participate.

8th Congressional District and 62nd

State Representative District

Sunday, January 10, 2010, 2:00 p.m.

Grayslake Central High School, 400 N. Lake St.

Grayslake, IL

This forum is being co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lake County, the Grayslake Community

High School District #127, and the Daily Herald. For the

Congressional race, all 6 Republicans have agreed to attend. The Democratic write-in candidate,Jonathan Farnick, has

agreed to attend and we are waiting to hear from

Democratic incumbent, Melissa Bean.

For the 62nd state representative district race, Sandy Cole,

incumbent Republican and Paul Mitchell will participate. The Democratic primary race is not contested.

59th State Representative District, and

Judges for

Appellate Court and 19th Circuit Court

Sunday, January 17, 2010, 2:00 p.m.

Laschen Community Center, Board Room

294 Evergreen Drive, Vernon Hills, IL

This forum is being co-sponsored by the League of Women

Voters of Lake County and the Daily Herald. Both the

Democratic and Republican candidates will be participating.

Judicial candidates for the Appellate Court and the

19th Circuit Court, 4th Sub-district have been invited. They will not debate, but each candidate may make a two minute presentation of his/her qualifications.

60th State Representative District and

the Lake County Sheriff

Sunday, January 24, 2010, 2:00 p.m.

Greenbelt Cultural Center

1215 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL

This forum is co-sponsored by the LWV-LC, the NAACP, and

the Waukegan Leadership Council. For the 60th State

Representative race, Eddie Washington, Democratic

incumbent, and Angelo Kyle will attend. For the Sheriff race, the Democrats John Krempotic and Douglas Roberts will

debate. The Republican side is not contested in the primary for either race.

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2010 Census: Striving for a "Complete Count"

in Illinois

Census questionnaires will go out in March, 2010. Population figures compiled by the Census every 10 years help

determine the distribution of federal funds and the setting of political boundaries. It is especially important to get

the word out to Illinois' often undercounted poor and minority residents. In 2000, only 55 percent of Chicagoans

mailed in their forms — one of the worst return rates among the nation's major cities.

For every person in Illinois who does not send their Census questionnaire back, the state misses out on hundreds

of dollars per year. The Brookings Institution puts that figure at $12,000 per person over the next ten years.

LWVIL Selected as Lead Agency for IL Complete Count

The League of Women Voters of Illinois is pleased to announce that they have been selected by Governor Quinn

as the lead agency for Illinois’ Complete Count Committee: "Everybody In.. No One Left Out!" for Census 2010.

The League will collaborate with the Governor's office to help select Complete Count Committee members from

non-profit organizations, business community, faith-based organizations, and the media. Working with these

organizations and local Leagues from around the state, the LWVIL will help ensure that Illinois is fully counted.

More info:
Gov. Quinn Launches State’s 2010 Census Push
Video of Gov. Quinn's News Conference

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The League of Women Voters of Lake County is pleased to be actively engaged in grass-roots activities that benefit our

communities, state, and nation. We also enjoy the comraderie of working with others on these projects and meeting for social

and educational purposes. Thank you for your interest in the League of Women Voters.

Health Care Crisis Forum

On Oct 5, LWV-Lake County and LWV-Lake Forest/Lake Bluff presented the program "Health Care: how to Cure the Chronic Crisis" at the Senior Center in Lake Forest. The purpose of the program was to explain why health care is so expensive and why, despite spending twice as much as other countries, there are 50 million uninsured individuals in the US. As the League supports a Public Option, the program encouraged attendees to contact their legislators.

This event was recorded and cablecast on public access channels in local communities throughout Lake County. Thanks to LWV-Lake Forest/Lake Bluff the video is now available online. Click here to view the streaming video in your browser.

Following the introductory film, Health, Money and Fear, produced by ER doctor Paul Hochfeld, two expert panelists, Jonathan VanderBrug and Courtney Hedderman, provided current legislative updates and answered questions. Phyllis Albrecht, former Lake Bluff Village President and Past President of the League of Women Voters, moderated.

Jonathan VanderBrug, the Health Care Justice Director at the Campaign for Better Health Care, explained his organization’s work for health care reform. The Campaign for Better Health Care was founded in 1989 and is the largest health care coalition in Illinois, comprising more than 300 local and statewide organizations, including Catholic Charities, Church Women United, Illinois Nurses Association, Lake County Health Department, and University of Chicago Hospitals. The Campaign has received financial funding from many foundations, including Chicago Community Trust, Prince Charitable Fund, Field Foundation of Illinois, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Courtney Hedderman is Associate State Director for AARP Illinois. She is leading projects on health care reform and working on AARP’s national campaign, "Divided We Fail." AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives. Founded in 1958, AARP has grown to 40 million members. It is the nation’s largest membership organization for people 50 and older.

In 1990, the LWVUS undertook a two-year study of the funding and delivery of health care in the United States. The LWVUS announced its position in April 1993. Since then the League has been advocating for health care reform to all administrations.

The health care position outlines the goals the LWVUS believes are fundamental for U.S. health care policy. These include policies that promote access to a basic level of quality care at an affordable cost for all U.S. residents and strong cost-control mechanisms to ensure the efficient and economical delivery of care. See www.LWV.org for more information.

HEALTH CARE: how to CURE THE CHRONIC CRISIS

Monday, Oct. 5, 2009

7:00 pm

Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Senior Center

100 E. Old Mill Road, Lake Forest

Presented by: League of Women Voters of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff and League of Women Voters of Lake County

Moderator: Phyllis Albrecht, Past President, League of Women Voters

Panelists: Jonathan VanderBrug, Director, Campaign for Better Health Care;

and Courtney Hedderman, Assoc. State Director, AARP Illinois

Film: Health, Money and Fear produced by Dr. Paul Hochfeld

Do you have health care reform questions? If so, attend the program “Health Care: how to Cure the Chronic Crisis” presented by the League of Women Voters. A film outlining the problems with the current health care system will be shown first. Then representatives from Campaign for Better Health Care and AARP will provide legislative updates and explain how these can affect your health care and others. A question period will follow.