National Voter articles from January 2004

National Voter archives from January 2004

Making a difference.(Out Front)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... The LWVUS Board and I want to highlight 2003's successes that you will read about in more detail in this issue. It is important for us all to toot our own horn when we are making a difference! Due to the efforts of Leagues around the...

Greetings from M Street!(News From M Street)
January 1, 2004... As we rang in the New Year, the M Street office was busy with activities on many fronts. At the forefront are the 2004 elections (Education, p. 3). The DNet site was successfully re-launched and our efforts to register new voters continue....

Advocacy.
January 1, 2004... After years of hard work, the League hailed the December 10, 2003 Supreme Court 5-4 decision in McConnell v. FEC. The Court upheld key provisions of the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), banning "soft money" and restricting...

Election 2004.(Education)
January 1, 2004... DemocracyNet (DNet), a new collaboration of the LWVUS and Capitol Advantage, was re-launched in January; go to www.dnet.org. DNet is presented through Capwiz (used by many of the most highly trafficked Internet sites, such as America Online,...

Judicial independence.(Education)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The LWVEF Judicial Independence project continues to receive financial support from the Open Society Institute (OSI). In 2003, over 20 Leagues in eleven states worked to create a better understanding of their state judicial system. Projects...

Civil liberties.(Education)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... LWVUS and individual Leagues nationwide have been working to further discussion on the relationship between national security protection efforts and civil liberties. Many Leagues have sponsored public forums on this topic, and more are being...

Global activities.(Education)
January 1, 2004... The League joined the United Nations Foundation, the Open Society Institute and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as an alliance partner in The People Speak. America Debates its Role in the World, a national education effort to stimulate a dialogue...

Communications.
January 1, 2004... The League's electronic newsletter, inaugurated in July 2003, continues to reach increasing numbers of readers and has received rave reviews. To subscribe, go to www.lwv.org and click on "Subscribe to the LeaguE-Voice HTML Newsletter" or send a...

Database.(Membership)
January 1, 2004... More local and state Leagues are lightening their administrative duties by using the interactive, on-line membership database now open to all Leagues. Leagues that have not taken advantage of this timesaver can receive their password and...

E-mail addresses.(Membership)
January 1, 2004... All League members are reminded to keep their e-mail addresses current with LWVUS. Don't miss out on action alerts, the monthly electronic newsletter and other critical League materials now being sent to all members via e-mail. Send changes to...

Convention 2004.(Membership)
January 1, 2004... In cooperation with the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, LWVUS will offer a leadership training session the day before the official start of Convention 2004--Friday, June 11. This is an exceptional opportunity to learn from professionals in...

Meet your development team.(News From M Street)
January 1, 2004... Fundraising for the League's operations and programs is what Nancy Sturm, Rose Simmons and Melanie Acostavalle do (see p. 5 and the envelope insert in this Voter). The results of their activities are not as evident as are those of other teams...

Good-bye to Mary.(News From M Street)
January 1, 2004... For the past 16 years, the first greeting received by visitors to the M Street office came from Mary Sweetney with her welcoming smile. Mary was the keeper of the front office, the "League voice" to telephone callers and "a sympathetic ear" to...

How one sapphire started an education fund.
January 1, 2004... Did you know that the League of Women Voters Education Fund was started in part with the gift of a sapphire? At that time the tax-deductible arm of the League was known as the Carrie Chapman Catt Memorial Fund, and the sapphire was a part...

Hill Bulletin.
January 1, 2004... As Congress reconvened in late January, two major bills awaited Senate decisions--the omnibus spending bill containing seven of the 13 appropriations bills to finance the federal government in fiscal 2004 (including HAVA implementation and the...

No voter turned away.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... It's happened thousands of times. A citizen goes to a polling place, intending to vote. But there's a problem--most often that person is not on the roll of registered voters. The citizen is not allowed to vote, and leaves, disappointed, angry,...

Presidential selection,--the voter's perspective.
January 1, 2004... Over the years, the presidential selection process has seen many changes. Some have clearly improved the process, while others have been of questionable value over the long term. The League of Women Voters' presidential selection update looked...

Engaging the nation.
January 1, 2004... Celebrate 84 years of League achievements and chart the course for the next biennium of League programs at our 46th national Convention on June 12-15, 2004, at the Hilton Washington. The Convention Preview, with detailed information and...

Leagues in action.(League News)
January 1, 2004... LWV of South Carolina reports a major success--the first South Carolina campaign finance reform legislation since 1991! In June 2003, LWVSC President Laurel Suggs and LWVSC Board Member Sarah Leverette (a 50-year Leaguer) witnessed the signing...

The 411 on e-Mailing Lists.(Good Bytes)
January 1, 2004... E-mail is probably the most efficient and cost-effective means of communication available today. E-Mailing Lists take this useful tool one step further. They allow one person to reach many with a single e-mail message. So what are e-Mailing...

A call to action: it's now or never.(Sounding Off)
January 1, 2004... Last November, George W. Bush surrounded himself with smiling men, readied his pen, and signed the abortion ban bill. Why were these men smiling? It's because George W. Bush and the congressional leadership had succeeded--yet again--in...

United Nations.(Feed Back From Our Readers)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... In articles about the UN in the Sept.-Oct. Voter, Mr. Luers stated that "most of the member states of the UN seek American leadership and support." If Mr. Luers is correct, it is time we gave serious thought to our responsibilities at the UN....

National Presidential Primary.(Feed Back From Our Readers)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... According to William G. Mayer ("In Search of Reform," September/October 2003), the downside to a National Presidential Primary is the winner might be elected by as little as 25% of the voters. If ever there was a perfect arena for Instant...

Hill Bulletin.(Feed Back From Our Readers)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Thank you for including the Hill Bulletin! It is an invaluable resource. It is next to my computer and I plan to contact my representatives each day until I have covered all of the priorities. The format is excellent! Mary Lou Johnson ...