| October 2022
Editor Jennifer Bales
communications@lwvbc.org
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President's Letter
for October 2022
By Elizabeth Crowe | | |
Thanks to everyone who joined the annual Fall Kickoff event this past Sunday afternoon. This event is a time to hear about and discuss our goals, activities and community impacts we envision this year, and celebrate member milestones. (Fun fact: we have 23 Lifetime members – 50+ year members!)
During small group discussions members raised some great ideas for how to deepen and strengthen our organization and community impact. For example: recruiting and stipending “influencers” to share League information on social media; hosting more Friendraiser events; volunteering to attend more local events and hand out VOTE411 cards; rebooting our Equity Plan. We also want to double-down on supporting Spanish language access and bilingual, bicultural volunteers.
When it comes to our mission to “defend democracy,” we know there are many perspectives as to what this means, and the term is more partisan and politicized than ever. League can help unite people from across the spectrum to make democracy work for all people, demand equity, fairness and accountability in election systems.
Speaking of, please help put our strategy in motion by promoting our election season events and materials that can help inform and engage Boulder County community members to prepare for the November 2022 elections! Visit lwvbc.org to see the events calendar with candidate forums, ballot issue presentations, and voter outreach opportunities.
| Attend Our Candidate Forums and Issue Presentations | The League of Women Voters of Boulder County and the League of Women Voters of Colorado are organizing and broadcasting quite a few issue presentations and candidate forums for this year's election. Most events are held on zoom, but The Frazier Community issue presentation is in-person and requires registration.
The tentative schedule is provided below, but please check our calendar and the LWVCO calendar for additions and changes, and to register for the events and receive the Zoom links for virtual presentations.
Note that these events are recorded and you will be able to watch them on our YouTube channel. Many provide Spanish translation.
Issue Presentations:
Candidate Forums:
State Representative District 49 Forum Monday, October 24, 6:00-6:45 PM (check calendar shortly)
State Representative District 12 Forum: Tuesday, October 25, 6:00 to 6:45 PM (check calendar shortly)
Questions may be submitted for the candidate forums. Check the linked calendar entries for deadlines and links.
|  | LWVBC and LWVCO Issues Analysis and Handouts | LWVBC and LWVCO are both providing detailed issue analysis for matters on this year's ballot in an easily downloadable and printable format.
Boulder County
Issue 1A Wildfire Mitigation
Issue 1B Emergency Services
Issue 1C Transportation
Boulder Public Library District
Boulder Valley School District
City of Boulder
City of Longmont
Town of Erie
Town of Superior
LWVCO Ballot measures for Colorado include sheets for:
Amendments on the 2022 Ballot
Amendment D: New 23rd Judicial District Judges
Amendment E: Extend Homestead Exemption to Gold Star Spouses
Amendment F: Changes to Charitable Gaming Organizations
Propositions on the 2022 Ballot
Proposition FF: Healthy Meals for All
Proposition GG: Add Tax Table to Petitions and Ballots
Proposition 121: Income Tax Rate Reduction
Proposition 122: Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances
Proposition 123: Dedicated State Income Tax Revenue for Affordable Housing Programs
Proposition 124: Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations
Proposition 125: Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine
Proposition 126: Third-Party Delivery of Alcohol Beverages | The “Correct” Winner is Squeezed Out in the Alaska Special Election
- Why Boulder and Broomfield Should Care
By Marcus Ogren with assistance from other members of the LWVBC Voting Methods Team | | Boulder and Broomfield are going to be using Instant-Runoff Voting (IRV) in 2023 so let’s look at the recent Alaska special IRV election to better understand how the instant runoff works. The big headline in that election was that Democrat Mary Peltola defeated Republican Sarah Palin to win a US House seat in a deep red state. |  | | A blank IRV (single-winner form of RCV or Ranked Choice Voting) ballot |  | | How ¼ of Alaska IRV voters filled in their ballots | | |
In Alaska voters weren’t limited to just saying who their favorite was - they also got to specify a second choice. What most interests our Voting Methods Team is that the other Republican, Nick Begich, would have defeated either Peltola or Palin in the final round, but he didn’t win the seat! Why???
To understand why, we have to take a closer look at Instant-Runoff Voting.
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By Jeannette Hillery and the Climate Action Team | Tip: If you fry eggs on a gas stove, when you flip the egg over, turn off the heat. Every little bit helps.
Tip: When you go to a restaurant and you know you will have leftovers, bring your own plastic or glass contain. You are allowed to box your own food. This will cut down on unwanted boxes and containers, some of which can be recycled and others that can’t.
Did you know: We are living in a fast pace world of production and consumption, particularly in the textile industry. Did you know that it takes 2,700 liters of water to make 1 t-shirt. That is 713.2645 gallons. Can you keep that shirt a little longer? | More activities: Conversation, March, Film, and Tour
| Even aside from the candidate forums and issue presentations above, we are planning or involved in several fun and enlightening activities this month.
Our Vote, Our Power Reproductive Rights March, Boulder County Courthouse on Saturday, October 8, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
A screening of the film " This is [Not] Who We Are" on October 13, 7 PM at the Longmont Museum. This critical film focuses on racism in Boulder, and the need for action to understand and dismantle it.
LWVBC Member Tour of the Boulder County Single-Stream Recycling Center on Tuesday, October 18, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM | Welcome New Board Member Martine Elianor
| | The LWVBC Board of Directors welcomes Martine Elianor as a new At-Large member! Martine has been engaging with League for several years, and more recently has been a member and volunteer candidate forum moderator. We appreciate her interests in policy and politics, and for sharing her leadership skills with League. | Welcome to these new members who joined in September: Carolyn Bargman, Kathleen Berman, Charlotte Lumpkin, Dionne Stubbs, Cathy Brown and Lisa Spalding.
League Events in September: Douglas Spencer, a CU law professor and expert on voter laws, was the featured speaker for the CU on the Weekend event September 17. Attendees were in person and on Zoom. Mr. Spencer gave a rousing shout out and kudos to the League of Women Voters for our work on voter registration. Details and a video recording here: America’s Broken Political Process and the Path Forward
Frasier Community held a Tea and Talk on September 20 with 15 in attendance. Jeannette Hillery was the featured speaker on the topic of Climate Action. There were lots of questions and spirited conversation. Thank you to Kay Forsythe and Marky Lloyd for organizing the event.
Betasso Preserve was the beautiful setting for a Friendraiser on August 26. Seventeen members and guests attended the picnic and gathering hosted by Elizabeth Crowe and Laura Coates.
Website Tip of the Month: History of the League
At lwvbc.org, select the dropdown menu “Get to Know Us.” Select the 3rd item down “Our History.” See links to League history at the local, state and national levels. It's not necessary to log into the website as a member since this information is available to all. This is where you'll find links to the History of the LWV of Boulder Valley 1931 - 2006, recorded interviews with our members and the "She Is Me" project.
| Member Appreciation: Liz Nick
By Debby Vink
Long time League member and leader Liz Nick has moved from Louisiville to return to her roots in Kansas. We are extremely grateful for her many contributions to our League. Liz served as our President or Co-President for a total of five years. As a Louisville resident, she urged the expansion of the LWV of Boulder in 1984 to become the LWV of Boulder Valley.
| | | A college teacher of anthropology and sociology, Liz used her professional skills in researching and writing the History of the LWV of Boulder Valley 1931-2006, illustrated with archival photos. Deborah Hayes cites this as an extraordinary contribution. Liz also did considerable research on the history of the LWV of Longmont which with the 2007 merger became part of the LWV of Boulder County.
Life member Anne Norwood knew Liz in the Boca Raton, FL, League. where Liz was president and chair of the finance study. They rekindled their friendship when they both found themselves in Boulder County. They also served together on the LWV of Colorado board of directors, where Liz was the newsletter editor—before computers.
Liz was especially active with voter service as a candidate forum moderator and researcher on ballot issues. Louisa Young remembers her as very ethical, a tireless supporter of the League for decades. Liz acted as parliamentarian for many meetings.
Celeste Landry remembers attending her first LWVUS convention in 2006 in Minneapolis and sharing a room with Liz. Celeste says that Liz was an excellent mentor both for attending a national convention and for learning about League communication on ballot measures.
Liz writes from Kansas: I appreciate all the members that I met throughout these many years. I shall miss the interaction with all of them.
Liz is one of our League leaders whose interview is recorded at the Carnegie Library of Boulder and available on our website: Liz's oral interview
| In Memory: Beatriz Roederer
By Debby Vink |  | | Beatriz S. Roederer, a member of the League of Women Voters for 44 years, passed away on September 12, 2022. Beatriz first joined the League in Fairbanks, Alaska becoming its chief financial officer. After receiving a Master’s degree in physics in 1952 in Argentina, she was one of the first four researchers hired by the newly founded Argentine Atomic Energy Commission to work on high-energy particle physics. She was able to publish notable work in her field while becoming a mother, eventually of four children.
She and her husband first came to Colorado in 1958 when the political situation in Argentina became dangerous to those who defended democracy. They then moved on to Alaska for her husband’s position as director of the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska. When retiring, the Roederers chose to return to Colorado and have been residing at Frasier Retirement Center. Beatriz’s family has requested that those who wish to remember her make a donation to the League of Women Voters.
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