Board of Directors 2020-2021 President Jessica McDonald First Vice President Annette Mills Second Vice President Connie Bozarth Secretaries Ann Brodie, Nancy Rosenberger Treasurer Sara Ingle Directors Climate Change Cathy Frischmann Claudia Keith Community Planning Shelly Murphy Governance Paula Krane Housing Karyle Butcher Membership Laura Lahm Evenson At Large Marsha Feldman Voter Service Camille Freitag Off Board Events Joan Canan Fruit Sale Louise Marquering Legislative Updates Kate & Chris Mathews Newsletter Editor Ann Schauber Newsletter Mailing Janet Wolf-Eshe Nominating Committee Lynn Jarvis Louise Marquering Shelley Ries Social Policy Karen Nibler The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization • encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government; • works to increase understanding of major public policy issues; and • influences public policy through education and advocacy. League of Women Voters of Corvallis Serving Benton County www. LWV .corvallis.or.us November 2020 Expert Panel Presents: Election 2020: What We Learned, Where Do We Go from Here? Monday, November 16, 2020 7:00 – 9:00 PM Zoom Webinar (information also on our website): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84258529899 Election 2020 has been one of the most challenging elections of our time. The novel coronavirus pandemic has made the way we campaign, vote, and even interact with each other different. Our panel will examine what has happened during this time period, along with some of the challenges we may be facing. The panelists: • David Bernell - Associate Professor School of Public Policy - OSU • Mark Henkels - Professor of Political Science - WOU • Bill Lunch - Emeritus Professor School of Public Policy - OSU • Brent Steel - Professor School of Public Policy - OSU • Christopher Stout - Assistant Professor School of Public Policy - OSU Join us as we welcome our panelists (as well as maybe some children and pets) to the Zoom League podium to discuss the results of the election (hope we know by then): the makeup of the Oregon Legislature, voter suppression, vote by mail nationally, likely effect on racial issues, the Supreme Court appointment, and what the future may hold. Paula Krane, Governance Your Membership RED DOT ALERT! IF THERE IS A RED DOT BY YOUR MAILING LABEL, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR DUES AS OF THE MAILING DATE. Please submit your dues as soon as possible. Either use the notice that was mailed to you or go to our website to use PayPal. We do not want financial limitations to keep anyone from joining the League. If you would like assistance in paying your dues, please contact either Laura Lahm Evenson at [email protected]or Sara Ingle, Treasurer, at [email protected]. Financial assistance is kept confidential. Students can join the Corvallis League for only $15.00. Laura Lahm Evenson , Membership Chair
Transcript
Board of Directors 2020-2021
President Jessica McDonald First Vice President
Annette Mills Second Vice President
Connie Bozarth Secretaries
Ann Brodie, Nancy Rosenberger
Treasurer Sara Ingle
Directors Climate Change
Cathy Frischmann Claudia Keith
Community Planning Shelly Murphy
Governance Paula Krane
Housing Karyle Butcher
Membership Laura Lahm Evenson
At Large Marsha Feldman
Voter Service Camille Freitag
Off Board Events
Joan Canan Fruit Sale
Louise Marquering Legislative Updates
Kate & Chris Mathews Newsletter Editor
Ann Schauber Newsletter Mailing
Janet Wolf-Eshe Nominating Committee
Lynn Jarvis Louise Marquering Shelley Ries
Social Policy Karen Nibler
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization • encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government; • works to increase understanding of major public policy issues; and • influences public policy through education and advocacy. •
League of Women Voters of Corvallis
Serving Benton County www.LWV.corva l l is .or .us November 2020
Expert Panel Presents:
Election 2020: What We Learned, Where Do We Go from Here?
Monday, November 16, 2020
7:00 – 9:00 PM Zoom Webinar (information also on our website): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84258529899 Election 2020 has been one of the most challenging elections of our time. The novel coronavirus pandemic has made the way we campaign, vote, and even interact with each other different. Our panel will examine what has happened during this time period, along with some of the challenges we may be facing.
The panelists: • David Bernell - Associate Professor School of Public Policy - OSU • Mark Henkels - Professor of Political Science - WOU • Bill Lunch - Emeritus Professor School of Public Policy - OSU • Brent Steel - Professor School of Public Policy - OSU • Christopher Stout - Assistant Professor School of Public Policy - OSU
Join us as we welcome our panelists (as well as maybe some children and pets) to the Zoom League podium to discuss the results of the election (hope we know by then): the makeup of the Oregon Legislature, voter suppression, vote by mail nationally, likely effect on racial issues, the Supreme Court appointment, and what the future may hold.
Paula Krane, Governance
�Your Membership RED DOT ALERT!
IF THERE IS A RED DOT BY YOUR MAILING LABEL, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR DUES AS OF THE MAILING DATE. Please submit your dues as soon as possible. Either use the notice that was mailed to you or go to our website to use PayPal. We do not want financial limitations to keep anyone from joining the League. If you would like assistance in paying your dues, please contact either Laura Lahm Evenson at [email protected] or Sara Ingle, Treasurer, at [email protected]. Financial assistance is kept confidential. Students can join the Corvallis League for only $15.00.
This is the newsletter of the League of Women Voters of Corvallis, which is produced nine to ten times a year.
Contact Ann Schauber, [email protected], with suggestions, comments, submissions, or story ideas. We welcome your input.
Submissions are due no later than the 15th of the month.
Members subscribe through their dues. Membership in the League of Women Voters of Corvallis is open to men and women of all ages and includes membership in the League of Women Voters of Oregon and the League of Women Voters of the United States. A membership form is on the last page.
Page 2 League of Women Voters of Corvallis November 2020
President’s Corner Reflecting on Oregon Voter Achievements
Today I sat in the comfort of my home, a cat sleeping in my lap, as I filled out my 2020 ballot. I read through the Voters Guide while sipping coffee, taking time to reflect on the in favor and opposition letters submitted. And then, kicking orange and red leaves as I walked, I strolled to the closest ballot box to submit my vote. This is how all voting should be - safe, educated, and easy. Currently Oregon ranks in the top 5 for voter turnout in the US, and only 10% of Oregon’s 3 million eligible voters
are unregistered, thanks to the 2016 passage of Motor Voter. The voting rights platform that you and I enjoy today is thanks to key individuals who worked tirelessly, overcoming defeats, to gain these rights for all Oregonians. While you won’t be surprised that the League has been an advocate for these policy changes, did you also know that our very own Paula Krane (LWV Corvallis board, past president of LWV Oregon) was one of three chief petitioners for Measure 60 in 1998 that would make Oregon the first state in the country to standardize all mail-in ballot voting? With voting and the health of our democracy front and center in our lives at this very moment, let’s take a moment to recognize the Oregonians who have uplifted our democracy through these voter access achievements. When you drop your ballot in the mail this year, say a special blessing to the humble leaders among us who fought (and continue to fight) for your right to vote! PS: This fall your League is stepping into a full course of virtual education and advocacy programs. We know that the work of housing, climate change, social justice, and community planning do not stop because of a pandemic, and neither do we! And if you’ve been considering getting involved, joining a committee or volunteering - you might find that it is easier now more than ever, given the ease of accessing remote meetings and events.
Jessica McDonald, President
Still Want to Order Grapefruit and Oranges? The Fruit Sale is going really well. We are ahead of last year's sale numbers! November 15 is the deadline to pre-order fruit. That is the way to be certain you get exactly what you want. You can order on our website, or email Louise at [email protected] to get an order form for yourself or to share with others. The fruit arrives the first week of December. If you can help deliver fruit, contact Louise at 541-753-0012 or by email.
Louise Marquering, Fruit Sale Coordinator
November 2020 League of Women Voters of Corvallis Page 3
Community Planning Discussion Group Explore what a liveable/walkable/sustainable Corvallis looks like, what it would take to get
Join the Community Planning Committee of the Corvallis League of Women Voters
as we discuss webinars and books by influential urban planners. We will meet via Zoom and watch the webinar/read the book, tune in and prepare to discuss! Please RSVP-you will then receive a link to the Zoom meeting.
Nov 12 - Discuss Donald Shoup’s TED Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HYY4
Donald Shoup has been referred to as a ‘Parking Rockstar’. He is an Urban Planning Prof at UCLA and the author of the book “The High Cost of Free Parking.”
Connie Bozarth, Community Planning
Affordable Housing Discussion Deepens
The Housing committee continues to learn about the impact that the lack of affordable housing has on our community. In a recent committee discussion, Susan Melero-Tripp noted that even with Section 8 voucher support (the HUD funded program that helps with rental assistance), affordable rentals are hard to come by, especially for those with disabilities. At an earlier Housing committee meeting, NAACP President Angel Harris spoke of the housing discrimination faced by people of color. One path to help address some of these issues is to increase the amount of affordable housing in our community. Corvallis is simply too expensive for most people. A recent report from the City’s Community Development department notes: In 2019, the median single-family home sale price was $350,500. Using family income data and the general rule that a house should cost about 3.3 times a family's annual income, a family in Corvallis would need an annual income of $106,212 in order to afford a home selling at this price.
Sources: Benton County Assessor's Office, US Census, & Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. The publication Housing From the Ground Up (on Benton County Habitat for Humanity website), by committee member and Executive Director of Benton Habitat for Humanity, Karen Rockwell, discusses how the shortage of affordable housing affects our community as well as the steps we can take to shift the course. Rockwell writes that the core problem is that housing is viewed as a commodity and not as a basic human right. Housing is seen as a wealth generator and investment tool. So how do we move from housing as a commodity to a community where everyone has a home? Rockwell writes that numerous private and public organizations at both the local and state level are working together to change the housing landscape. Her inventory of affordable housing organizations provides us with a great tool for linking those who want to make a difference with the organizations that are doing the work. We on the Housing Committee are developing collaborations to learn how we can help move these efforts forward. We want to be a part of the Corvallis 2040 Vision that states that Corvallis is a community that welcomes diversity and a city where all who work here can afford to live here. Housing Committee virtual meetings are every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 2:00-3:30. Contact Karyle Butcher for the Zoom connection.
Karyle Butcher, Housing Committee Chair
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Wed 4 Board Meeting, 4:00 pm Thu 12 Community Planning Discussion (pg 3) Sun 15 Last day to order fruit (pg 2) Wed 16 Election 2020 Panel: What We Learned,
Where Do We Go from Here? 7-9 pm (pg 1)
December
First Wk Fruit Delivery Wed 2 Board Meeting, 4:00 pm Thu 3 Wildfires Rising: Environment, Public Health
and Economics in the State of Oregon, 7:00 pm
The Rogoff family, in memory of Esther Rogoff, a LWV Corvallis president in the 60’s, was one of the sponsors of the LWV VOTE411 website.
