April 2005

Denton Voter                             

The League of Women Voters, Denton, Texas, est. 1961

April 2005

Sue Smith, President
Kelly Fincher, Editor
P. O. Box 424945 TWU Station
Denton, TX  76204
www.lwvdenton.org

MARCH MEETING Maggie Dodd

The LWV-Denton is known for its incisive and well-framed questions. If the responsiveness of those attending “Corporate Marketing in Denton ISD” could serve as a measure of whether this study met its benchmark, we succeeded.

Committee member Maggie Dodd reviewed commercialism at large, a history of advertising in the Denton schools.. Kelly Fincher, role-played first a school administrator pitching a fundraising concept, and second, a parent reacting to the cost of another school fundraising event.

Dorothy Adkins introduced the Adopt-a-School program and the Denton Public School Foundation program, successful partnerships of business and education. Bill Giese summarized findings of several interviews held with Denton administrative personnel. The need for a more complete set of guidelines directing the undertaking of commercial ventures was underscored.

Given her extensive background in marketing, Barbara Coe was thought provoking and effective in her discussion of corporate giving to education and benefits sought. March 28th was an event well worth attending..

PRESIDENT’S PIECE Sue Smith

I look forward to visiting with Sheriff Parkey, Don Alexander, and all of you at Annual Meeting Saturday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. Directions to Jean’s home starting at the I-35E and Teasley intersection, are to go south on the service road and turn right on Southridge and right on Ridgecrest Circle. Bring your handbook and the March VOTER listing the agenda. Included in this VOTER is food for thought concerning drug policies provided by Suzanne Wills of the Dallas League. I’ve included some memorable words by Susybelle Gosslee, out-going president of the Dallas League, as a reminder of why the League is so important.

HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD WASTE DISPOSAL DAY

The Texas Comission on Environmental Quality and Texas Cooperative Extension are giving you an opportunity to properly dispose of hazardous household waste (HHW) properly, without charge. It is essential that HHW not go to the landfill or be put in the sewer system. Please use this valuable opportunity to properly dispose of your unwanted chemicals.

April 25 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. at Smith Brothers Western Store, 7833 North I-35, Exit 472 Ganzer Rd.

MATERIAL THAT CAN BE ACCEPTED

Banned or unwanted agricultural pesticides
Home Chemicals:
Pesticides, paints and thinners, antifreeze, household batteries, aerosol cans, photographic chemicals, mercury thermometers, herbicides, gasoline, other automotive products, cleaners, pool chemicals, fluorescent bulbs.
Other items:
Properly rinsed plastic pesticide containers, used motor oil and oil filters, lead acid batteries.

MATERIAL THAT CANNOT BE ACCEPTED

Tires; radioactive materials; explosives; ammunition; fertilizers; compressed gas cylinders; herbicides containing 2,4,5-TP (Silvex); more than five gallons of pesticides or wood preservatives containing pentachlorophenol; nutrient materials that are neither hazardous or contain pesticide admixtures; and biomedical wastes.

For more information or questions, contact Eddie Baggs at 940-349-2880

A CONFERENCE FOR SOLUTIONS - from
The Dallas Morning News March 27, 2005

The Texas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children will hold a statewide conference April 19-20 on communitywide responses to meth and other drugs. The conference will bring together legal experts, police, educators, child advocates and protective services workers, and medical and mental health professionals at the Hilton DFW Lakes Hotel in Grapevine.
www.dectexas.org

RACE AND IMPRISONMENT IN TEXAS
Suzanne Wills LWV-Dallas, Drug Policy Issues Chair

The Justice Policy Institute using research from the National Council of La Raza and the Steward Research Group has issued a new report, “Race and Imprisonment in Texas: The disparate incarceration of Latinos and African Americans in the Lone Star State.” Here are some of the highlights.
 
§ While Latinos and African-Americans make up only 40% of Texans, they made up 70% of inmates admitted to Texas prisons during fiscal year 2002.
 
§ African-Americans are incarcerated at 5 times the rate of whites in Texas.
 
§ 21% of the prison population is incarcerated for drug law violations, up from 8% in 1980.
 
§ African-Americans and whites use and become dependent on drugs at similar rates, but incarceration rates are quite different.
 
§ The increase in admissions to prisons for drug law violations was 7 times greater for African-Americans of all ages than for whites between 1986 and 1999. The admission rate for drug law violations for African-Americans ages 15-29 rose by 360% (from 95 to 437 per 100,000) while the admission rate for whites of the same ages declined by 9% (from 46 to 42 per 100,000).
 
§ There are more African-American men in prison in Texas (66,300) than in the higher education system (40,800).
 
§ Nearly twice as many African-American men in their early 30s have prison records (22%) than Bachelors degrees (12%).
 
§ Lost economic productivity due to incarceration in the African-American community exceeds $1 billion dollars a year.
 
§ Latinos are incarcerated at twice the rate of whites in Texas.
 
§ Latinos have the same rate of alcohol related traffic accidents as others, yet 2 in 5 Texas prisoners incarcerated for DWI are Latino.
 
§ The current Texas criminal justice budget is $2.5 billion.
 
§ $183 million could be saved annually through investing in drug treatment programs over incarceration.

 
Better utilizing such programs instead of county jails would result in significant savings for counties.

The full report can be read at www.justicepolicy.org/article.php?id=482.

LEAP www.leap.cc

Founded on March 16, 2002, LEAP is made up of current and former members of law enforcement who believe the existing drug policies have failed in their intended goals of addressing the problems of crime, drug abuse, addiction, juvenile drug use, stopping the flow of illegal drugs into this country and the internal sale and use of illegal drugs. By fighting a war on drugs the government has increased the problems of society and made them far worse. A system of regulation rather than prohibition is a less harmful, more ethical and a more effective public policy. www.leap.cc

LWVUS IN THE NEWS:

LEAGUE WINS 2005 FREEDOM AWARD

The LWVUS was notified that it has been chosen as the recipient of the 2005 Freedom Award, given yearly by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). The NASS Freedom Award recognizes and honors those who contribute significantly to the cause of free elections in the United States. The League was honored for its 85-year commitment to the election process.

CLOSING THE “527” LOOPHOLE LWVUS

In April, the LWVUS Lobby Corps is going to the Hill to ask the Senate to close the “527” loophole in our campaign finance laws. The League supports S. 271, the “527 Reform Act of 2005,” legislation that will close the new loophole in campaign finance rules that was exploited in 2004. Groups organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code were used to direct millions of dollars of unlimited “soft money” to influence federal elections. Unless this loophole is closed, our nation will once again face the corrupting influence of these huge contributions.

A VICTORY FOR CLEAN AIR! LWVUS

On March 9, the legislation dubbed “Clear Skies” failed to pass the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on a 9-9 tie vote. This bill would have substantially weakened public health and environmental protections under the Clean Air Act. Thanks in part to the considerable efforts of the League and activists like you, this plan has suffered a major setback!

While proponents of the bill will have a very hard time getting this bill to pass a floor vote now, there is already discussion in the Senate about attaching it to an upcoming energy bill. Please tell your U.S. Senators that you oppose this initiative. Tell them to enforce and strengthen the Clean Air Act. Phone calls can be made through the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-225-3121 or 202-224-3121.

For over three decades, the Clean Air Act has worked to cut air emissions at the same time that the nation’s economy has grown dramatically. This proposal, S. 131, on the other hand, will move the country backward by relaxing pollution reduction requirements for power plants and other major pollution source, repealing states’ authority to set stronger clean-up standards and eliminating protections for our national parks. It does nothing to curb global warming. Our citizens suffering from asthma and respiratory illnesses need the Clean Air Act to be enforced and strengthened, not relaxed.

SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM LWVUS

Congress is considering proposals that would privatize the Social Security system. Social Security is one of the most successful social programs of the 20th Century. The system’s financing problems are manageable and can be addressed by reasonable adjustments over time. Rushing into private accounts does not solve the so-called Social Security crisis, but rather would add to the cost of the program. Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121. Tell them to
oppose current congressional proposals to privatize Social Security. Social Security is not merely a retirement program – it is a social insurance program with broad effect. Many of our most vulnerable citizens rely upon the safety net provided by the system. Before Social Security, one in three senior citizens lived in poverty. Today that number is one in ten. In addition, disability and survivors’ benefits under Social Security have provided for millions of American families. This is particularly important for women. Nearly two-thirds of women 65 and over get a majority of their income from Social Security.

LWV TEXAS IN THE NEWS:

SUSYBELLE GOSSLEE LWV-DALLAS

Susybelle is ending six years as president of the Dallas League. She provided valuable leadership training to our League last August. We think so much of Susybelle and thought you’d enjoy an excerpt from her president’s message from this month’s Dallas Voter:
“For the life of me - and you, for our own enlightened self-interest, positive changes can be made by developing better systems to create a better world.

When decisions are made that leave marginally surviving people on the margins by not providing the tools they need to become self-sustaining and successful, it reflects on the kind of people we are, not on the value or worthiness of other people. When food, shelter, physical health and mental health care, a healthy environment, education, and a fair justice system are not provided; we all lose and are to blame. Our economy, culture and democracy depend upon good government of the people, by the people, and for the people. For the life of you and me, the League of Women Voters has educated citizens about issues and worked to increase citizen participation at all levels of government for over 85 years.”

INTERESTING TOPIC FOR THE AUSTIN
AREA LEAGUE…….DENTON SOON?

Austin’s VOTER reported a tremendous response to their program in April titled “Refugees and Immigrant Women”. It is part of an Inez Jeffrey Lecture Series, funded by a grant from LWVUS. They have heard from all kinds of groups asking for information, telling them they are dealing with immigrant issues, and offering to help. It appears they have struck a real nerve in their community. One of their goals has been to reach out to their minority communities and it appears this forum will help them do that. Austin school enrollment is
53% Hispanic. They have 16,000 ELL (English
Language Learners). LWV-Austin Area VOTER