Action and Advocacy

Study, Consensus/Position, Action: The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause.

Local Action for Promoting Democracy.  Local Positions.  LWVMI Positions.  LWVUS Positions.

Local Action for Promoting Democracy

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause.

Positions result from a process of study. Any given study, whether it be National, State, or Local, is thorough in its pursuit of facts and details. As the study progresses, a continuing discussion of pros and cons of each situation occurs. Prior to the results of the study being presented to the general membership, study committee members fashion consensus questions that are then addressed by the membership.

Additional discussion, pro and con, takes place as members (not part of the study committee) learn the scope of the study. After the members reach consensus, the board forms positions based on that consensus.

It is the consensus statement -- the statement resulting from the consensus questions -- that becomes a position. Firm action or advocacy can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action/advocacy cannot be taken.

Local Positions for Action

Flint City Charter - The League supports:

- Strong mayor elected on a non-partisan basis.

- Non-partisan election of council persons.

- Direct line of responsibility and accountability for all departments, agencies, boards, and commisions.

- Responsible and accountable financial structure under jurisdiction of the executive.

- City Council power to override a mayoral veto by 2/3 vote.

- Personnel system under jurisdiction of and responsible to the executive with policies consistent with sound personnel procedures, and which allows for a grievance commission responsible for employee appeals and accountable to City Council.

(Updated 1995)

Housing Relocation - The League supports:

- Efforts to determine housing needs of the Flint community.

- Assurance to all persons displaced by government actions that there be adequate and appropriate housing available to them prior to date of displacement; recognition of special needs of poor, elderly and racial minorities.

- Notification in a uniform manner of persons' impending displacement; advising in layperson's terminology of legal rights and available services.

- Wide dessemination of information about Certificate of Compliance - its role in property transfer, its meaning, how it is secured, and meaning of waiver.

- Legislative amendment to the City Ordinance which would require that when a Certificate of Compliance is waived, all defects of the property should be listed in layperson's terminology and presented to buyer.

- Offering of personalized services and compensatory housing programs of public agencies to persons being displaced by governmental actions.

- Periodic independent evaluation of public agencies concerned with relocation to determine effectiveness, with results publicly reported.

(Updated 1995)

County Executive - The League supports:

- Unified form of county government chosen by the electorate - government with appointed county manager; or elected county executive.

- Separation of administrative and legislative roles.

- Provision for long-range planning of services.

- Central administrative control over county operations, county departments, boards and commissions, non-elective positions.

(Adopted 1981)

Genesee County Correctional Facilities-The League supports:

- Housing inmates in a facility that meets state code, and which are well maintained.

- Daily monitoring of jail population to comply with facility's capacity and state standards.

- Sufficient numbers of corrections officers to comply with state code; training in human relations, first aid/CPR, corrections law, reporting.

- Adequate provisions for visitation; providing least costly phone service to recipients of inmate's collect calls.

- Full-time Social Worker on staff; provisions for substance abuse counseling, job training, anger management, parenting education, enrichment programs.

- Michigan Department of Corrections standards for sanitation of living quarters, clothing, bedding, pest control.

- Compliance with Michigan Department of Corrections nutrition program.

- Professional nursing care 24/7; maintenance of emergency first aid equipment; more exercise opportunities.

(Updated 2004)

Financing of Flint Schools - The League supports:

- Creative communications by the Board of Education to create a well-informed public.

- Providing an understandable and practical summary of the school budget; public hearings prior to adoption; state of the schools address from Superintendent; regular newspaper column, etc.

- Applying the following questions to assess millage proposals prior to making a recommendation to support or oppose the request:

Purpose of requested monies - new needs, inflation?
Is Flint's budget comparable to other districts
of its size?
What are the changes and their impacts to the
district's financial resources, enrollment and
needs since the last request?
Have citizens been kept informed?
Are there changes in the goals for the district
since the last millage request?
What is the plan regarding magnet schools, middle
schools and other innovative programs that
necessitate a response to population shifts; how
does this impact the budget; what are plans for
closing (adding) schools?

(Updated 1999)

Library Services in Genesee County - The League supports:

- Public libraries in Genesee County providing informational, educational and cultural services to all members of the community.

- Periodic assessment of library services to determine how well needs of community are being met.

- Incorporating new developments and technologies to give best possible service to patrons.

- Communication and cooperation among libraries, schools, and other institutions in the community.

- Uniformity between library systems to serve patrons efficiently.

- Community participation in library policy-making through their representatives on the governing boards.

- Adequate and consistent funding for libraries to facilitate long-range planning.

- Fees for service beyond the basic services.

- Policies for selection of library materials that result in a balanced library collection.

(Updated 2000)

LWVMI Positions

For positions on Michigan issues, click on http://www.lwvmi.org.

LWVUS Positions

For national positions, click on http://www.lwv.org

Background on LWVUS position on selection of the president

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: December 10, 2009 20:14 PST.

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