League of Women Voters is political, not partisan

Viewpoint published in Times Union, Oct. 27, 2021, p. A8
By Monica M. Seebode

As another election season approaches, the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County is taking this opportunity to clear up some inaccuracies and misconceptions provided to and reported by the local press.

From its founding in 1920, the league has followed stringent protocols to ensure that we function as a political organization supporting policies and programs deemed necessary for keeping a democracy inclusive and vibrant — which it currently is not. “Political” is not to be confused with “partisan”; we are not aligned with any political party, nor do we ever endorse or oppose a particular candidate as an organization. Women’s rights, systemic racism, and climate change, for example, are not partisan issues; they are quality-of-life issues for all Americans.

As a national organization, founded over 100 years ago, we do not take a stand on any issue until we reach consensus among our members in over 700 communities across the U.S — in so-called “red” and “blue” states. All have an equal voice in the decision to support or oppose a position; the process is laborious and even painful at times, but we continue to research and discuss the issue at hand until all can accept the outcome. It is a microcosm of how democracy should work, rather than a partisan platform being handed down for others to blindly support without engaging in critical thinking. Our Congress would do well to consider this model rather than the partisan divide currently plaguing our governance.

We attract members because we are nonpartisan. We suspect we’ve had people of all political parties, ages, and genders in leadership roles. However, we do not solicit, collect or maintain such data on any member. Any such information being distributed is unauthorized and unverified.

Our volunteers organize and conduct candidate forums each year to allow voters the opportunity to evaluate candidates’ suitability to serve. (Note: Because the league tries to avoid divisive politics, we no longer use the term “debate.”) When COVID prevented safe gatherings, we moved to online forums. Our goal is always to empower voters to make informed decisions, which is why questions are solicited from the audience. We applaud everyone who wants to serve in any office, especially those who participate in these forums. Those who decline are denying potential constituents their right to cast an informed ballot — the very foundation of any representative government.

We are a highly transparent organization as well. We have an extensive online presence, including a comprehensive website where our consensus process and related positions are posted. Our “Member Resources” page is open to nonmembers as well. We invite you to check us out at www. lwvsaratoga.org/member-resources . And consider joining our growing membership of those who believe this country can and should do better in achieving justice and equity under the law for all citizens.

▶ Monica M. Seebode of Saratoga Springs is president of the Saratoga County League of Women Voters.

The Dueling Map State of NYS Redistricting

On September 15th my computer was set to the live feed of New York State’s Independent Redistricting Commission as it prepared to unveil its first draft of new Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly District maps. I was eager to see this independent body take an historic step towards putting the people’s district needs ahead of party districting interests. As one commissioner after another spoke, however, it became clear that there had been neither progress nor compromise. Instead, the Commission Democrats and Commission Republicans each offered up their own set of maps.

A recent Capital Tonight broadcast featured Albany County League member Richard Rifkin, who has been an important voice in the One Person One Vote Coalition, of which both the Albany and Saratoga Leagues are members. Richard offered his thoughts on the redistricting process now underway in New York. Here is an excerpt from Susan Arbetter’s summary of the broadcast.

According to Rivkin, the commission was a compromise when it was adopted in 2014, which left the Legislature in charge of the final maps.

“[The IRC] was given the authority to draft the initial maps, but the end maps, the end result, the maps had to be approved by the Legislature much as they always have. So, the question is, how different is this?” Rivkin asked.

To Rifkin’s mind, it could be significantly different, but that will depend on whether the IRC’s maps are embraced by the public.

“My view, is if the commission succeeds, and they’re not off to a good start, but if it succeeds in drawing a map that is fair to the voters instead of the political parties and the legal office holders, then there will be public support for what the commission has done, and with public support, the Legislature would then be faced with that support…at the time it draws its maps.”

In other words, Rifkin believes that if the maps drawn by the IRC are embraced by the public, the Legislature would have to incorporate them into the final maps.

“That was the intent. We will see if it works,” Rifkin said.

The IRC is currently holding hearings around the state. The hearing for the Capital Region, which includes Saratoga County, is scheduled at 4 p.m. on November 1 at Page Hall on the SUNY downtown campus in Albany. More than ever, the commissioners must know that we are watching.

Click here for information about watching, attending or submitting testimony: https://nyirc.gov/meetings

Link to the full broadcast summary: https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-of-politics/new-york/politics/2021/10/07/former-spitzer-counsel-richard-rifkin-discusses-ny-redistricting

By Elizabeth Rossi
October 21, 2021

More Thought on Systemic Racism

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin

I'm reading Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson and wanted to share the section below. You may find this disturbing to read, as was I. But then I thought more about it and realized that this was only 70 years ago. And I say only, because I was born in 1947, which means that this was the culture I was born into without even realizing it.

You may think: Well things are different now. I think this. We can pass laws that prohibit discrimination, but we cannot pass a law that changes a person’s heart or mind or eliminates Systemic Racism. I think there are people my age that still believe that there was nothing wrong with this and that the lifeguards were magnanimous under the circumstances. Please read and think.

"In 1951, a Little League baseball team in Youngstown, Ohio, won the city championship. The coaches, unthinkingly, decided to celebrate with a team picnic at a municipal pool. When the team arrived at the gate, a lifeguard stopped one of the Little Leaguers from entering. It was Al Bright, the only black player on the team. His parents had not been able to attend the picnic, and the coaches and some of the other parents tried to persuade the pool officials to let the little boy in, to no avail.

The only thing the lifeguards were willing to do was to let them set a blanket for him outside the fence and to let people bring him food. He was given little choice and had to watch his teammates splash in the water and chase each other on the pool deck while he sat alone on the outside.

From time to time, one or another of the players or adults came out and sat with him before returning to join the others, his childhood friend, the author Mel Watkins, would write years later. It took an hour or so for a team official to finally convince the lifeguards that they should at least allow the child into the pool for a few minutes. The supervisor agreed to let the Little Leaguer in, but only if everyone else got out of the water, and only if Al followed the rules they set for him.

First, everyone—meaning his teammates, the parents, all the white people—had to get out of the water. Once everyone cleared out, “Al was led to the pool and placed in a small rubber raft,” Watkins wrote. A lifeguard got into the water and pushed the raft with Al in it for a single turn around the pool, as a hundred or so teammates, coaches, parents, and onlookers watched from the sidelines. After the “agonizing few minutes” that it took to complete the circle, Al was then “escorted to his assigned spot” on the other side of the fence.

During his short time in the raft, as it glided on the surface, the lifeguard warned him over and over again of one important rule “Just don’t touch the water,” the lifeguard said, as he pushed the rubber float. “Whatever you do, don’t touch the water.”

A part of that little boy died that afternoon. When one of the coaches offered him a ride home, he declined. “With champion trophy in hand,” Watkins wrote, Al walked the mile or so back home by himself. He was never the same after that."

Linda McKenney
September 14, 2021

Statement Re: Arrests in Saratoga Springs

September 14, 2021
The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County unequivocally supports the constitutional rights of individuals, including the right to protest. The right to assess government actions and indeed criticize the government is a cornerstone of democracy. The recent arrests of protestors and statements by Saratoga Springs police representatives appear designed to unfairly target Black protestors and intimidate them to deter them from speaking out.

We believe that racial and economic factors unfairly influence the treatment of citizens in the law enforcement system throughout this country and in the City of Saratoga Springs. We encourage the City Council to build public trust and police accountability via independent citizen oversight of law enforcement, increasing transparency, and consistently supporting the right to protest.

Eradicating systemic racism within our own organization and every level of government is a complex journey. The League recognizes that the individual liberties of people of color are not being equally protected. Equity involves consistent justice and fairness for all members of our community within the procedures and processes of all systems.

Volunteers Needed to Register Voters

The fall is a busy time for League voter registration activities. We need your help!

National Voter Registration Day

Every year is election year. Did you know that as many as 1 in 4 eligible voters are not registered to vote? National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, September 28, and this is that day that our League of Women Voters plays an active role to make sure that everyone has a voice in democracy.

We can’t do this without you. As a volunteer, you will help your community get #voteready. You only need to volunteer for a 2-hour shift on National Voter Registration Day, and you can even request a venue that is convenient for you.

Our venues this year include the following sites:
- Saratoga Hospital
- Glens Falls Hospital
- Saratoga YMCA
- SUNY Adirondack, Wilton Campus
- Ben and Jerry's
- Saratoga Housing Authority
- Stewarts Shops in Ballston Lake, Clifton Park, Queensbury, Glens Falls, Saratoga Lake Avenue, Schuylerville, Saratoga Ballard Road and Saratoga Jones Road.

We encourage all our volunteers to attend a training session on September 14 to be held at the Methodist Church located in Saratoga Springs. You can attend either the 3pm or 7pm training session.

If you cannot help out the day of National Voter Registration Day, there are other opportunities to help us out. If you would like to help out or have questions, please email us at president@lwvsaratoga.org.

Voter Registration at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

Volunteers are needed for Voter Registration and Voter Information at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market ( 112 High Rock Avenue Saratoga Springs). No experience needed – you will work with an experienced League member.

We’ll be staffing a table on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm, on September 11 & 25, October 2, 16, and 30. On Wednesdays we’ll be there from 3 -6pm, on September 15 & 29, October 6 & 20. You don’t have to be there the whole time – decide how much time you can give. The October dates especially are weather dependent….we don’t staff a table when inclement weather is in the area.

You’ll be giving out information on the Five Ballot Resolutions; Early Voting; Voter Registration; Absentee Ballots, League membership.

To volunteer contact president@lwvsaratoga.org.