INDEX

A Note from the President

The 2005-06 Board of Directors met on August 20th to set priorities and plan activities for the year. Outgoing president Sarah McDonald joined us to assure a smooth transition for the new board. Our efforts this year will focus on reorganizing the Observer Corp (with particular emphasis on Birmingham Water Board and Jefferson County Commission), Voters Service citizen education and support for constitutional reform, including participation in Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform's (ACCR's) petition drive for a 2006 Citizens Convention. Additionally, we will participate in "good, old fashioned" debate and consensus on LWVAL's study of the Alabama legislature.

On Saturday, September 10, LWVGB members Dot Baker, Kaydee Erdreich-Breman, Jessie Tehranchi and I attended the first meeting of Common Ground. This summit was designed to empower citizens of the Birmingham region to build, participate in and benefit from an equitable and healthy community, environment and economy. The focus for this first meeting was to develop a community-wide vision in the areas of participatory government, regional transportation, environment, public health and sustainable communities.

Mark your calendar to attend our September 22nd meeting, which will focus on the "inner workings" of the Jefferson County Commission. September is membership development month, so invite a friend to attend as well!! And speaking of September ... don't forget ADR ... Annual Dues Renewal!

Details on other events of interest are highlighted in this month's issue of The VOTER, including the al.com Internet forum for the Birmingham City Council elections in October, the United Nations Day dinner on November 1st, and a review of the Jefferson County Commission summer activities.

I look forward to working with all of you this year.

-- Yvonne

Meet Your Board

New LWVGB Board Plans a Great League Year! [See enlarged picture.] The 2005-2006 League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham Board of Directors met August 20 to plan the year's activities. Clockwise from lower left: Leonette Slay (Treasurer), Colette Scott (Secretary), Kaydee Erdreich Breman, Dot Baker, Nancy Ekberg (1st VP), Cary Page, Virginia Randolph (2nd VP), Beverly Nelson, Sarah McDonald (Outgoing President), Yvonne Brakefield (President) and Winifred Jackson. New Board Members Cissy Bennett and Betty Warnock are not pictured. [See LWVGB Board contact information.]

Passing the Gavel Sarah McDonald passes the LWVGB president's gavel to Yvonne Brakefield at our Annual Meeting on May 14.

Voters Service

The LWVGB is going live on the Internet this month with al.com and the Birmingham City Council elections. Because we are a non-partisan organization with a good history of reputably managing election issues for citizen education, the Birmingham News asked us to sponsor an Internet Forum. We are working with al.com to create on online forum for citizens to submit questions to candidates running for Birmingham City Council. The procedure is similar to the way we have operated DNET for national and state elections. Citizens can post questions and each candidate may respond. The site is expected to be up and running by September 12 and will continue until October 11, the date of the City elections.

This month Voters Service worked with Birmingham Pledge to register voters at the Eracism Picnic on September 11 at Kelly Ingram Park. Kathleen Kerchof, Carolyn Kerchof, Kate Long and Francine Clark Jones registered new voters.

How are elections handled? Do they comply with HAVA? Are the rules applied in the same way in Jefferson County and Shelby County? Do the HAVA rule applications in Alabama compare with the way the rules are applied in Wisconsin, Georgia, Oregon, etc.? These are some issues that the Voters Service will be looking at in the near future. Would you like to participate in determining the answers? Send an email to Virginia Randolph vrand@bellsouth.net to volunteer. We will share the results of this inquiry at the membership meeting in April.

"Government Representatives at Your Fingertips"
The flier we have called Fingertips over the years is now updated and available on our web site www.lwvgb.org/index.html. Anyone may print out copies to use. Thanks to Sarah McDonald, Leslie O'Neil, Colette Scott, and Judith Hand for tracking down and double-checking all the names, addresses, and emails and proofing the text.

In Memory of Laura Moore Weaver

Laura Moore Weaver, long time member of LWVGB, passed away on September 8, 2005. Ms Weaver, a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, dedicated her life to helping others. Memorial donations should be made to First United Methodist Church, 518 N. 19th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203 or the United Community Centers Inc., 3617 Hickory Avenue SW, Birmingham, Ala. 35221.

United Nations Day 60th Anniversary Dinner

The LWVGB is cosponsoring the annual United Nations Day Dinner with the Greater Birmingham Chapter of the United Nations Association USA. The dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, November 1 at The Club (Staterooms 1, 2 and 3). Social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. with dinner to follow at 7:00 p.m. The cost is $35 per person.

The Birmingham Chapter of the UNA-USA is especially privileged to have as its guest speaker Ambassador William H. Leurs, President and CEO of UNA-USA, New York City. His topic will be UN reforms passed by the 60th General Assembly September 14-16.

[Print a reservation form to fill out and mail with your check.]

A Significant Anniversary

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared on the "Other Opinions" page of The Birmingham News Friday, August 26, 2005. This was the 85th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The author, Carol Ann Vaughn, PhD, is director of the Christian Women's Leadership Center at Samford University. She is also a member of the LWVGB. The complete text of this thoughtful article on the history of women's rights in the United States can be accessed at
http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1125048125228380.xml&coll=2

"By 1920, women in such states as Alabama were still disenfranchised - and would have remained so without a change to the U.S. Constitution. The Alabama Legislature was not about to amend its 1901 constitution to enfranchise women. Anti-suffragists, including religious conservatives, argued that politics were too dirty for women; that it was "unnatural" for women to participate in public life; that current gender roles would be undermined if women voted and held office. Suffragists, however, maintained that women would help "clean up" government and public policy. First Wave feminists emphasized that human beings' worth - and citizenship - should not be based on sex."

Time to Renew Your Membership!

September is Membership Renewal Month. Dues are $40 for individuals, $20 for students, and $60 for a family. Please complete this form and send it with your check, payable to LWVGB.
Mail to: Leonette Slay, Treasurer; 320 Albermarle Drive, Birmingham, Al, 35226.

[Click for membership renewal form. Print several - may be used for new membership, also! Just note "new member."]

Sewer Expansion Public Information Meeting
September 27, 2005

The Jefferson County Commission has scheduled a public information meeting for September 27. The purpose of the meeting is "to present pertinent data and facts of each expansion project to allow the citizens of Jefferson County to receive knowledge of, to have involvement in, and to provide comment on how the Jefferson County Sewer System is expanded."

Contact Commissioner Gary White's office for details at 325-5503.

Sarah McDonald and Mary Lynn Bates will lead debate and consensus
of LWVAL's study of the Alabama State Legislature. This will be the
topic of our unit meetings in November and January.

Jefferson County Commission Observer Corps Report

It was a tough summer for the Jefferson County Commission. The county lost six employees to sewer scandal indictments. On August 2 the commission voted $400,000 to pay for contract employees to fill department openings. Commissioner Gary White said the county wants to hire replacements, but has trouble getting job candidates from the Jefferson County Personnel Board. That same day the Commission said it would not give new work to any of the 19 people and companies included in the federal indictment. Hours later, a commission committee recommended paying two of the indicted engineering firms $1 million more for added work on existing contracts.

Two days later Bloomberg Markets magazine published an article, "The Banks that Fleeced Alabama." The article points out that Jefferson County ranks third in the nation with bond swaps of $5.8 billion. Bloomberg said bankers pulled in exorbitant fees while county sewer bills tripled. About 75% of the county's $4.6 billion in bond debt and most of its swaps are related to the sewer rehabilitation program. See the complete article at
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000039&sid=apQ55BOymKWU&refer=columnist

At its September 6 meeting the Commission voted to discontinue operating the Jefferson County Landfills and lease them and their operations to a private company. Citizens were present at the meeting who did not agree with this decision, but were not included in the discussion. Commissioner White recommended the lease go to BFI. A member of the audience blurted, "They'll bring in out-of-state trash!" None of the commissioners acknowledged the outburst, but White's recommendation did not receive a second. The commissioners then voted to award the contract to Santek. White qualified that outcome by saying they will negotiate with Santek for 30 days. If agreement is not reached in that period, negotiations will shift to BFI. On September 13 the commission voted to add the County Attorney to the Landfill Evaluation Team handling the negotiations.

What's Up with the Water Board?

Longtime residents of the Greater Birmingham area seldom thought about the Water Works Board. Rates were stable and tap water quality was good. From September 1998 to February 2001 the City of Birmingham owned the water system's assets. Over Mayor Kincaid's objections in February 2001, the City Council returned ownership of the system's $471 million assets to the Water Works Board. The next month members of the water board signed an agreement to be regulated by the Alabama Public Service Commission. Over four years passed with no action toward regulation.

This July the Water Works Board increased rates by 6.5%, the first of three planned hikes that will increase rates by 25% over 18 months. General Manager Mac Underwood said the rate increases are necessary because the City of Birmingham did not maintain the system while it owned the assets and wet weather caused a decrease in revenues. Underwood replaced Mike Vann, who now does public relations for the water board. Both men are paid $186,000 yearly. The board also spent more than twice the $2.5 million budgeted last year for consultants and outside engineering work.

The LWVGB wants to demonstrate public interest in water board operations. If you have a flexible schedule during weekday business hours, help expand our Observer Corps to include Water Board Meetings. Let's get involved! Contact Beverly Nelson at beenel@bellsouth.net or call Nancy Ekberg at 967-2897.