Be sure to turn in your ballot on or before November 7,
General Election Day. |
And, Before You Vote
Ballot Issue: Tenant Protections in Tacoma
Civics Ed in High Schools
Get out the Vote Strategies for 2024
Save These Dates: Action Workshop & Lobby Week
Unit Meetings
Save the Date: Program Planning
Finance Committee
Observer Reports
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Community Needs Assessment
Tacoma Public Library Partnership Fosters Civic Engagement
A Place Called Home - November 4
Rideshare Month - November
Bike Carnival
Sound Transit Passenger Experience Survey
World Homelessness Day
The Count is In!
Sign Up for LWVTPC Instagram
| | | And, Before You Vote...
"All Politics is Local." Have you heard that before? This election is the one where voters will choose their city, school districts, park districts, fire districts and other local elected officials. Your vote matters!
Be sure to check out the League's candidate forums before you vote. Learn where the candidates stand on the issues in their own words in these nonpartisan forums.
Also see Vote411, where candidates have responded to written questions and you can compare their responses side by side.
And, if you want to vote but are not registered, you can register right up to the day of the election at the Pierce County Election Office, 2501 S. 35th St. C, Tacoma, WA 98409, Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Get more information about other voter registration opportunitites here. | Ballot Issue: Tenant Protections in Tacoma
On October 19, LWVTPC cosponsored a public service webinar to update viewers on recent changes to Tacoma’s rental housing code and to explain how that code will change if the Tenant Bill of Rights (Initiative 2023-01) is approved by voters on November 7.
Our thanks to Wyatt Fisher, Tacomaprobono Community Lawyers Housing Justice Project staff attorney, who offered the presentation. Thanks also to Tacoma Probono and the Tacoma-Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness for co-sponsoring the forum.
A recording of the webinar and downloadable power point slides are available here. | Civics Ed in High Schools
By Liz Knox
For the past three years, members of the League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County have visited Civics and AP Government classes in various high schools in Pierce County to present about the history and importance of voting and to offer the opportunity for students to register to vote. Districts we have visited include Puyallup, Fife, Sumner, and Tacoma.
During this time, we have registered over 750 students to vote. The League members who have participated are Joan Berry, Ann Williams, DeeDee Henry, Wendy Wright, and Liz Knox. Take a look at the presentation they've been giving here.
We hope to expand our efforts to more high schools in future years. If you are interested in presenting to high school Civics classes about voting and would like to help in this project, please e-mail Liz Knox. | Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Strategies for 2024
As a nonpartisan organization whose mission is protecting democracy and empowering voters, we are of course looking ahead to the next election as well.
Check out our recently organized GOTV committee. The next meeting is Monday, Nov. 13 from 4-5 pm at the League office, 621 Tacoma Ave. S. Tacoma 98402. Some time at this meeting will be used to consider proposals we might bring to the League’s all-member program planning event on Dec.3. Contact Rosemary Powers for more information or to be added to the group mailing list for future meetings. | League of Women Voters USA Statement on Violence in Israel and Gaza
On October 11, 2023, the League of Women Voters of the United States issued a press release with the statement below on the violence in Israel and Gaza.
The photo at right is from Women Wage Peace, founded in the aftermath of the 50-day Gaza War/Operation Protective Edge of 2014. | | |
“The League of Women Voters stands in solidarity with the Israeli and Palestinian people impacted by the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza. The human rights violations committed against women and children are inhumane and must not continue.
“Today, October 11, is the International Day of the Girl Child. Like many of you, the League strives for a democracy where women and little girls everywhere in this world can live freely without the threat of violence.
“We stand with all those working to restore peace, equality, and respect for every person’s human rights.”
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President's Message
Building a Supermajority for Constitutional Democracy
By Rosemary Powers
November reminds us that another year is nearing its end, that autumn and winter events scheduled when they were far in the future are almost upon us, and that we have many reasons to be thankful. This is all true for me. I am especially thankful for the tireless work of local League members who organized and hosted multiple Pierce County area candidate forums to help voters become more informed for the 2023 general election this Nov. 7. | | | Both this seasonal awareness and thanks-giving take place within a chaotic national and international arena. The past two weeks have brought constant news of violence, violation, and the all-around failures of humans to act out versions of our better selves. The daily barrage of media images of atrocities in Israel and Gaza, even those attempting to provide context and analysis, feels assaultive, and I want to turn away. But I am connected to all of it, as nothing human can be outside my concern. As a citizen in a democracy under challenge, I am also connected to the frustrating and concerning battles over political leadership and policy gridlock in our US House of Representatives.
Instead of turning away, I feel compelled to turn towards. Read the remainder of Rosemary's eloquent thoughts and her comments about "Bringing Democracy Back From the Brink", a video presenting Harvard professor Danielle Allen's talk about demoracy at risk, here. |  |  | Unit Meetings
Unit Meetings are a great place to learn about issues, find out what is going on in League, meet old friends and make new ones. During this League Program year, Unit Meetings will be held at the following times . We hope each of you can find one at a time you can attend and put these dates on your calendars.
Virtual Unit
6:30 pm, 2nd Wednesday of each month
1:00 pm, 2nd Thursday of each month
Thursday, November 9
North Tacoma (Kandle Park) Police Substation, Conference Room
5140 N 26th St., Tacoma, WA
East Pierce Unit
10:00 am, 2nd Saturday of each month
Saturday, November 11
Puyallup United Methodist Church Library
1919 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA 98371
For the moment, there will be no Gig Harbor Unit, and members in Gig Harbor and on the Key Peninsula are encouraged to attend one of the others.
Topics are as follows:
November 2023 - Comprehensive Planning/Land Use
January 2024 - Legislative Session Preview
February 2024 - Book Bans
March 2024 - Housing the Homeless
April 2024 - Barriers to Voting
May 2024 - Climate Change & Legislative Changes
What about December? Program Planning.
There is also an all-member Program Planning meeting scheduled for December 3, 12:30 to 3:30 pm, at First United Methodist Church (Friendship Hall, in the basement), 621 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma 98402. Save the date and plan to join League friends for a potluck lunch and discussion of what the League should do for studies and/or action in the 2024-25 program year. Ideas prioritized by members at the Program Planning meeting will be developed into proposals for voting at the Annual Meeting in June.
Your Help is Needed
Many of you indicated in a recent survey that you would be interested in helping to plan one or more of the unit meeting programs but that you did not want to be in the lead. If you would like to help with any of the topics listed from February through May, please contact Carolyn Edmonds, |  | Finance Committee
Some of the benefits the League provides to the community are candidate forums, the directory of elected officials (They Represent You: TRY), election observers, government observers, issue forums and so much more. These public services need funding.
Interested in helping the League cover its costs? We will be forming a Finance Committee with a primary focus on fundraising. There are many fundraising opportunities that the League is missing for lack of members dedicated to organizing them. If you are interested in leading or assisting with this effort, please contact Rosemary Powers. | | | Observer Reports
The LWVTPC Observer Corps provides three vital services: reporting on local government, holding elected officials accountable by letting them know they are being observed, and educating observers and members about local politics. If you want to know more about what is going on in local government, there is no better way than joining LWVTPC Observer Corps or reading their reports.
As an observer, the commitment is one meeting and one report a month. These are posted on the LWVTPC website, on Facebook and highlighted in the Voter. The issues covered affect our daily lives: what is taught or not taught in our schools; racial equity; policing; housing and homelessness; land use development; Covid-19; taxes; and mental health.
Most of the meetings have transitioned to in-person, but there is usually a virtual option. If you are interested in learning more about local government, want to fill the gap left by the lack of local journalism, or simply want to let our elected officials know they are being held accountable, join the LWVTPC Observer Corps. Contact Lydia Zepeda if you are interested.
Read these recent reports:
| Community Needs Assessment
Every three years, Community Action Agencies are required to conduct community needs assessments. These are used to plan community programs to address those needs.
This year, https://mdc-hope.org/(MDC) and Pierce County are combining forces to do a countywide needs assessment. Please help by completing the survey yourself and also pass it along to others, particularly those who may need assistance and services. Take the survey in English here or use one of the QR codes below for a survey in another language. | Tacoma Public Library Partnership Fosters Civic Engagement
By Monique Piegdon, Library Associate, Tacoma Public Library | | | This spring and summer, the Tacoma Public Library partnered with the Tacoma-Pierce County League of Women Voters for a series of civic engagement events. They were hosted and moderated by Cynthia Stewart, former President League; and each event had a slightly different focus:
• Promoting and sharing knowledge of the League’s history
• Educating patrons about our local and state government
• Hosting a candidate forum
• Holding a community discussion about planning for the future
Through this partnership, the community expanded their knowledge of their state and local government structure and operations. Attendees also learned about how the League of Women Voters protects and expands voting rights and defends democracy.
Tacoma Public Library looks forward to continuing this partnership that offers free events in our libraries that foster civic engagement and build stronger communities. | A Place Called Home – November 4
Tacoma Reads 2023 offers an opportunity to learn more about the realities of housing insecurity and the resilience of the human spirit. Consider joining Tacoma Mayor Woodards and David Ambroz as they discuss his memoir “A Place Called Home,” exploring the difficult path to wholeness growing up with family instability and precarious housing. | 3:00pm - 5:30pm, Nov. 4
University of Washington Tacoma
Sponsor: University of Washington Tacoma Library Bookseller partners: King's Books, Parable
Source: https://www.tacomalibrary.org/tacomareads/ | Partner Up for Rideshare Month - November
Buckle up, it's time to Partner Up for Pierce Transit's Rideshare Month, November 1-30! To be entered to win $50, $20 and $10 prizes during Rideshare Month, all you need to do is take 10 rideshare trips and log those trips on the trip calendar at RideTogetherPierce.com.
Rideshare modes include carpool, vanpool, bus, light rail or train. Get more information here.
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Bike Carnival
Join Downtown on the Go, Tacoma Arts Live and 2nd Cycle for a bike carnival at the Armory on Saturday, November 4. There will be free helmets and fittings for the whole family, as well as bike lights to get you through the darker months. There will be food, drinks, and activities, plus an exposition of weird bikes.
November 4, 5–7pm, Tacoma Armory (1001 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405)
The event is open to the public, you do not need to have a ticket. Learn more here. | | | Sound Transit Passenger Experience Survey
Help Sound Transit understand how they are performing in vital areas like safety, cleanliness, accessibility, and passenger care. This 15-minute survey is a system-wide evaluation of passenger satisfaction with Sound Transit's services and is open through Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Participants are eligible to be entered in a raffle for a $250 or $100 gift card. Take the survey here. | | | World Homelessness Day
On October 10 residents of Tacoma met at the Tacoma Municipal Building in observance of World Homeless Day. The date coincided closely with the anniversary of Tacoma’s Camping Ban (passed on October 12, 2022) and we heard from outreach workers and people with lived experience about the harmful effects of Tacoma’s camping ban and the sweeps used to enforce the ban.
Several participants, including LWVTPC President, Rosemary Powers, provided testimony during the Citizen’s Forum immediately following the gathering. | | | The council was encouraged to focus attention on addressing homelessness through improved policies and funding that will result in increased shelter options for low- and extremely low-income people.
For information on LWVWA legislative efforts regarding housing, see the Washington State 2023 Issue Paper on Housing and Homelessness here. | The Count is in!
Residents of Pierce County who visited the LWVTPC booth on September 22-24 at the Puyallup Fair were asked, “How would you spend $10 million dollars on housing in Pierce County?" We gave each person 10 pennies and informed them that each penny represented one million dollars.
Here are the results from the penny-jar vote. It will never be published in a peer-reviewed journal, but it was a fun small experiment in public opinion. We also offered an educational opportunity for fair-goers; many reported that they had heard the term “AMI” but did not know the meaning before stopping by our booth. |  | 200 Participants = 2000 pennies
The options for spending and the way people used their millions (left to right):
- Supportive Services for households at or below 30% AMI (extremely low income)
574: 28.7%
- Subsidized Affordable Housing for households at 30-50% AMI (very low income)
488 pennies: 24.4%
- Affordable Housing for households at 50-80% AMI (low income)
639: 31.65%
- Workforce Housing for households at 80-120% AMI (middle income)
246 pennies: 12.3%
- Market Rate Housing for households at or above 120% AMI
53 pennies: 2.65%
Stories from the Booth
1.
One couple listened to the explanation of AMI and asked, “Why should tax dollars go to supportive services and subsidized housing for people who aren’t willing to work?” We pointed out that people who work their whole lives at low wage jobs may eventually become senior citizens who rely on subsidized housing. Others are injured or have disabilities that result in being under or unemployed, etc.
There are many things, including behavior health issues, domestic violence, deteriorating physical health, or sudden job loss, that can lead to homelessness.
After a little thought, each put a penny in the subsidized housing jar, then divided up the remainder in other jars. The only jar that received no pennies was the one for supportive services. We thanked them for taking the time to talk and – as they walked away – the man called back, “But, no handouts for people who won’t work.” His partner added, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”
2.
A young girl, around 8 years old, came to the booth. Her parents were at a nearby table keeping an eye on her. We asked if she wanted to vote for housing with pennies and -when she said yes- explained the jars in slightly simplified terms. “This jar is for helping people who make more than most, a little more than most, in the middle, a little less than most, and this one is for people who have the least amount of money.” She nodded when asked if she understood that she could divide up her pennies any way she liked. After scrutinizing the jars solemnly, she dropped all 10 pennies in the supportive services jar, smiled, and walked away. | Sign up for LWV Tacoma Pierce County’s Instagram
We feature The Woman of the Week and post LWVTPC events. How to sign up?
- Download the Instagram App on your telephone. You can do this by searching for “Instagram” in your “Play Store” if you have an Android phone or “App Store” on an iPhone.
- Once you download Instagram, “follow” our Instagram account by searching for “LWVTPC” and click on “Follow”
“Like” and comment on our LWVTPC posts.
- Share this with your friends.
| League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County
621 Tacoma Ave. S., Ste. 202
Tacoma, WA 98402
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