Free Community Forum on Thursday, 24 January!
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It can seem impossible to bridge the chasm between red and blue in today's politically polarized America.
Attend our forum to find out how we got there, and what can be done to knit Americans of all persuasions back together. See our calendar for details → |
“Republican Elephant & Democratic Donkey - Icons” by DonkeyHotey (bit.ly/1O6QXDp) licensed under CC BY 2.0 (bit.ly/1mhaR6e). Event title added.
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Program Planning Meeting
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Members, if you want your voice to be heard, attend the Program Planning meeting on Saturday, 26 January 2019 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at Alameda Hospital, Conference Room A (2nd floor), 2070 Clinton Avenue, in Alameda.
This is the start of the grassroots process to recommend Education and Advocacy priorities for our local League and our state League, the LWV of California. See our calendar for details → |
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Bay Area League Day 2019
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Tickets are now available for League Day 2019, which will be held on Saturday, 9 February 2019 from 9:30am to 3:00pm at Google Community Space, 188 The Embarcadero, in San Francisco.
League Day will include special guests, panels and breakouts. This year's theme is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the key address speaker is Virginia Kase, CEO of the LWV of the U.S. See our calendar for details → |
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Alameda Campaign Finance Review
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It’s expensive to run for public office. In the 2016 Alameda City Council race, candidates spent an average of $30,000 each.
Campaign financing can be a way to tell which candidates have generated sufficient support among voters, but special interests can also influence the outcome. Transparency is key. To help Alameda voters, we created charts that compare funds contributed to each Mayoral and City Council candidate so far this year. Read the letter to the editor from LWVA Learn more & see the charts → |
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LWV of Alameda
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Our calendar of events provides a quick overview on the breadth of ways the League is making a difference in Alameda. From educational forums and study groups, to book discussions and social occasions, this League offers a balanced menu of ways to get involved. In this section you will also find documents related to our work, and a chance to pause and have a little fun. Learn More →
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Your vote counts! Some elections are decided by just a few votes. The League understands how busy everyone is, so we provide a variety of ways to keep you informed and prepared for upcoming elections. Our information is balanced and non-partisan, so you can make an informed decision. Learn More →
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Advocacy
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After careful study, the League does take positions on some critical issues (but never candidates). We advocate for measures that help our communities and protect our democracy.
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Public Outreach 
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The League's mission is to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. Learn More →
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President's Message - by Georgia Gates Derr
Recently, my son and I exchanged a heated text-message conversation about our nation’s grand experiment in democracy. Sadly, like many, he has become cynical; frustrated with politics and alarmed at the polarization. He thinks the American experiment may be on the verge of collapse. In a loving motherly way, I admonished him by exclaiming, “Don’t you dare give up on our democracy; you must fight the good fight!” Democracy is slow and cumbersome, it takes commitment and hard work, but it does work. I urged him to read President Obama’s speech on the 50th Anniversary of the Marches from Selma and I encourage you to do so as well. I’ve highlighted a section below (full text at http://time.com/3736357/barack-obama-selma-speech-transcript/):
What greater expression of faith in the American experiment than this; what greater form of patriotism is there; than the belief that America is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals?
President Obama reminds us that our founding documents are a call to action and a roadmap for citizenship. For nearly 100 years, the League of Women Voters has answered that call to action. We work to encourage active and informed citizen participation in our government and we advocate for measures that benefit our communities and help protect our democracy.
Together we will continue to fight the good fight!
What greater expression of faith in the American experiment than this; what greater form of patriotism is there; than the belief that America is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals?
President Obama reminds us that our founding documents are a call to action and a roadmap for citizenship. For nearly 100 years, the League of Women Voters has answered that call to action. We work to encourage active and informed citizen participation in our government and we advocate for measures that benefit our communities and help protect our democracy.
Together we will continue to fight the good fight!
Making Democracy Work
The League of Women Voters encourages informed and active participation in government. We work at the national, state, and local level to raise understanding of major policy issues. The League does not support or oppose any political party or candidate. However, we do educate and advocate on issues based on League positions established after members have studied an issue and achieved consensus.
The League of Women Voters has been around for almost a century, and is more relevant than ever today. The organization arose out of the suffragette movement that secured the right to vote for women. The centerpiece of the League's efforts remains, to this day, on giving a voice to all Americans, and expanding participation in our democracy. In carrying out this mission, we welcome everyone, including men.
The League of Women Voters of Alameda (LWVA) is a member of The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the League of Women Voters of California (LWVC). See more information about LWVA below.
“I’ve always found that the best workers in a political party frequently are graduates of the League of Women Voters” -- Eleanor Roosevelt
The League of Women Voters has been around for almost a century, and is more relevant than ever today. The organization arose out of the suffragette movement that secured the right to vote for women. The centerpiece of the League's efforts remains, to this day, on giving a voice to all Americans, and expanding participation in our democracy. In carrying out this mission, we welcome everyone, including men.
The League of Women Voters of Alameda (LWVA) is a member of The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the League of Women Voters of California (LWVC). See more information about LWVA below.
“I’ve always found that the best workers in a political party frequently are graduates of the League of Women Voters” -- Eleanor Roosevelt
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