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Date: 7/31/2021
Subject: Copy of LWVSC August 2021 Newsletter
From: League of Women Voters of the Space Coast



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Just one more thing as I head off on an undeserved vacation….

by League President, Rob Grisar

I really do hate it when people say that they have just one more thing to say.  Inevitably, they really have eleven more things to say and, given time, probably twenty-three.  But rest assured, I really have only one more thing to say about the subject of the Brevard County Commission’s decision to remove fluoride from the Mims water supply.

When we look at the political complexion of Brevard County it is obviously predominantly white, relatively well off and heavily Republican.  While the League is non-partisan and so does not endorse one party or another nor one candidate or another, I think we have a duty to call out bad governance when it occurs, whatever political party leads the charge.  If ever there was an example of that, it was in the barely eight minutes at the end of the May 4th County Commission meeting.  And we did indeed bring our concerns to the attention of the Commissioners thanks to the concurrence of our Local Government Committee and Board of Directors.  

Now this was certainly not the first time the Commission has missed the mark.  I trust it will not be the last.  And in truth, bad governance happens whether the party in power is Republican, Democratic, Bull Moose, Whig, Know Nothing, etc.  But government at its worst is evident when no countervailing voices are present on the dais.  As Mark Twain noted, “To lodge all power in one party and keep it there is to insure bad government…”  

One need look no further than the recent legislative session in Tallahassee to find the truth in what Twain said.  With the incredible number of truly important issues facing our state, the Governor and Legislature chose to expend their energies on who can play on what public school sports teams, throwing up obstacles to citizens who want to participate in democracy, forcing the people of Key West to allow cruise ships and their passengers to overrun their city---and so on.  

While the League on a state level, along with many other civic organizations, is busily filing lawsuits to try to rectify the egregiously authoritarian, anti-democratic and, in some instances, downright immoral actions of elected officials, the question remains---what can we as a League chapter do here in Brevard County?  

For me the answer is to rededicate ourselves to the core mission of the League and focus on empowering voters and defending democracy.  We do that by continuing in our mission to register every eligible voter and then educate those voters on the issues.  I believe, as writer, author and philanthropist Rohini Nilekani observed, “As citizens, we have to co-create good governance, we cannot outsource it and hope to be passively happy consumers. Like everything worth its while, good governance must be earned.”

So, to hope to achieve that goal of good government we need to first train ourselves to be League Voter Registrars. In the past months I’ve urged members to take the qualifying quiz and attend LWVSC training workshops like the one we conducted on July 22nd.  Once trained, we can then engage in that core mission of registering every person who is eligible to be a voter and empowering them with the knowledge of how to exercise their franchise and make informed choices at the polls. 

Sooner than seems possible we will be heading into this year’s elections in the City of Cape Canaveral, Town of Indialantic, City of Indian Harbour Beach, Town of Malabar, Town of Melbourne Beach, Town of Melbourne Village, Town of Palm Shores, City of Rockledge, Barefoot Bay Recreation District, and the Port Malabar Holiday Park Recreation District. Overseas ballots will be going out September 17th and domestic mail ballots on September 30th with voter registration books closing on October 4th for the election on November 2nd. Our Voter Services Team (and as a League member you should be counting yourself as being part of that team) will be busy registering voters and conducting candidate forums in the coming months to educate voters on the issues.  
We each have an obligation as members of the League to be fully engaged in that election process.  It is time for all of us to poke our heads above the walls of our individual program committee issue silos and join in the run up to November 2nd.  If we do our job, then our efforts and influence will lead to an informed electoral outcome. 
Ghandi observed that “If there is an idiot in power; it is because those who elected him are well represented.” To see that in action just watch the last eight minutes of the May 4th County Commission meeting.
On that note, I’m off to wander for about a month and come back hopefully refreshed and ready to pursue the goal of good governance.  Keep an eye on the politicians for me while I’m gone.



This Month's Hot Topic

MLK and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights
 
 
Join us on Saturday, August 21, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for this zoom event using materials and strategies from Harvard Business School and The Case Method Institute. Case method teaching brings history into the present.
 
Jennifer Jolley, Palm Bay High School social studies teacher and 2020 Florida History Teacher of the Year, will facilitate this event.
 
The event is free and open to League members and non-members.
 
However you need to register.  Registrants will receive a link to copyrighted materials in preparation for active participation at the event.
 
For more information, contact Hilah Mercer at 321-223-5244 or hilahmercer@gmail.com.
 


Voter Services

Voter Services August Report
by 2nd Vice President, Diane Callier
 

The League of Women Voters of the Space Coast (LWVSC) has a new tool to help us reach Brevard County Voters.   The Voter Action Network (VAN), provided to the Florida League of Women Voters by State Voices, allows us to search the Brevard County voter registration records and create lists of people based on attributes such as age, gender, ethnicity, Vote-by-Mail status and voting record.   From these lists, we can create phone banks, canvassing turfs (for door hangers or knocking) and mailing lists that our committees can use for issue advocacy, petition drives, membership drives and to disseminate voting information and encourage voting participation, especially in low-turnout precincts.   The Voter Services Committee is looking forward to using this November's municipal elections to try out this tool which should also prove valuable for the 2022 elections. 

Joanne Terry is the VAN expert for the LWVSC.  She is familiar with the tool as she has used this tool in previous election cycles.  Joanne reports that the VAN system and data have improved over earlier versions and is excited about the potential uses that could be used in efforts to support a number of our League priorities.
 
We will be scheduling a demonstration in September for how committees can take advantage of this new capability.
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The Voter Services Committee conducted a Voter Registration training event on July 22.  Donna Morris led the training which covered the new Florida voting laws, LWV voter registration policies and procedures, tips for targeting and conducting successful voter registration events, and the supporting documents to assist voter registration registrars when they are conducting voter registration at events.  It was a highly successful training which we will repeat in the future to continue to grow our cadre of League members who are knowledgeable and skilled at voter registration.


Report from Audrey Grayson, Speaker's Bureau Chair

Understanding and Reacting to Differences of Opinion
by Audrey Grayson, Chair of Speaker's Bureau
 

The differences between the policy positions of the political parties is growing and more Americans often identify with the primary views of their party than in previous years. People tend to change their political beliefs to match their party. This tends to increase the division among parties, families, and friends.

 

So, how do we Americans communicate with each other under these circumstances? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spoken to people who have stopped speaking to family members because of differences of opinions, especially as we refer to subjects in the news today. I hear things like, “I can’t believe my relatives, and sometimes my friends, have such diverse opinions from my own".

 

Some experts say we should learn to listen, which might be easier said than done. Active listening means allowing someone to finish their whole story or point before you share yours. It’s about more than not interrupting; active listening also means making a sincere effort to understand what someone is trying to tell you and taking it in completely before sharing your part.

 

Ever been in a workshop or a seminar where listening sounds like a great idea and it’s very easy to do during a role play session. However, when you’re in a real life situation, it’s not always that simple or easy. It’s hard not to say, what is this nut talking about? Understanding and accepting the viewpoints of people with diverse opinions and not judging them is key. As stated earlier, listening to their points of view creates a more productive discussion and might even save some relationships. Reconciliation, listening and understanding each other’s views is the ultimate goal.


Susan Webb is LWVCS 1st Vice President. The following article was written by Susan Webb.   
 
It has information that is so relevant to being a member of LWV.

How Would You Respond?
by Susan Webb
 
Last week when I visited the woman who cuts my hair, I mentioned that I was becoming active again in the League of Women Voters. I was flabbergasted when that smart, aware woman whom I’ve known for several years said, “What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.”  First I was chagrined that we had somehow faded so far into the background that a long-time resident of the area who interacts with multiple people everyday hadn’t heard about any of our work or seen any of our publications—and angry with myself for not giving her some literature or mentioned the League earlier. Then I tried to explain to her about the League and its value. But, I think I could have done a better job. I realized I needed to work on my elevator speech! How would you answer that question? What would be the most important information about the League to impart in a brief answer? 

I also realized I needed to refresh my understanding of what we are about and how our education and advocacy processes work. Explaining that we register voters is the easy part; but explaining why and how we study issues before we take positions and how we work to protect our non-partisan stance is more difficult.

My next “ah ha!” moment came when I attended a training for Voter Registration Registrars. I was so impressed with the commitment of the local League members in attendance and the substantive, informative program Diane Callier (Voter Services Chair) and Donna Morris had put together. During the training, as we walked through the items potential voters must complete on the State of Florida voter registration form, I was struck as I read the oath which citizens who want to vote must sign: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida, that I am qualified to register as an elector under the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida, and that all information provided in this application is true”. I realized those registering citizens to vote were putting into action our credo “Empowering Voters” by assisting those they registered to take the most important first step in participating in and “Defending our Democracy”.

I’d written the above paragraphs as I struggled (I struggled because a firm deadline was approaching and one never wants to disappoint Lucia Watson by failing to deliver a promised product!) to put down my thoughts for this article about the strategic planning process we’ve proposed for our local League. At the June Board Meeting, the Board agreed to kick off a new planning process with a Board workshop which we hope to hold in late September. As we talked about moving forward with the strategic planning process, our ad hoc Strategic Planning Committee (Audrey Grayson, Joanne Terry, and I) found we were excited about the process itself and eager to expand the discussion both in breadth and in participants. My next musing was that perhaps the refresher I think I need would be renewing—and maybe other Leaguers could benefit from a refresher as well. Joanne and Audrey concurred, and they too expressed the need for a simple, consistent pitch we can all use to describe the work of the League to those who express interest.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve spent several hours finding and going over the many documents the LWVUS and LWVFL publish as guides for our activities, looking for guidance as we move into the strategic planning process. I offer the information below as background all Leaguers should be familiar with, and I think the documents will to guide us. 

The newly revised LWVFL State Program 2021-2023 is just out. Think of it as a cheat sheet. It is actually a summary of current LWVFL study and action items. The Program priorities are important background and should be guiding our work at the local level. Most of you will remember developing program priorities to forward to the State League. Those were considered along with others and many were adopted as the State Program was developed.  Here’s the link:LWVFL State Program 2021-2023    I’ve also uploaded the State Program to our document library. It can be found in the 2021 folder under Legislative Priorities. The overarching and more detailed Study and Action Guide 2021-2023 was adopted at the recent LWVFL State Convention. It is being finalized now and will be released shortly. 

The 2019-2021 Study and Action Guide (the immediate predecessor to the one now being edited contains valuable information about the PROCESS for League work. This defined process is a framework for how the League considers and acts on community issues. Below is a brief outline of the aforementioned PROCESS, adapted from LWVFL 2019-2021 Study and Action.


THE PROCESS


I. Choose Program
   a. Local Leagues discuss issues and recommend issues for study and action to local League Board
   b. Local League Boards send recommendations of issues to LWVFL
   c. LWVFL Board decides which issues will become part of state program and recommended to state convention for adoption
II. Study to reach Consensus or Concurrence Position
   a. Members research issue
   b. State Board develops questions for membership which may lead to statewide consensus
   c. Terms
       1. CONSENSUS—members participate in group discussion of issues to reach the overall sense of the group; when State Board determines there is substantial agreement, a formal position is adopted
       2. CONCURRENCE—Based on basic knowledge and likelihood of agreement, local Leagues agree to adopt a position already taken by another unit of the League
  “A League cannot take action on an issue until it establishes a position on that issue.”
III. Action
  a. Via lobbying, testimony, letter-writing campaigns, litigation, informing the public
  b. LWVUS may take action only on national positions
  c. LWVFL may take action on national or state positions
  d. “Local action may be taken based on local, state or national positions as long as there is member understanding of how the position relates to the situation and it affects only that local League’s area.”
“When a local League wishes to take action on a state issue that is not an LWVFL priority, [1] local League board should first consult with the state action chair if it wants to lobby state legislators….;” [2] “Make a written request to LWVFL board describing the contemplated scope of action……”
 “A local League may not take action in opposition to any LWVFL position.”
  e. “Official local League action with state government officials using national program positions is taken only in response to an Action Alert issue by the State Board or if authorized by the state president.”

Again, the outline above represents only excerpts from the LWVFL Study and Action Guide. Please refer to the full text via our website and look for the latest issue soon. To access that document, login, then on the home page click the membership directory icon at the bottom of the page. That will open to a copy of the directory and several governing documents including Study and Action.

Please keep this document in mind as we move through the strategic planning process. It is helpful as a guide to our thinking about where we want to go and how we can work effectively to get there. 

As for that pesky elevator speech—it’s in process, but here’s my first stab:

Important things to know about the League of Women Voters—we are a group that studies and sometimes takes formal positions on public policy issues. We provide registration opportunities to eligible potential voters, and we are known as a resource for up-to-date election information. We provide accurate, non-partisan information to citizens so that they can make their own informed decisions. Leaguers are engaged and involved in local, state and national issues and committed to enhancing their communities through action. 

Whew! Then I’ll pull out a League “Join us” card or a copy of CONTACT. I want the person I’m talking to (like my hairdresser) to see our value! CONTACT is a particularly good example of our value because it can be of immediate use and people to whom I’ve offered it have been grateful for the easily accessible information.
I hope you will work on your own elevator speech so that we can meld our ideas into something we can all use.
 

Committee Spotlights

Volunteer Opportunity - Observer Corps
by Joanne Terry - Chair of Local Government Committee
 

Have you been looking for a volunteer opportunity that supports our League's core mission but you don't have a lot of time?   Consider joining the Observer Corps.  

Observer Corps members attend their local city council/commission meetings and highlight any items that are of interest to our League's committees.    Most meetings are being held in-person now, but several are also still being live-streamed and recorded, so observing can be done at home on your schedule.

 Very few of our local government meetings are currently being observed, including our largest municipalities and some with elections this November.
 
 So, if you've been thinking about getting more involved, but don't know where to start, consider giving the Observer Corps a try.  We will train you on what to look for and can facilitate schedules if volunteers would like to team up for alternate meetings.   If you would like more information, please contact Suzanne Taylor at  (321) 213-3264, sjtaylor1@yahoo.com.


 

Natural Resources Committee Report
by Susan Little - Co-Chair
 
There are several important things happening in the realm of Natural Resources in Brevard County.  First, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has opened a public comment opportunity regarding a project entitled Space Coast Trail.  This will be part of the Coast-to-Coast Trail and the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop.  They are requesting a permit to permanently fill 13.03 acres of wetlands and Waters of the US.  Full details of this project can be found at https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/Article/2688542/saj-2020-04160sp-f  

Marine Resource Council will be holding a Lunch and Learn event on Aug. 3, 2021 from 12 noon until 1 PM.  The topic will be Restoring Rain’s Natural Path.  Sign up to join the discussion at www.savetheirl.org

Marine Resource Council is also looking for Citizen Scientists to participate in LagoonWatch Water Monitoring especially along Crane Creek, Eau Gallie River and Turkey Creek.  This is a twice a month gathering of data on water quality.  No need to have a boat if you have access to a boat ramp, the water sample can be taken from the end of a dock.  Contact Kara McGirck Woods at kara@mrcirl.org.


FLDEP has launched a program called OneWaterFlorida to educate the public about using reuse water for drinking, cooking, and bathing as this is seen as the only way to meet our increasing need for water in the future.  Their new website is https://floridadep.gov/southwest/sw-permitting/campaign/one-water-florida   Many places in the world and other parts of the US already use reuse water but I do anticipate a robust discussion to come.



Education Committee Report 
by Chair, Hilah Mercer
 
Due to an unforeseen emergency, the LWVSC’s Hot Topic, MLK and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights, had to be postponed until August 21 2021, from 2:00 - 4:00 via Zoom. The Education Committee hopes all registrants received the news of the postponement in a timely manner. 
 
 If you registered for the July 17th event, your registration will carry forward for the August 21st event.  Jennifer Jolley, Palm Bay High School social studies teacher, 2020 Florida History Teacher of the Year, and James Madison Fellow (FL '10) will continue as our facilitator in August.   As stated earlier, Ms. Jolley will be utilizing materials and strategies from Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Case Method Institute. Case method teaching, used for decades at HBS, brings history into the present. In preparation for the event, participants will receive background information that puts the fight for Black voting rights into historical context. In this case, the materials strive to put the participants in Dr. King’s shoes on March 9, 1965, as he led 2,000 marchers at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama, intent on marching to the state capitol in Birmingham just two days after the violent events at the same bridge on what became known as Bloody Sunday. 
 
Our League chose this case just as multiple states, including Florida, pass laws restricting voting rights and making access to the polls more difficult. History will indeed be brought into the present. Registrants will receive a link to copyrighted case material in a separate email. Participants are urged to read the material prior to the event. Case method teaching utilizes active participation as a teaching tool. Participants will want to be ready to engage. Participants will be urged to use their new knowledge to develop their own arguments about current policy and to become active participants in governance by making their voices heard. 

Registration is open and available on the LWVSC homepage www.lwv-spacecoast.org. There is no fee and non-members are welcomed. A Zoom link will be provided days prior to the August 21, 2021, 2:00 p.m. event. For further information please contact Hilah Mercer at (321) 223-5244 or at hilahmercer@gmail.com. 
 
 

A Call to Restore Our Oceans
by Terry Mott, Co-Chair, Sustainability Committee
 
It’s easy to understand why 1000 people are moving permanently to Florida every day and settling in our coastal regions. 
 
Who can blame them when Florida living offers the opportunity to experience world-class fishing, boating, swimming, surfing, or just being able to enjoy a day at the beach watching our majestic seabirds dive-bombing for their lunch.
 
But this ever-increasing population settling in Florida’s coastal regions is causing havoc in our oceans.  Here are just a few examples:
 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported that worldwide more than 200 species of marine life are impacted by marine debris entanglement.
 
Marine life can become entangled and killed in ghost nets, plastic bands, and other types of debris.  And heavy marine debris, such as derelict fishing gear, can crush sensitive marine habitat.
 
Additionally, garbage patches exist in ocean gyres all over the world.  These areas of concentrated marine debris are mostly made of microplastics in the ocean’s water column.
 
Animals are also mistakenly eating marine debris.  Plastic bags are the most common type of marine debris eaten by sea turtles.
 
Another major problem in our oceans is the destruction of coral reefs. 
 
According to a November 2020 report released by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, coral reefs have biodiversity comparable to tropical rainforests, and they are among the most culturally significant and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth.  In the United States, coral reefs provide billions of dollars in food, jobs, recreation and tourism, and coastal protection.  However, while United States coral reefs are in fair condition, they are vulnerable and declining. 
Coral reefs near more dense human populations are degraded, which is likely due to land-based sources of pollution, impacts from fishing, temperature stress from global warming, more acidic water conditions, and for Florida and the wider Caribbean, a coral disease epidemic. 

To help educate the community about these complex challenges, the Sustainability Committee is excited to announce that on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 10 am to 11 am, Guest Speaker Holly Abeels, Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent, University of Florida, will give a presentation entitled Restore Our Oceans.
 
Attendees will learn how the oceans support not only the wildlife and plants that live within them but also humans.  The presentation will also teach us what we can all do to help sustain our oceans.  This Zoom event is free and open to the public.  To register please go to www.lwv-spacecoast.org.
 
Join us on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 10 am to 11 am.
for a Zoom presentation entitled
 
Restore Our Oceans.
 
Our guest speaker is Holly Abeels, League Member and Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent, University of Florida
 

We welcome the following new members this month
 
 
Wendi Sours
 
Jennifer "Jenny" White

Upcoming On Our Calendar

August Zoom Committee Meetings
 
Monday, August 2nd Local Government Committee Meeting - 1 pm to 2:30 pm
 
Tuesday, August 3rd LWVSC Board Meeting - 5:30 pm  to 8 pm 
 
Wednesday, August 18th Education Committee Meeting - 10 am to Noon
 
Saturday, August 28th Sustainability Committee Meeting - 9 am to 9:40 am

League Members get together for lunch

Joyce Calese & Francine Pease
Diane Conaway & Sybil Shepard
Molly Tasker, Margee Smith &
             Rhoda Bosley
Kathy & Sue Ebersberger

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
 
Click on one of these options to support us or learn more:



Visit our website at LWV-Spacecoast.org