THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Thank you for sending me to the 46th LWVUS National Convention in Washington D.C., titled "Engaging the Nation." I was glad to represent our League along with Ruthann Donahue, our Voters Service Director.
Plenary sessions began on Saturday morning and finished Tuesday at noon. There was meaningful debate in plenary and in caucus sessions on the controversial position that the LWVUS Board had taken opposing voter verified paper trails. I learned a great deal about voting machines, the differences in various state's laws and their implementation of election reform. I concluded, with the majority, that the LWVUS should revise its interpretation of the Citizen's Right to Vote position to substitute the goals and principles of "secure, accurate, recountable and accessible" for the language that took a stand on the type of technology favored. The Minnesota delegation deserves much credit for its action in bringing this issue to the convention floor. See Ruthann's article on Page 3 for more information about LWVUS Program.
During the Convention, The New York Times ran a series of articles on "Making Votes Count" and on Friday, June 11, an article about the LWVUS "internal battle." On Tuesday, June 15, in an article about California's voting rules, they mentioned the "venerable" LWV's compromise resolution on voting systems. As a former New Yorker, it was great to be involved in making news for the NY Times!
On Saturday there were 654 voting delegates registered, and at the last plenary session on Tuesday, there were 744. The Convention adopted a per member payment (PMP) increase from $23 to $23.80 for the next 2 years. Membership levels have been declining steadily since January 2001 when LWVUS had a total of 77,280 members in 894 Leagues. As of January 2004, the total membership is 70,357 members in 825 Leagues. The functions performed at the national office do not fluctuate in direct proportion to membership levels, so fewer members are bearing the same cost. The PMP increase did not include funding for a study and the current climate at foundations make outside funding of an unbiased study unlikely. The budget was adopted as presented.
For the first 10 months of fiscal 2003-2004 the Treasurer reported that the PMP provided 28% of the LWVUS operating income while gross income from direct mail provided 43% of operating income. Income from major individual, corporate, and foundation contributions is falling short. Generous bequests from League members totaling over $220,000 have been put into the Endowment Fund to help ensure the League's future. Cost-cutting measures and determined efforts by the Board and staff are holding expenditures down so that the LWVUS has operated within budget and in the black for the last two years!
Some of the highlights I especially enjoyed included the performance of the satirical musical group the Capitol Steps on Sunday night and the banquet on Monday night with guest speaker Helen Thomas, Hearst Newspapers columnist who served for 57 years as UPI correspondent and White House bureau chief. She was sharp, frank, and witty in her remarks and answers to questions.
Our president Kay Maxwell spoke eloquently on the state of the LWVUS and in her President-elect address, and she was impressive in her role presiding over the plenary. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, gave an address at Monday's plenary, and there was a panel discussion on "Balancing Civil Liberties and Homeland Security in a Post-Sept 11th Age" at Sunday's plenary. The roll call of the states was full of excellent ideas and varied accomplishments.
I attended a workshop on "Attracting Media Attention to Your League" with Andrea Seabrook, Congressional Correspondent with NPR and Todd Gillman, reporter with the Dallas Morning News. The other workshop I chose was "Maximizing Opportunities to Strengthen Your League and Increase Membership." I brought back many great ideas that I hope we can implement here at home. It was an excellent meeting, and I was impressed by the warmth, intellect, and commitment of League members. The next LWVUS Convention in 2006 will be in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Please contact me if you would like to discuss the Convention or any other League issues which concern you. Have a happy summer!
--Beverly G. Bean, President, LWVMP
