Luncheon and General Meeting
December 11, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Tiburon Golf Club
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What Would Marjory Do?
The importance of advancing the environmental legacy of
Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Florida today
Presented by
Eve Sample
Executive Director
Friends of the Everglades
Eve Sample will discuss the history of Marjory and Friends of the Everglades, as well as current issues facing Florida: the US Farm Bill, the upcoming Legislative Session in Tallahassee, and ongoing Everglades restoration projects.
Registration and Payment Must Be Made Online
by 3:00 p.m., December 7
More information and registration
Late registration/walk-in price will be strictly enforced.
| Message from the President
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LWVCC President
Diane Preston Moore
The year is quickly drawing to a close, but the LWVCC’s activities have just begun to ramp up.
During the past month, our Voter Services Committee was busy doing what we do best: educating voters. The Vote411 subcommittee drafted and sent questions to candidates for Mayor and City Council in Everglades City in order to publish the candidates’ responses on Vote411.org. Voter Services provided election information to residents of Everglades City on a Saturday morning at Art In The Glades, and the Returning Citizens subcommittee gathered in North Naples to write postcards to former felons providing information about how to determine whether their right to vote has been restored.
Our Membership and DEI Committees put on events for new and “seasoned” members of LWVCC. The Membership Committee hosted a Welcome Back Fair, highlighting the work of our many committees, and DEI sponsored a field trip to Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum to celebrate Seminole and Indigenous art, music, food dance.
The LWVCC League Leadership Program kicked off its 5th year with a welcome event and a session on leadership. The LLP meets one day each month from November to March. Congratulations to members of LLP Class 5, which include: Nancy Chism, Cari Funk, Cathy Hackney, Ellen Hannan, Cath Maslyn, Paula Schwerin, Connie Fako Shoemake, Kate Tardif, and Beth VanDamme.
The LWV of Florida has created its own Leadership Program at the state level. I am proud to announce that LWVCC’s own Cynthia Cave (member of LWVCC Class 4) has been selected to be a member of the inaugural LWVFL LLP class. Congratulations, Cynthia!
There is much more happening with the League in December and January. Enjoy reading through The Voter, where you’ll be inspired by all that our committees and teams are doing. In League, Diane.
| Voter Services Table in Everglades City |
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Committee Tables at Welcome Back Fair
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| Everglades Coalition Conference
January 25-27, 2024
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa
Bonita Springs
| The LWVFL/LWVCC is a sponsor and will have a table at this exciting Conference from January 25-27, 2024. It will be held locally for the first time in years. We encourage anyone from the League to attend. We have two scholarships worth $175 to cover the registration cost for any League member wishing to attend. Please let Patti Forkan or Lynn Martin know if you want to take advantage of this offer and if you will attend the whole conference or just on certain days. “First come first served.”
The Everglades Coalition is an alliance of nearly 60 local, state, and national conservation and environmental organizations dedicated to full restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet representatives from these groups as well as hear speakers ranging from government officials to tribal representatives and many experts on a range of issues. It is not only a wonderful learning experience but also fun. We have a table and are looking for volunteers to help at our table…especially to talk about plastics. If you volunteer, it won’t be for long stretches.
Register Here: www.evergladescoalition.org
When you register, you will have a choice of full conference or one day. Plus you can sign up for meals, including two dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings. You can also sign up someone to come just for dinner and not the whole conference. |
The theme of this year’s Celebrate the League event is “Nonpartisan, No Nonsense News.” To be held on February 22, 2024 at The Club at Olde Cypress; invitations will be going out by email soon.
This year’s speakers will be WGCU’s Pam James and John Davis. James is the Executive Producer of Content, and Davis serves as the Assistant News Director, Gulf Coast Life Arts Edition and Morning Edition Host/Reporter. In a fireside chat format, they will be discussing how to provide nonpartisan election information and the critical stories of today. The email announcing ticket sales went out in November. Individual tickets are $175 and Speaker Reception tickets are $75. More information is available on the LWVCC website.
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Environmental Affairs Committee
Lynn Martin, Patti Forkan, Co-Chairs
At our November committee meeting, Monica McKenzie of Rising Tide Explorers, which is affiliated with Rookery Bay, spoke to us. She gave us an overview of the activities and research at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Reserve. Rookery Bay is managed by FDEP, NOAA, FIU and The National Estuarine Research Reserve. Rookery Bay comprises 110,000 acres of protected land and water along the Collier Coast. Monica shared her research on the lifespan, population trends, migration and breeding habits of wading shorebirds.
The Plastics Task Force reported on the success of the first two presentations of “Pass on Plastics,” at the LWVCC luncheon and UCC. Since then, the Task Force has been getting more requests to present but only has limited capacity this season.
Judy Hushon updated the committee on the recent Army Corp of Engineering meeting. ACE is now focused on four areas with nature-based solutions.
Our next meeting is December 14, 2023. Our speaker will be Marisa Carrozzo, who is Senior Coastal & Wildlife Program Manager with National Parks Conservation Association’s Sun Coast Region. As an environmental policy professional with a proven track record in leadership and coalition-building, Marisa works collaboratively to protect and enhance the treasured coastal and wildlife resources in and linked to the 21 national park units within the Sun Coast. Marisa has over a decade of experience in natural resources policy, including Everglades restoration, environmentally-sensitive lands preservation, and water quality regulations and restoration plans. Please join us for this interesting talk on December 14 at the Collier Community Foundation location.
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Social Policy Committee
Janet Hoffman, Betty Schwartz, Co-Chairs
The Social Policy Committee met on October 3, 2023, although members were busy all summer collecting signed petitions to amend the Florida constitution to allow access to abortion services up to fetal viability. Petition gathering will continue through December 31, 2023. For those who want to help with this effort and are unable to personally solicit the signing of petitions, consider a donation to help pay professional petition procurement. We have done well, but we need an all-out push to reach our goal of 1-1/4 million signed petitions.
In order to continue our focus on Reproductive Health as well as Gun Violence Prevention, and Affordable/Attainable Housing, subcommittees were established for these three issues. Dr. Paul Kardon and Pallas Diaz were named co-chairs of the Reproductive Health Subcommittee, Ray Kalich is acting chair of the Affordable/Attainable Housing Subcommittee, and Linda Scherzinger is acting chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee. The establishment of subcommittees will enable the Committee to devote more effort to further educating and advocating for these issues of special interest.
To ensure that our advocacy efforts are following best practices, the Committee will be holding a series of Advocacy Workshops on Friday mornings, January 5, January 12, and January 26, from 9:30 a.m.-Noon. There is no cost for the workshop. The topics covered will be presented by experts to teach proven techniques and strategies to enable us to accomplish our advocacy goals. The Collier County Community Land Trust has progressed rapidly since last year and will play a very important role in furthering the goal of attainable housing in Collier County. There is an opportunity for our Affordable/Attainable Housing Subcommittee to play an active role in promoting the services of the Land Trust. |
Education Committee
Nancy Chism, Pat Plummer, Co-Chairs
To follow up on a priority expressed at our October luncheon talk by Dr. Leslie Ricciardelli, Superintendent of the Collier County Public Schools, the Education Committee invited Beth McBride and Jennifer Kincaid from CCPS to talk on Pre-Kindergarten programs to increase readiness for Kindergarten in Collier schools. This year, the committee will continue to explore this topic and ways in which we might advocate for increased funding.
Dates have been set for the Know Your County Government program, which will be held for 40 district high school students in February and March, 2024. The program is being coordinated this year by Jan Eustis, Cathy Hackney, Connie Shoemake, Kathy Ryan, Diane Moore, and Pat Plummer. Once again, the program will rely on volunteer chaperones.
The Higher Education Subcommittee is focusing on new Board of Governors regulations for implementing SB 266, which restricts state funding for DEI programs and activities. Members will explore how these regulations will impact Florida higher education institutions.
The committee also heard of activities at the LWVFL Education Action Committee on book bans, vouchers, and new proposed legislation. Members received a new trifold on Partisan School Board Elections issued by this committee.
The next meeting of the Education Committee will be on December 13 at noon at the North Naples Government Center. |
Membership Committee
Beth VanDamme, Chair
Welcome New Members:
| Brooke Beardsley |
| Michelle Christides |
| Grace T. Gokturk |
| Meg Tyre |
| League News From Across the Country
| National League News
For more information, visit LWV.org.
State League News
For more information, visit LWVFL.org.
| Strengthening Our Democracy with Advocacy
| “To be an activist is to speak. To be an advocate is to listen. Society cannot move forward without both.” Eva Lewis
Laura Hansen Reynolds and Janet Hoffman recently attended an LWVUS conference in Orlando and reported back about the Power the South Workshop. A synopsis is included below and you can read the full report on the LWVCC website.
"During Power the South, the LWVUS workshop on advocacy, we learned about prioritizing relationships. Our strength comes from our unity created by working together collectively and cooperatively with others. People who are most impacted by an issue know the most about it. We need to listen to them. Building relationships with leaders, marginalized people, and government officials benefits us all."
"The words we use are critical. LWVUS is recommending we focus not on what's different about us, but what is the same. They are researching common vocabulary, learning about what words are unifying, rather than dividing or even triggering. While words are important, looking for common ground in feelings, values and/or goals can also help us to connect with others. Focusing on commonalities helps to bring people together to find the best and most stable solutions. The beauty of our democratic system is we all have the right to advocate. Please use your voice!" | Boost Your Charitable Giving This Season with Required Minimum Distributions
| Need help understanding how to best support your favorite charitable organizations during the holidays? One important strategy to understand is the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).
You generally have to start taking withdrawals from your IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, or retirement plan account when you reach age 72 (73 if you reach age 72 after Dec. 31, 2022). You must also take RMDs from retirement accounts you inherit. For most people, the deadline for taking an RMD is April 1st for the previous year. If you miss the deadline or take less than you’re supposed to, you could be subject to a 50% tax penalty.
To avoid this penalty, you can donate your RMD to charity and avoid paying the taxes. Qualified charitable distributions won’t be added to your taxable income for the year, so you may be eligible to save money in taxes by directing part of your RMD to a nonprofit organization. 100% of your gift will benefit the charitable organization you support. You’ll still enjoy tax benefits from your charitable giving, even if you don’t itemize your deductions.
We aren’t tax experts, so be sure to consult a financial adviser for questions about your situation.
Donate Your Required Minimum Distribution to the League of Women Voters of Collier County Education Fund
If you want to direct a portion of your RMD as a charitable donation to the LWVCC EF, tell your financial advisor or IRA custodian. LWVCC EF tax ID is 59-2659558. Distributions can be mailed to:
League of Women Voters of Collier County Education Fund, Inc.
P. O. Box 9883
Naples, FL 34108
The following links provide more information about RMDs and charitable donations:
https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/retirement/qcds-the-basics
https://resources.freewill.com/qualified-charitable-distributions-ira-charitable-rollover-gifts-for-
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-required-minimum-di
For splitting your RMD among multiple charities, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DFxbxwhBzQ | Please refer to the LWVCC Weekly Update for a complete list of upcoming events or visit the LWVCC website: lwvcolliercounty.org.
Members should log in to ensure they see members-only events and registration options. | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883, Naples, FL 34101
Sent by lwvcc@lwvcolliercounty.org
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