May 2024 LUNCHEON & GENERAL MEETING
May 13 @ 11:30-1:30
Tiburon Golf Club
Get Ready to Vote in the August Primaries!
presented by
Sandy Parker
Florida will hold its 2024 Primary Elections on August 20. Many races will be decided on that date; the winners in others will face off in the General Elections in November. Sandy Parker will review the state and local offices and candidates that will be on the ballot for Collier County voters and give you a jump-start for being a more informed voter
| Registration and payment must be made online by
May 7 @ 12:00 PM
Walk-ins will be seated in order of arrival on a space available basis
Late registration/walk in price will be strictly enforced
Help build our League and educate the general public! Our most effective method of membership recruitment is the General Meeting! Invite a guest to our next General Meeting and support LWVCC!
WHY DO I HAVE TO REGISTER FOR THE GENERAL MEETING BY TUESDAY INSTEAD OF THURSDAY (the way it has been for years….)?
In order to provide us with the variety and quality of food we receive, Tiburon needs a luncheon count by the previous Tuesday afternoon.
PLEASE REGISTER FOR THE MAY 13 GENERAL MEETING BY NOON, MAY 7
| COLLIER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
CANDIDATE FORUM
May 8 @ 5:00-7:30
Commission Chamber
Greater Naples Leadership (GNL) is partnering with Collier Citizens Council (CCC) to host a public forum on May 8th featuring the candidates for County Commissioner seats, Districts 3 and 5. Additional candidates may be added, following filings to run. The forum will be held in the Commissioner's chambers at 3299 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 303 from 5 - 7:30 pm. Tom McCann, GNL Class IX, will moderate. It will be streamed on the county network and will be available to view following the program on the county website.
The forum is one of a number of election forums scheduled this year under the auspices of a coalition of local community organizations, the Collier County Forum Coalition; in addition to GNL and CCC, the members include: Naples Chamber of Commerce; the League of Women Voters of Collier County (LWVCC); Naples Better Government; NABOR and Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA). | UNDERSTANDING OUR FLORIDA GOVERNMENT
Understanding Our Florida Government is a series by League ambassador Sandy Parker that will appear in the LWVCC Update in the coming months. Sandy is the founder and publisher of Sparker's Soapbox, whose mission is to encourage and facilitate informed voting in Collier County. Learn more at sparkers-soapbox.com.
As the election season gets underway, understanding Florida’s primary election process is crucial if you want your vote to make a difference. The laws governing primary elections in Florida are different from those in other states, and some rules even vary by political party. This Sparker's Soapbox Primer will help you be a more informed voter in the upcoming primaries.
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LWVCC GIFT MEMBERSHIPS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift? Look no further. This year, give the gift of knowledge, and help build a stronger democracy. Give the Gift of Empowerment, Give an LWVCC gift membership.
A gift membership to the LWVCC is perfect for:
- Friends and family who value their right to vote.
- Young adults who are just starting their voting journey.
- Anyone who wants to stay informed about local and national issues.
By supporting the LWVCC, you are not just giving a gift, you are investing in a stronger democracy. Your contribution helps the LWVCC continue their vital work of educating voters and defending democracy.
BUY A GIFT MEMBERSHIP (LOGIN REQUIRED)
At any time you can go to the LWVCC website Member Resources menu to locate gift memberships.
Please contact the Membership Team for any questions about our gift memberships.
(All gift memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable. Gift memberships not activated by December 31, 2024, will be considered a donation to the LWVCC.) |
Florida is one of just ten states that has not expanded Medicaid. As a result, older Floridians, parents and low wage workers may go without critical health care, become seriously in debt and lose their quality of life.
Miriam, a parent living in Miami, lost her job during the COVID pandemic. With breast cancer, she was unable to afford a port to receive the chemo treatment. Using the cheaper method of IV administration was difficult and debilitating. Her treatment made her unable to work. Juggling rent, food and medical treatment, she got into credit card debt for which she is being sued. Her cancer treatment bills have gone to collections. With Medicaid expansion, her family’s life would be secure and less stressful. She could receive better healthcare.
From floridahealthstories.org
Florida Decides Healthcare’s (FDH) mission is to let voters decide whether Florida should expand Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid would increase jobs, grow our economy, and provide access to health care to over one million people. FDH has developed a ballot initiative with a proposed amendment to increase Medicaid coverage to low-income adults. This initiative would expand Medicaid coverage to those who currently fall in the coverage gap. To allow the amendment to be on the ballot, more than one million petition signatures from registered voters in Florida are needed. You can help by signing the petition yourself and encouraging your friends, family and neighbors to do the same.
The League of Women Voters of Florida is officially supporting this citizen ballot initiative drive aimed at securing a spot on the 2026 ballot, as is the League of Women Voters of Collier County. Petitions can be found at
Petitions will also be available at LWVCC general meetings and Social Policy meetings. Petitions can be mailed to the address given on the petition, handed over to the Social Policy co-chairs or taken to the regional hub, UUCGN, at 6340 Napa Woods Way.
| EARTH DAY 2024: PLANET VS PLASTICS
This year’s Earth Day International theme was Planet vs Plastics and the League of Women Voters of Collier County Environment Committee and Plastics Task Force were there to greet the many visitors who attended the event at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida on Saturday April 20. League members passed out literature on voting, environmental issues, and on how to reduce single use plastics. LWVCC members circulated the park with colorful posters and talked with visitors about using their own water bottles, rather than buying plastic bottles of water, and bringing reusable bags to the grocery stores, rather than taking the thin plastic ones that are not recyclable.
The LWCC table was one of the most active ones at the park, due to the colorful roulette wheel that attracted many young families. Kids tried to answer questions like, “Who is running for President?” “How old do you have to be to vote?” and “What day is U.S. Independence Day?” Lots of U.S. history was learned that day, and families went away armed with plenty of information on how to vote, why we need to preserve our land, and how to reduce the use of plastics in their daily lives. Young leaders of the “Engage Young Voters” team of the Voter Services Committee interviewed park visitors on video about whether they intended to vote and discussed the issues they were most concerned about. These videos will be shared on social media in the coming days and weeks to encourage young people to vote. Overall the League of Women Voters of Collier County was one of the most visible and active booths at the fair and a fun Earth Day was had by all.
 
| SOCIAL POLICY COMMITTEE
May 2 @ 9:30-11:00
Moorings Park O Building Social Room
The guest speaker for the May 2 meeting of the full Social Policy Committee at 9:30 am at Moorings Park in O building will be Michael Puchalla. Mr. Puchalla is the Executive Director of the Housing Development Corporation of SW Florida, Inc., which started the Collier County Community Land Trust. Mr. Puchalla recently organized a new housing initiative called The Housing Alliance which will serve as a hub to disseminate information about housing.
As Attainable Housing is a primary issue for this Committee, it is important that our members know the functions of the Land Trust and The Housing Alliance so that we can effectively support and be involved with housing initiatives. The coming year will be challenging and interesting, so we are pleased to have Michael Puchalla share his knowledge and plans with us.
REGISTER
| ED COMMITTEE REACHES BEYOND COLLIER
In April, the Education Committee met with Dr. Maddie Stewart to hear about the Purple Group, a coalition of public education supporters in Lee County. The meeting was part of the effort to learn from successful models about how we might build such a coalition in Collier County. We will continue to pursue this topic in the upcoming months.
The Higher Education subcommittee helped to organize the statewide Community Conversation on Higher Education, held in Tampa on April 17. In addition to those who attended the conversation in person, over 250 people accessed it on Facebook Live.
The Committee will meet in June and August by Zoom. Dates to come. | ENDOWMENT FUND UPDATE
Our LWVCC Strategic Plan calls for the League to raise $39,000 in Endowment Funds by the end of 2024. In September 2022, the Board voted to start the LWVCC Endowment Fund. Following that, President Diane Moore led 100% of the Board members to make an endowment gift – an impressive accomplishment showing real leadership by the Board! Other gifts followed. We are thrilled to announce that we currently have raised $25,000. After extensive research by the Finance Committee, the Board approved moving these funds to the Collier Community Foundation (CCF). At the 2024 LWVCC annual meeting the membership approved a bylaws change allowing endowment funds to be invested in brokerage accounts for growth and safety. These investments are insured by the SIPC, a U. S. government corporation. The funds will be invested in accordance with an Investment Policy Statement approved by the Board.
Stay tuned, more information to follow in future Updates! Meanwhile, contact Suzanne Low, Endowment Chair, with any questions.
|  PLASTICS POINTERS
“Upstream solutions” are when a business makes changes so that customers have better options available to them. For example, Starbucks now lets people bring their own coffee thermos or mug (for takeout or in the cafe), instead of using a Starbucks paper cup with a plastic liner and lid. Several items have eliminated plastic shrink wrap: Quilted Northern toilet paper offers rolls wrapped in paper, and some brands of tea bags now seal their boxes with glue. Bar soap is available at some stores with no packaging at all! By the end of 2024, all 20 ounce plastic bottles of Coke in the U.S. will be made with 100% recycled plastic (except the cap and label). Aluminum soda cans are a great choice, but if you need something with a cap then choose those made from recycled plastic instead of fossil fuels. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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May 8 @ 5:00-7:30
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Collier County Commissioners Forum
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May 13 @ 11:30-1:30
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May Luncheon & General Meeting
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Visit the LWVCC Calendar for event details
| ONLINE REIMBURSEMENT FORM IS NOW AVAILABLE
Board members, committee chairs, and others who need to submit reimbursement requests can now do so via our Submit Online Forms page. | UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Because LWVCC committee meetings are for members and their invited guests unless stated otherwise,
members should log in to the website to register
to get the Zoom links for committee meetings and other events. | Social Policy Committee Meeting
May 2 @ 9:30-11:00 NOTE UNUSUAL TIME
Moorings Park Building O Social Room
The guest speaker is Michael Puchalla, the Executive Director of the Housing Development Corporation of SW Florida, Inc., which started the Collier County Community Land Trust. Mr. Puchalla recently organized a new housing initiative called The Housing Alliance.
| Reproductive Health Subcommittee Meeting
May 2 @ 11:00
Moorings Park Building O Social Room | DEI Committee Meeting
May 15 @ 3:00-4:00
Zoom | Plastics Task Force Meeting
May 23 @ 10:00-12:00
Zoom
| Board Meeting
June 5 @ 9:30-12:00
Zoom | MISSED AN ISSUE OF THE VOTER?
NEED TO CATCH UP ON THE NEWS?
Check out our updated News & Newsletters page, which has all our latest news and links to current and back issues of The Voter and The LWVCC Update.
| 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 9883Naples, FL 34101
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