|
|
The Observer
News from the League of Women Voters
of Cook County
May 2021
|
|
LWVCC Annual Meeting
Highlights
The League of Women Voters of Cook County held its 2021 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 18, via Zoom. Again. And successfully.
Cynthia Schilsky, LWVCC President (at right), praised attendees for adapting to the online video format, which included the use of digital voting and the Zoom’s “chat” button – no small feat, given there were 92 participants, including 58 delegates.
At the business meeting, delegates from all of the 13 local Leagues in Cook County unanimously approved the recommended program, the proposed budget (the PMP per-member-payment holiday extended for another year), and the slate of board candidates for 2021-22. Attendees also heard excerpts from committee and interest group reports (complete reports are posted on the LWVCC website here). Cynthia announced that a measure introduced and passed at last year’s Annual Meeting, to convert LWVCC’s tax status from a 501(c)(4) to 501(c)(3) was granted by the IRS.
Delegates voted to accept the slate of LWVCC officers and board members, including:
President – Cynthia Schilsky (LaGrange Area)
Vice President – Pris Mims (Chicago)
Treasurer – Nancy L. Clark (Oak Park/River Forest)
Directors – Carolyn Cosentino (Homewood-Flossmoor), Jan Goldberg (LaGrange Area), Georgia Gebhardt (Wilmette), Kathi Graffam (LaGrange Area)
Continuing in their present positions:
Vice President – Karin Hribar (Arlington Heights); Secretary – Betty Hayford (Evanston); Directors: Diane Edmundson (Park Ridge), Laura Davis (Palatine).
A special thanks to Patricia Graunke (Chicago), Nominating Committee Chair, and Sandra Slayton (Homewood-Flossmoor), Nominating Committee member, and to Budget Committee Chair Krista Grimm (LaGrange Area) and Budget Committee member Sue Kravis (Glenview/Glencoe) for their contributions to the work of the LWVCC.
The Annual Meeting planning committee also deserves recognition. Members included Cynthia Schilsky, Karin Hribar and Jan Goldberg, as well as Board Members Pris Mims and Diane Edmundson.
And thanks to all of the participants for helping make the meeting a huge success!
|
|
Reveals Her Intent to Run for a 4th Term
President Preckwinkle Speaks About Pandemic, Economic Recovery at Annual Meeting
LWVCC's Annual Meeting keynote speaker, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (right), revealed her intent to run for a 4th term next year, stating her work on behalf of County residents is not yet done. She was first elected to the post in 2008, thereby becoming the first elected female to serve as President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
Introduced by Pris Mims, President Preckwinkle focused her remarks almost solely on the pandemic, tracing its early beginnings in the county over a year ago to the development of coping strategies to prevent the spread of the pandemic and treat those who were ill. The arrival and distribution of life-saving vaccines were a turning point. She also shared current plans to support the economic recovery. A question-answer session followed.
Building a Plane While Flying It
President Preckwinkle explained her decision to issue a disaster declaration, allowing for decisions to be made by the President and Budget Director, among others, without the prior approval of the Board or as required by the procurement and other ordinances. A contact tracing initiative and the distribution of vast amounts of PPE (personal professional equipment) to hospital staff were a key part of the strategy. “I often say we were building the plane while we were flying it,” she stated.
Under her leadership, the county identified the needs and resources to help thousands of residents who lost jobs to avoid eviction from their homes or apartments and receive health care services, access to COVID-19 testing sites and the fulfillment of some of their basic needs like food and medicine.
The Turning Point
A major turning point was the arrival of the first doses of the vaccine in December. Who will forget the photo shared across the county of a hospital nurse, her sleeve rolled up, receiving the first injection? Since then, thousands of county residents have been vaccinated, in part through the availability of six county-facilitated, large-scale vaccination sites. “The vaccine is safe, effective and our best shot at returning to a normal life,” she stated.
Meanwhile, a county budget, with no tax or fee increases was presented and passed. Other priorities were and are public safety, affordable housing, employment and support for small business start-ups. In 2020, the county finally was able to address mental health as an illness to be treated – not a crime deserving of punishment. She also discussed the importance of bail reform, which the League’s Criminal Justice interest group has supported for years.
In the coming fiscal year, the pandemic will continue to be her number one priority. “We still have a lot of work to do,” she said. “The pandemic is not over.”
A video recording of President Preckwinkle’s remarks is available on the LWVCC website at www.lwvcookcounty.org.
|
|
Nancy Clark’s Amazing
Head for Numbers
One of the unsung heroines of the LWVCC board is Nancy L. Clark, of the Oak Park/River Forest League, who performs the necessary though the often thankless job of paying the bills, balancing the budget, and participating in special projects where having a head for numbers is paramount.
During the 2020-21 fiscal year, she joined Cynthia Schilsky and Pris Mims to help the LWVCC change its tax status from a 501(c)(4) to 501(c)(3), no small undertaking, given it required a deep dive into the LWVCC’s financial records for the last five years – all without access to the League office which was closed due to the pandemic.
A computer programmer analyst for 30 years before retirement, she served as a volunteer at AARP to help seniors with their tax returns. She’s also on the board and treasurer of The Economy Shop, a thrift store in Oak Park whose proceeds benefit local charities.
Two things to know about Nancy: she’s not afraid of finances, and she thrives on detail.
You can bet money on it!
Volunteer Opportunities for Local Leaguers
Looking for another way to contribute your time, energy, and skills to further the League’s important work? Join the Observer Corps, the Voter Service Committee, the Budget and Structure interest group, the Criminal Justice interest group or the Cook County Health interest group. Or, represent your local league at our board meetings by becoming an LLR (local league representative). To learn more, send an email to info@lwvcookcounty.org or call 312-939-5935 x 127.
|
|
|
Save the Date!
July 15, 2021, 12 noon
LWVCC Virtual Food for Thought Luncheon
Speaker: Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
|
|
Opportunity for Leaguers to Provide Map
Redistricting Input to County Commissioners
The public will soon have an opportunity to provide their input on what the new Cook County Commissioner districts should look like.
The 2020 Census Redistricting Committee, composed of all 17 Cook County Board Commissioners, will hold public meetings, either virtually or in-person, where members of the public can speak or submit written comments on the following dates:
Monday, June 7 at 10 am
Monday, June 14 at 10 am
Monday, June 21 at 6 pm
Local Leagues are encouraged to spread the word about these hearings, including to their local government officials. Information about how to submit written or verbal comments and attend these meetings will be posted on the County's calendar system here: https://cook-county.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.
Following these public hearings, the County’s consultants will then proceed to take this input and draw new district maps (“draft framework maps”) utilizing some combination of data from the American Community Survey 2019 (5-year data release from the U.S. Census Bureau) and ESRI (a commercial data provider). The public can submit their own maps for consideration, whether utilizing their own data and programs or utilizing those of the County’s consultants. It is expected that a “mapping room” will be available for appointments on the 4th floor of the County Building in about 2 weeks. More information can be found at https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/cook-county-2020-census-redistricting.
The current schedule is predicated on the County Board approving final maps by August 30, the day before candidates may start circulating petitions to be on the March Primary ballot. If the March Primary is delayed, this could add additional time for review and comment by the public. But the current schedule is as follows.
-
Monday, July 26: Posting of County’s draft framework map and any alternative maps submitted by the public
-
Friday, July 30: Public hearing on the maps
-
Thursday, August 12: Posting of County’s final framework map
-
Monday, August 16: Anticipated release of the 2020 Census Data
-
Monday, August 23: Posting of County’s proposed final map reflecting Census Data, along with any alternative maps from the public
-
Friday, August 27: Public hearing on the proposed final and any alternative maps
-
Monday, August 30: Meetings of the 2020 Census Redistricting Committee and the Cook County Board to vote on the final map
|
|
COVID Didn’t Stop County Leagues
From Bringing Candidates to the Voters
Members of 11 of the 12 suburban Leagues in Cook County attended a recent meeting convened by the Voter Service Committee of the Cook County League to share their experiences in educating voters about the candidates running in the April Consolidated Elections.
Most Leagues still conducted multiple candidate forums – but virtually. Zoom was the medium of choice for the majority, followed by on-demand viewing through YouTube or Facebook. At the meeting, League members shared tips for the future, and many believe they will continue to conduct virtual forums or a hybrid of in-person and virtual.
Among the advantages were the larger audiences they could reach through live-streamed and recorded forums and the fewer volunteers needed to conduct them. A good internet connection and sufficient technical savvy were the keys to their success. Several Leagues found that partnering with their local libraries provided that technical expertise, along with their help publicizing the forums.
All agreed that no amount of technical expertise could solve the most challenging part of producing a candidates’ forum; namely, reaching out and receiving responses from the candidates themselves. The Cook County League has passed on to the Cook County Clerk’s Election Division a request that candidates be asked to provide an email address when submitting their candidate applications.
Cook County Voter Service Chair Nancy Marcus, of Winnetka, is stepping down as chair after several years, which included three elections during the pandemic. The Committee will continue to look for ways to assist all 13 local Leagues in their voter service efforts, along with educating voters about candidates for Cook County government and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
Would you help the Cook County League with its Voter Service efforts? Contact us at info@lwvcookcounty.org or 312-939-5935, ext. 127.
-Pris Mims
LWVCC Vice President
|
|
|
Useful Info, Programs from the MWRD
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), one of the Cook County governments that the LWVCC monitors, offers ongoing educational programs and free printed materials.
-
Live virtual tours that explain how the Chicago River was reversed 120 years ago and how the water is treated today, as well as tour the Deep Tunnel (pictured above). The next tour is June 15 from 10 am to 11. Register here: https://mwrd.org/facility-and-virtual-tours .
-
An excellent publication called A healthy waterway begins with you: A Consumer Guide to Water Wellness. Read it online here: https://tinyurl.com/hycttrsr.
These and other MWRD news are featured in the MWRD's monthly newsletter, The Flow. Subscribe here: https://mwrd.org/mwrd-flow-may-2021. You can also find information about events, programs, and educational materials on the MWRD website under "Education." https://mwrd.org.
-Diane Edmundson
LWVCC Board Member
|
|
Excerpt from a Recent LWVCC Observer Report
At the April 30 meeting of the Cook County Health board of directors, it was announced that 80% of CCH staff and 62% of CCH employees had been vaccinated. Statistics on the breakdown of vaccinated employees by age, race, job category, union membership and race/ethnicity were provided. A review of COVID-19 vaccination activities was presented. In addition to marketing efforts, significant outreach and special events are planned for the mass vaccination sites.
LWVCC Recent Advocacy Action
May 17, 2021: “Redistricting”
The League submitted some questions and comments on the proposed schedule for the process for drawing the maps for the 17 Cook County Commissioner districts. Questions included what data is to be used for initially drawing the maps; will the public be able to see sufficient details on the maps to be posted on the County's web site; and, if the census data is not released by Aug. 16, as anticipated by this schedule in order to finalize the maps, is there an alternative plan. The League recommended several changes to the proposed schedule to allow more opportunity for the public to provide comments.
|
|
Upcoming Events
LWVCC Criminal Justice Book Club
After the Protests Are Heard by Sharon D. Welch
Friday, June 18, 9-10 a.m., via Zoom
Noted author, advocate and educator Sharon D. Welch, a board member of LWVChicago and member of the LWVCC’s Criminal Justice Interest Group, will lead a discussion about the key themes and messages in her book After the Protests Are Heard: Enacting Civic Engagement and Social Transformation. The event is free and open to League members and non-members. A study guide by the author, with chapter summaries, key concepts and questions, will be provided in advance. To register, contact Jan Goldberg at (708) 442-6624 or send her an email via janbeatlesfan66@gmail.com.
“How to Hug Water”
Presented by the League of Women Voters of Evanston
Tuesday, June 1, at 12:30 p.m., via Zoom
Cameron Davis, a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, will speak about water quality issues and efforts to protect Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, as well as stormwater runoff, to residents of Evanston and neighboring communities. There is no cost to attend. To register, contact Elizabeth Kinney at (847) 866-9430 or ekinney56@sbcglobal.net.
|
|
2021-2022 Cook County League Board Members
OFFICERS: President: Cynthia Schilsky, LaGrange Area; Vice-Presidents: Pris Mims, Chicago, and Karin Hribar, Arlington Heights; Secretary: Betty Hayford, Evanston; Treasurer: Nancy Clark, Oak Park/River Forest.
Board members: Carolyn Cosentino, Homewood/Flossmoor; Laura Davis, Palatine; Diane Edmundson, Park Ridge; Jan Goldberg, LaGrange Area, Kathi Graffam, LaGrange Area; Georgia Gebhardt, Wilmette; Peggy Kell, Oak Park/River Forest.
Editor: Chris Ruys
|
|
League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, political organization whose mission is to encourage informed and active participation in government; to increase understanding of major policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to anyone regardless of gender, race, or ethnic group.
|
|
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COOK COUNTY
332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 634
Chicago, IL 60604
312/939-5935 x 127
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
