Town Hall Meeting: The Emergency Financial Manager Law

To date, seven Michigan communities, and the Detroit Schools, have had emergency financial managers. In March of 2011, the state legislature passed a new law, which has both proponents and critics.
This LWVGP Town Meeting will provide an overview of the EFM Law and offer some of the opposing viewpoints regarding its legality, followed by a Q and A period.
Speakers include John Mogk, a Professor of Law at Wayne State University, who will speak in favor of the law and its constitutionality, and John Axe, a financial advisor who has worked with emergency financial managers in Pontiac, Ecorse, and Hamtramck. Additional speakers will be announced.
This meeting is an opportunity for all members of LWVGP, and voters in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods, to become more familiar with this law and the arguments for and against the EFM.

Date and Time: Thursday, February 16, 2012, at 7 p.m.
Place: Grosse Pointe Woods Council Chambers
20025 Mack Plaza
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236

LWVGP Member Vicki Granger is organizing this meeting. If any LWVGP member would like to assist, please contact Vicki at grangergpw@aol.com or call 313.460.5250.

Our Annual Chinese Dinner/National Program Planning Meeting

Every two years state and local Leagues participate in the LWVUS Program Planning process by making recommendations concerning program issues. This is how we remain a grassroots organization! The Program Planning process is an important League tool for identifying issues for study. It gives members and Leagues the opportunity to balance the pros and cons, assess possible support, and consider the viability of issues. During the process, members have the opportunity - especially with email and discussion lists - to organize support based on factual materials before the Program Planning deadline, March 1, 2012.

Members that would like to propose possible issues for LWV, evaluate the potential by asking:

• Is there widespread member interest?
• Is this a timely issue?
• Is government action the most effective way to address the problem?

Prepare for participation in Program Planning by looking at LWV Impact on Issues 2010-2012 which is available online or as a downloadable PDF.

Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Home of Ann Nicholson in GP Farms.
For the address, please refer to your directory or contact the League at 881-6343

A Reminder about the Grosse Pointe Library Millage

A reminder to all League members about the election on February 28. On that ballot, the Grosse Pointe District Library trustees have proposed a millage of up to .7 mills for 8 years to address debt. For further information, you can check the Library Millage committee's website at
VoteYesGPLibraryMillage.org (as well as Facebook and Twitter)
Email: librarymillage@gmail.com
or contact Vicki Granger, at grangergpw@aol.com or 313.460.5250. Vicki is a member of LWVGP and is on the library millage committee.

Come to LWVGP's Annual Holiday Party!

Thursday, December 1
Grosse Pointe War Memorial
32 Lakeshore Drive, GPFarms
Cocktails begin at 6:30, Dinner at 7:00

All are welcome -- members and friends. Enjoy entertainment by a quartet of South's award winning choir as dinner winds down. Coffee & dessert to follow. Print out your reservation form here
RSVP deadline is Friday, November 25. Turn yours in today!

The Clean Air Promise

LWV is calling upon our Congressional representatives, community leaders, League members and other citizens to make the Clean Air Promise.

The Clean Air Promise campaign is a national effort to protect children and families from dangerous air pollution by obtaining commitments from our leaders to safeguard the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) enforcement authority. The League of Women Voters U.S. has initiated the campaign at the national level, along with several environmental and public health organizations. More information on the League's campaign can be found at LWV.org

Go to The Clean Air Promise and show your support for clean air and public health!

HOT TOPICS: November 10: Wayne County - Challenges and Opportunities

When: Thursday, November 10, 1-3
Guest: Tim Killeen, Wayne County Commissioner
Topic: Wayne County: Challenges and Opportunities, Today and Tomorrow
Location: Home of Peg Noble. Please refer to your directory or contact Hot_Topics@grossepointe.mi.lwvnet.org for the address

Please arrive close to 1:00 so we'll have time for questions & refreshments afterwards.

November 15, 2011 Membership Meeting

Tuesday, November 15, 2011
7:00 until 9:00 pm

Location:
Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church
211 Moross,
GP Farms, MI 48236

After a very busy October with FIVE(!) candidate forums for local elections, thanks to Sharon Riley, VP Voter Services, we are moving on to the next month of the League calendar year. The November meeting will be our first official LWVGP business meeting. The topic is Education and that correlates nicely with the LWVUS study in process.

The delegates at the 2010 LWVUS convention in Atlanta voted to undertake a study regarding the federal government's role in public education. Local Leagues are encouraged to participate in the study by reading materials gathered by the LWVUS committee and then answering a series of consensus questions. The short articles can be easily accessed through http://www.lwv.org the "Voter Ready" articles and they include:

• Common Core Standards
• Role of the Federal Government in Public Education: Where Are We Now and the Impact Upon Early Childhood Education
• The History of Federal Government in Public Education: Where Have We Been and How Did We Get Here?
• The Role of the Federal Government in Public Education: Equity and Funding
• The Role of the Federal Government in Public Education: Legislation and Funding for the Education of Children with Special Needs

We have a number of LWVGP members that have reviewed the study and discussed the material. They will have recommended responses to the consensus questions for your review and final discussion at the November meeting. Those responses will be sent to you prior to the meeting. Please make a copy and bring with you. The full study and background materials can be reviewed on the LWVUS website at http://www.lwv.org.

Important Links to the Secretary of State's Office for important voting information

Michigan Voter Registration Application

Michigan Absentee Voter Ballot Application

For more information go to SOS Michigan Voter Information Center

Download your copy of the 2011-2012 calendar here

Read LWVGP's Jan/Feb Voter newsletter

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