LWVOC Blow By Blow Blog

Heaven and Hell. Vote Wisely

 

While walking down the street one day a Senator
was tragically hit by a car and died.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St.. Peter. "Before you settle in,
it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official
around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."


"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher ups.
What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one
in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really?, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,"
says the Senator.


"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."


And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator
and he goes down, down, down to hell.


The doors open and he finds himself in the middle
of a green golf course.


In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front
of it are all his friends and other politicians who
had worked with him.


Everyone is very happy and in evening dress.
They run to greet him, shake his hand, and
reminisce about the good times they had while
getting rich at the expense of the people.


They played a friendly game of golf and then
dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.


Also present is the devil, who really is a very
friendly guy who is having a good time dancing
and telling jokes.


They are all having such a good time that before
the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.


Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves
while the elevator rises.


The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens
in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him,
"Now it's time to visit heaven..."


So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group
of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud,
playing the harp and singing. They have a good time
and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone
by and St. Peter returns.


"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another
in heaven. Now choose your eternity."


The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers:
"Well, I would never have said it before, I mean
heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be
better off in hell."


So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes
down, down, down to hell...


Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the
middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up
the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash
falls to the ground.


The devil comes over to him and puts his arm
around his shoulders.


"I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday
I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse,
and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and
danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland
full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"


The devil smiles at him and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning, 

 

Today, you voted."

 
Vote wisely on November 6, 2012 

 

President's letter

By Ann Hellmuth

The LWVOC team heads to Tallahassee in the morning (Tuesday) for two days of lobbying and being part of the League's Legislative Seminar. Wish I was going with them but my husband got really sick on Friday and is now in ICU. It is funny how tiring it can be to sit in a chair all day and do nothing but watch the numbers change on monitors and listen to breathing machines puffing and panting.

The League will be joining forces March 7 with the Orlando Sentinel in an Orlando mayoral race debate. If you have any great ideas for questions send them to me at abhellmuth@gmail.com. We are also going to adopt-a-precinct for the Orlando mayoral election on April 3. So enjoyed working with other League members at a Winter Park precinct for the July 31 presidential primary. This time we will be staffing a precinct in Baldwin Park. Adopt-a-Precinct chair Laurie Wack does such a good job of organizing everything. She is a woman of many talents.

Vera Rushmer is putting together the next edition of the Voter, which will be sent out electronically. We'll have another printed copy before the annual meeting on April 26 so members can decide whether they approve of the LWVOC program for 2012-13.

When times are bad there is nothing like good friends to get you through -- the League is a true port in a storm. Thank you all.

Ann Hellmuth is president of the LWVOC

 

 

 

Don't give up the fight

LWVOC member Eli Garcia sent the following letter. 

Dear LWV,

 I come bearing bad news, on Thursday we got the news that the in-state tuition for Florida fail to pass to the Judiciary Committee. As you all know this bill will have had allowed undocumented students and citizen students of parents that are undocumented to pay in state tuition when they attended college. Knowing that the bill didn’t pass brought sadness to all of us. We might have lost this fight, but this has made us stronger to continue fighting for equality and justice.

 I ask all of you to please don’t give up on this fight; we have to continue fighting for a fair immigration reform.  This is just the beginning of our fight, and I know that we will have hard battles coming, and for those battles we need to stand together and never give up. Let us remember that we are doing all this because we believe in human rights and equality.

 Thank you for all the hard work that you all do and for never giving up. You are all super amazing women that I truly admire the dignity and passion that you all have for this cause.

 This are some links about In-state tuition for all 

http://www.theledger.com/article/20120216/POLITICS/120219438?Title=Immigrant-Tuition-Bill-Voted-Down-in-Florida-Senate

http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/02/against_all_odds_states_move_on_tuition_equity_undocumented_students.html

http://bcove.me/80krco1m (must watch)

 

Thank you

ELI GARCIA
  

Sinfronteras youth group

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Why the silence

By Ann Hellmuth

Sorry for the long silence. Life has been so hectic lately. My husband had open-heart surgery on Wednesday so I've been hanging out a lot at ORMC. He's making a miraculous recovery and should be home by Monday.

Big thanks for holding the fort goes to VP Michele Levy who has been Observer Corps-ing at the Charter Review Commission and the Sheriff's Citizens Review Committee. Michele also held a meeting of local government. 2nd VP Sandra Powers had a membership meeting last week and of course we had a Hot Topics luncheon on Feb. 8, that turned into one of the best we've had as far as audience response and participation. After the luncheon I nipped across to CFN13 and was interviewed on the decision to put the tax referendum on the President Primary ballot, when mostly Republicans would be voting. One of my neighbors saw the show. I forget to set my DVR. Anyway hate seeing all those wrinkles in closeup.

We had an excellent board meeting on Monday ahead of about 10 members going to Tallahassee next week for the Legislative Seminar. Will be so sad to miss the trip but I'll be wearing my Florence Nightingale hat next week.

 

 

 

 

Lobbying in Tallahassee

By Maria Desangles

Four LWVOC members worked with the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) and participated in difference actions in Tallahassee concerning the in-state tuition for all bill SB 106 and HB 81. 

We arrived midday on Tuesday (Feb. 7) and took a workshop on strategy or getting the bill through the Senate and the House and who our targets were. The FLIC leaders decided that because we had such a big group, about 22 people, we could go visit Rep. Lopez-Cantera who is the House Majority Leader to move the bill (HB 81) from the committee it was in (that had already stopped meeting) to a different one where there would be a chance of a vote.

He would not meet with the group, the FLIC leaders (who had been trying to get a meeting with him for weeks) decided that it was time to put pressure on him and so the group staged a sit-in asking him to speak with us. He did end up speaking to us, but told us that he did not have the power to move the bill to a different committee.

One of the Leaders from FLIC who is a lawyer, knew the rules and clarified that as the House majority leader he actually did have the power to move the bill into a different committee. At 5 pm most of the group left, but some stayed behind still hoping to meet with him and convince him to do this. The Miami Herald came and interviewed Evelyn Rivera and him about in-state tuition.


Then on Wed (Feb. 8), we met with the FLIC leadership once again, and decided to concentrate on our targets in the Capitol. The Senate was in session between 9 am and 11 am, around 10:30 there was a recess and our group caught our different targets as they were coming in and out of the chamber. We spoke to Sen. David Simmons and gave him the information. He was not very friendly at first, but then warmed up to us and took our information. Then we met with Sen. John Thrasher who also greeted the group and took our information packets about the bill. Finally we met with Sen. Andy Gardiner who took our information packet, but did not want to meet any of us, or talk to us about the bill.

Afterwards we reported on the morning and began preparing signs for our news conference. Both Eli Garcia (LWVOC) and Evelyn Rivera (LWVOC) spoke and shared their stories at the news conference. Sen. Gary Siplin who introduced the bill also spoke at the press conference on behalf of the bill along with Rep. Hazel Rogers, Rep. Gwyndolen Clarke, Rep. Dwight Bullard. http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/240498/4/Debate-over-in-state-tuition-for-undocumented-immigrants

Then we broke for lunch and were debriefed on our afternoon strategy. We realized we had directly given packets and spoken to all of our Local (and key) representatives, so we took a vote and decided that we really needed to focus on Senate President Mike Haridopolis, since he has the power to move the bill directly from committee to the floor of the House. We went to his office and asked to meet with him. His secretary told us that it was not possible, we left her an information packet. We sat in his office, but then were asked to leave. Then we tried to visit Sen. Gardiner and spoke to his legislative aide. We talked to her about the bill and gave her the information packet, we asked her if we could wait to meet with him and she told us that we could, but then we were asked to leave.

The FLIC organizers met with Sen. Simmons Thursday (2/9) and they think that there is a chance that he will budge and vote yes on in-state tuition in the committee. So we are planning an action/press event on Monday at his Maitland office asking him to vote yes on in-state tuition. We are also sending him and Sen. Gardiner petitions that we have collected with a cover letter signed by the DREAM Rally organizations. In order for this bill to even have a chance of passing we really REALLY need the support of Sen. Haridopolis. Once it passes the Judiciary Committee, we are asking him to move the vote to the floor.

Immigration Committee in Tallahassee

Board member Nancy Rudner reports:

Several members of the immigration committee went to Tallahassee this week as part of a statewide effort to advocate for  instate tuition for the Florida youth who have grown up in the US but do not have legal status (this is not the federal Dream Act but a state bill with some similar components).

These brave dreamers tried hard to meet with legislators. I received text messages as they attempted to meet with legislators. I called Sen. Mike Haridopolos's office as the Dreamers were trying to meet with him. His office was so nasty, saying Haridopolos was just too busy and didn't want to meet with them. 

Pretty bad for democracy when politicians won't meet with their constituents.

ACTION ALERT

Action Alert: Thank You Calls Needed  

 

If you are able, please take two minutes to call the two legislators below and thank them for working with the League of Women Voters of Florida and others to amend their elections bills.  Both legislators accepted amendments to make their bills better for voters, and we want them to know that our members took notice!

 

The legislators are:

 

Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla

District Office: (305) 643-7200  

Tallahassee Office: (850) 487-5109   

Email Address: portilla.miguel.web@flsenate.gov 

(Note: Senator Diaz de la Portilla's bill is SB 1596. Click here to read it in full.)

 

Representative Matt Gaetz

District Office: (850) 833-9328  

Tallahassee Office: (850) 488-1170

Email Address: matt.gaetz@myfloridahouse.gov 

(Note: Representative Gaetz's bill is HB 1461. Click here to read it in full.)

 

Please feel free to contact the state office at (850) 224-2545 if you have any questions. Thank you for taking action today!

Hot Topics: Civility is the name of the game

By Ann Hellmuth

Hot Topics was a blast!

Former U.S. Rep. Lou Frey and political expert and child advocate Dick Batchelor teamed up as they do on NPR to focus on one of their pet subjects, "Why Kids Need Civics." But they also took the opportunity to take aim at the current political scene.

"There can be no bipartisanship without civility," said Frey, who represented East and Central Florida in Congress from 1969 to 1979. "No one party or person has all the answers...Now is as bad a mess as I've ever seen" in Washington.

Frey worked together with former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham to get the Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Education Act approved by the Florida Legislature. It mandates that middle students must study civics and satisfactorily complete the course in order to advance to the next grade.

"If you don't understand the structure of government you don't understand how the process works -- denying yourself access," Batchelor said, aiming his remarks at six top civics students from Howard Middle School who attended the luncheon with their principal Carl Cartwright and Civics teacher Crystal Rich as guests of the League.

Batchelor criticized what he called the talk show mentality --  "Talking Heads/Barking Heads" -- which results in people getting filtered news. He compared the ability to reach out to hundreds of people through social networks like Facebook with the days when he was starting in politics and you had to contact people one-by-one by phone to get them to sign a protest letter.

"Now rather than one voice you get 200 to 300 emails sent. There are many ways to leverage influence."

Switching to presidential politics, Frey said that if GOP candidate Ron Paul runs as an independent there is "no way that Republicans can win" in November.

Frey said he had met recently with President George H.W. Bush and they had recalled how in 1992 Ross Perot, a third party candidate, cost the president the White House.

"President Bush is a decent human being," Frey said. "No one ever questioned his integrity.

Howard Middle Student Dayjah Lee, 13, asked why the president gets the blame for the economy when it isn't his fault.

"The president is there," Frey said. "If things go well he gets the praise. If it doesn't go well he takes the blame. That's the name of the game."

 

 

 

Hot Topics and other delights

Morning Leaguers,

Plan to be at the Sorosis Club on Wednesday for Hot Topics, a discussion on why kids need to learn civics. Former U.S. Rep. Lou Frey and Dick Batchelor never fail to deliver a good program. We'll also be welcoming civics students from Howard Middle School.

I've been trying to come up with topics for future Hot Topics and would welcome any ideas you might have. Just email me at abhellmuth@gmail.com. Hoping that we can get local political candidates to take part in panel dicussions.

The next couple of weeks are going to be hectic in the Hellmuth household. My husband is having major heart surgery on Feb. 15 and the rounds of pre-tests and scans start today. I've discovered that one way passing the time between appointments at the hospital is to listen to Playaway books, which I get from the library. They slip easily into a pocket or purse and I like to delude myself that the earpiece makes me look pretty hip.

Have a fun day. Will check in again with any breaking news once I get back from the hospital.

Ann

(abhellmuth@gmail.com)

 

 

 

Apple makes a difference

So excited. My daughter gave me her old Apple computer and I just managed to download a photo and put it on the facebook page. As I'm almost computer illiterate this is a huge milestone. Find it much easier to use than my old laptop, which sometimes took 15 minutes to boot up in the mornings and was always crashing.

This means I'll be able to do much more for the League. Enjoy this photo of League members Sisters Teresa McElwee and Ann Kendrick with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and John Collins, Osceola Council on Aging, at the Beardall Senior Center in Orlando on Thursday. Sister Ann graduated from Trinity University in Washington, D.C. with the secretary.

Ann Hellmuth