Environment Corner

Mayor to Tackle Nashville Environmental Issues Mayor to Tackle Nashville Environmental Issues. Our new mayor has demonstrated a fresh enthusiasm for grass roots accessibility and public input into planning the direction for our city, according to Barbara Deneke, League environment chair. In a series of town hall meetings to be held shortly after the first of 2008, LWVN members can look forward to expressing themselves on mass transit and walkability. Mayor Dean recently requested a new strategic plan for sidewalks and bikeways from his staff and plans to review the existing Sidewalk Priority Index to help facilitate pedestrian traffic, thus reducing short vehicle trips and facilitating mass transit usage. These activities can result in Nashville taking a very large step toward sustainability and reduction of pollution including greenhouse gasses (GHG). Watch for notices of these and other meetings.

Summit for a Sustainable Tennessee At the summit November 15-17, co-sponsored by TN Environmental Council and TN Conservation Voters, the goal was to create a sustainable state. Margie Parsley and Barbara Deneke represented the LWVN and Berdelle Campbell represented the LWVTN. Participants explored quality of growth, sustainable design and development, natural infrastructure, healthy communities, and sustainable energy. The meeting provided an opportunity to establish the group's core values. In a series of mixer and brainstorming activities, participants voiced the need for education and marketing of a new way of thinking in our state and the need to regionalize our planning processes beyond the boundaries of cities, counties, or even the state, into more natural regions like watersheds. In the coming months smaller regional meetings will be held to focus the agreed upon values into a unified agenda.

UN Releases Final Climate Change Report On November 17, 2007, the UN Secretary General released the final report of the Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change. This much anticipated 23-page report provides an easy to read and understandable summary of the detailed information provided in prior reports and creates a clear vision for policymakers of the current, historical, and projected future state of climate change and the impact on the world. Analyses include specifics about effects on industry, ecosystems, health, oceans, and agriculture, and provide a path for corrective action in each of these sectors. To download and read this report, go to http://www.ipcc.ch/

VOTE411.org

Voting Information the Public Needs

The League of Women Voters has proudly joined forces with Yahoo! to provide www.VOTE411.org, a one-stop source for election information! This easy-to-use, nonpartisan national Web site features some of the most sought-after information about Election Day, including state by state data on:

• Registration and absentee ballot rules
• Early voting provisions
• ID requirements
• Voting machine information
• Tools for overseas citizens
• Contact information for elections officials.

IMMIGRATION: LEAGUE MEMBERS FORGE CONSENSUS

The immigration system is broken said Nashville League members, and a comprehensive policy is needed so that all components of the policy work together to solve the problem. Members agreed that the policy must include a legal path for processing applicants in a reasonable time frame, consider economic needs, and provide for immediate family members to join individuals already admitted for legal permanent residence.

In addition, unauthorized immigrants currently in the U.S. should be allowed to earn legal adjustment of their status by doing things such as paying taxes, learning English and studying civics. In fact, an estimated 60-70% of unauthorized immigrants already pay federal income and social security taxes (for which they will receive no future benefits) and all contribute by paying state and local sales and property taxes (through their rent). Members agreed that federal immigration law should address and balance the long-term federal financial benefit from immigrants with the financial costs borne by state and local government with large immigrant populations for services such as education and emergency health care. Of all the enforcement measures considered, members placed highest priority on providing verification documents such as Green Cards and Work Permits with secure identifiers as well as developing a program to allow immigrant workers to go in and out of the US to meet seasonal and sporadic labor needs.

League members met on October 24 and 31 to discuss the issues and contribute their views. The local consensus has been forwarded to the LWVUS, which will develop an immigration position by next spring in time to help shape national policy.

For those of you who missed the discussions, you can learn more about this timely topic by checking out the National League's web site at www.lwv.org; follow the link on the home page to access copies of National Voter articles and 8 excellent background papers. You can learn more about Immigration Issues in Tennessee by reading the report issued August 1 by the Tennessee Comptroller's office, http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/RA_NR/NRreports.asp. This insightful report includes a 2-page executive summary.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: April 23, 2008 02:46 PDT.

© Copyright League of Women Voters of Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.