Hear From State Legislative Candidates: Kingston CATV Friday

Last Friday the Kingston AAUW branch hosted a "Meet the Candidates for NY State Legislature" event. Kingston Community Access TV filmed the event and you can watch it Friday evening, October 31st, from 7-9 pm.

The candidates addressed the state budget crisis, pay equity, green jobs, health care, education, and campaign financing.

Candidates who attended include:

• Greg Ball (R), NYS Assembly District 99 (Dutchess)
• Don Barber (D), NYS Senate District 51 (Greene)
• Kevin Cahill (D), NYS Assembly District 101 (Dutchess, Ulster)
• Larry Delarose (D), NYS Senate District 39 (Orange, Ulster)
• Timothy Gordon (Ind.), NYS Senate District 108 (Greene)
• Pete Lopez (R), NYS Assembly District 127 (Greene, Ulster)
• Anne Rubin (D), NYS Assembly District 103 (Dutchess)
• Jonathan Smith (D), NYS Assembly District 102 (Dutchess)

Candidates who committed but didn't show up include:

• Steve McLaughlin (R), NYS Assembly District 108 (Greene)
• Robin Yess (R, C, I), NYS Assembly District 101 (Dutchess, Ulster)

Help for Hudson Valley Folks Facing Foreclosure

Image via WikipediaThere's a new service in the Hudson Valley to help those facing possible home foreclosures: Hudson Valley Foreclosure Prevention Services. 1-888-377-7713. All the services are free.

The organization will have offices in Poughkeepsie and Kingston with satellite offices in Orange and Sullivan counties.

“There are many people who have lost their homes. We are trying to save people in their homes,” said Gail Webster, executive director of Hudson River Housing, one of the sponsoring nonprofit agencies.

The others are Rural Ulster Preservation Co., or RUPCO, and Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.

The program will be in full force as the next wave hits. Kevin O’Connor, executive director of RUPCO, said, “We know that the worst of the foreclosures are still ahead of us, with the peak in 2009.”

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Meet the Candidates - Ulster, Green, & Dutchess Counties, NY

The Kingston Branch of the American Association of University Women is sponsoring a "Meet the Candidates Night" featuring candidates from Green, Ulster, and Dutchess counties who are running for the New York State Legislature. The meeting is being held as a public service to permit candidates to state their positions on campaign finance reform, pay equity and comparable worth, health care, and other state issues, which will be followed by interaction with voters from each of the counties.

Join us at the Saugerties Senior Center, Friday, October 24, at 7 pm.

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• Garden City AAUW Celebrates "Clean Elections" Resolution

Want a Simple Explanation of the Current Economic Crisis?

If you find the current economic situation confusing, here's an interesting video from Marketplace that explains the crisis and the bailout.


The credit crisis as Antarctic expedition from Marketplace on Vimeo.

Blog Action Day: Poverty in Ulster County

Image via WikipediaAll over the blogosphere today -- Blog Action Day -- people are posting about poverty -- we thought we'd share some facts about poverty in Ulster County.

First, let's put poverty in context:

The federal government puts the poverty threshold at $20,614 for a family of four. However, a 2000 poll revealed that a majority of Americans believe it takes at least $35,000 annually to provide adequately for a family of four. (Poverty Pulse, CCHD)

So, how many Ulster County residents live in poverty? (Source: US Census)

• 10.6% of individuals in Ulster County -- 7.5% of those over 65; 12.2% of children meet the Federal definition of living in poverty
  
• While only 6.8% of Ulster County families live in poverty, almost one in four single moms and their kids -- 25% of families with female head of household -- meet the poverty criteria. Single moms have a tough time making ends meet.
  

But, how many are trying to manage on less than $35,000/year?

• About 32% of households have less than $35,000 in income
• The mean retirement income is $23,272.

In fact, if you work full time at a job that pays NYS minimum wage ($7.15/hour) you will only earn $14,872 a year. Try to raise your children on that.

We share these figures with you, not to say how bad things are in Ulster County. We know many communities are much poorer. Rather, we want you to be aware that people all around us contend with poverty every day -- the person waiting on you in the corner store, the retiree who sees their savings shrinking, never to be replaced again, the mother who can't risk or afford time off from her job for parent-teacher meetings.

Today, take a minute to think about what you can do to help. Person to person, community-wide, politically, nationally, internationally. Poverty has many faces and needs many different strategies.

Supreme Court Hears Harassment Case « AAUW Dialog

Two important cases are on the Supreme Court docket this session. Like the Lilly Ledbetter case, they underscore how important the Supreme Court is when it comes to issues that are central to women's safety, economic security, and equity.

Supreme Court Hears Harassment Case « AAUW Dialog: "Vicky Crawford, an employee of the Nashville Metro School District, was asked by her employers to cooperate with an internal investigation of sexual harassment allegations made against her boss. Crawford was later fired and believes she was terminated in retaliation for substantiating the sexual harassment allegations under investigation. While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 contains an anti-retaliation provision, two lower courts narrowly interpreted the law and found that an internal investigation is not protected by Title VII."

And, from Alexis A. Moore, President & Founder, Survivors In Action
Another important case coming up for cert with the US Supreme Court is Martin v. Howard University. Attorney Dawn V. Martin is seeking justice. While Martin was employed at Howard U as a law professor she became the target of a campus stalker and was later fired when she asked Howard U to implement there security measures.

As 'leciaimbery' points out in her AAUW Dialog post, so many recent cases have been decided by 5-4 rulings that we cannot underestimate the importance of each high court justice. Our elected officials nominate and appoint them.

The confirmation of extremist, activist judges to the federal bench undermines a fair and balanced judiciary and could turn back the clock on decades of progress for women and girls. You can read AAUW’s position paper on federal judicial nominations and visit AAUW’s Legal Advocacy Fund Resource Library for more information.

Unofficial Passions: Open Studio: Doris Licht

Unofficial Passions: Open Studio: Doris Licht

Open Studio: Doris Licht

AAUW member Doris Licht is opening her studio next weekend, 11am - 5 pm. Be sure to drop by, say hello, and check out her great work. Maybe even start your holiday shopping!

Click on the image to read the directions. Doris is #11 on the Woodstock Studio Tour, but you don't have to take the tour to stop by.

FactCheck.org: FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeFrom Ruth Wahtera:

The researchers tell us that people vote their emotions, not the facts, and I believe it. But, I still like to know the facts. When it comes to the presidential and vice presidential debates (actually, to any national election), I count on FactCheck.org to sort out truth from fiction. They research the claims, explain the issues, and provide their sources.

Here's the beginning of their analysis of the debate last night:

FactCheck.org: FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate: "FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate
October 3, 2008 The candidates were not 100 percent accurate. To say the least.

Summary
Biden and Palin debated, and both mangled some facts.

* Palin mistakenly claimed that troop levels in Iraq had returned to “pre-surge” levels. Levels are gradually coming down but current plans would have levels higher than pre-surge numbers through early next year, at least.

* Biden incorrectly said “John McCain voted the exact same way” as Obama on a controversial troop funding bill. The two were actually..."

You can subscribe by email, RSS, or visit their website. They also provide a quick video every week and after each debate, if you'd rather watch.

I encourage you to learn the facts. Check them out.

Register and Vote -- Need We Say More?