BE OUR GUEST

Marie Todd, Glenda Quinn and Kay Braasch are members of the Cape Girardeau County League of Women Voters.

The League of Women Voters is a unique network nonpartisan, grassroots, and multi-issue. Founded in 1920 at the culmination of the 72 year struggle to gain woman's suffrage, the League's first charge was to educate 20 million women on how best to exercise their new political rights and responsibilities. Though its programs and priorities have changed over the years, the League has remained true to its basic purposes:

to foster citizen involvement and develop citizen leaders,

to help promote people understand public issues and how government works,

to promote discussion of government structure and policies, and

to influence public policy.

The League arrives at its positions through research, study, intensive group discussions and a process of member consensus. League action is based on the general agreement of members who have weighed the facts on both sides of the issue. This thorough way of forging positions gives the League its unique force and credibility with government policy makers.

Intelligent participation in governmental processes requires continuing study and thought. As soon as a new issue is chosen, members go after the facts. They draw on unbiased pro/con materials, develop their own resources, and turn to experts and public officials for information. After reaching consensus, the League lobbies for the League's point of view. These lobbying efforts include testimony, work with coalitions, petition drives, and media coverage of issues.

The choice made more than half a century ago to steer clear of partisanship continues to ensure that the League's voice is heard above the tumult of party politics. The League, as an organization, neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties. A League position is arrived at independently and bears no relationship to the positions or parties or candidates, even though a party or candidate may have a similar position.

The League's mandate to make democracy work better reaches beyond issue information by providing nonpartisan election services such as registration drives and forums where the public can hear candidate discuss the issues.

Whatever the issue, the League believes that government policy, programs and performances must meet this criteria:

competent personnel with clear responsibilities,

coordination among agencies,

adequate financing,

effective enforcement, and

well defined channels for citizen input and review.

Grassroots! That's what it's all about in the League of Women Voters. The items of League concern are studies originally proposed by local League members. League action taken for legislative change at national, state and local levels of government is based on agreement reached by local League members.