Questions:
Is it issue advocacy when ads like this are released a month after a vote?
Is the League of Women Voters a nonpartisan organization?
Weigh in with your comment and vote in the poll.
Friday, May 13, 2011
League of Women Voters: Nonpartisan?
Under the guise of issue advocacy, the League of Women Voters has funneled money from a yet-to-be-announced contributor to pay for ads attacking Senator Scott Brown, Massachusetts Republican, and Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, for their votes on an amendment to Senate Bill 493 in April.
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Carl Johansen would state that in my opinion, once any group decides to influence any subject that is politically motivated they become partisan and lose the crediabilty of being a neutral voice.
ReplyDeleteThe league of womans voters use of money to attack any one after the fact, leaves me with seroius questions as to what is there mantra.
Advocating for public rights takes on a whole different meaning when any group is paying for attack adds that in some cases are not true.
Carl Johansen
Yes, the League of women vultures....er voters is completely biased and do a deservice to humanity. Anyone, even selectmen who say otherwise, speak with forked tongue. I am sorry I can not be blunt.
ReplyDeleteBased on these facts, they are biased. Once a group startings choosing sides on political issues and supports the side they stand on financially, they cannot be considered unbiased. Many women in our town received an invitation to join the new Sandwich chapter of this league for a meeting today. My understanding is that Linell Grundman and Paige Lyons are the "leaders of this group". Perhaps one of them would like to weigh in on this subject?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAny group or organization that has the word "voters" in its tile can only be partisan.....period. So cut the crap claiming bi-partisanship. It is impossible.
ReplyDeletePaige Lyons is the current chair of the brand new unit for the Cape Cod Chapter of the League of Women Voters. My husband and I have been members of the The League for years but I have only become active, so to speak, with the Cape Cod Chapter during the past year or so, do to the new President doing a great job of reaching out to all League members on Cape Cod. When Paige became interested in seeing if there was interest in starting a unit in Sandwich I indeed wanted to help.
ReplyDeleteYesterday in the Cape Cod Times was a "my view" by the President of the Cape Cod Chapter of the League. She wrote a strong statement that came first from the decision of the Cape Cod League board, (which now has representation from Sandwich in Paige Lyons) and was affirmed at the Cape League's annual meeting last weekend. It does not approve of the television spots targeting the two senators. I urge people to read it. I sent an email message to the National President shortly after the spots aired expressing my condemnation of the spots. I agree they do not represent what the League stands for. Of course the damage is done to the reputation of the League.
This weekend is state convention for the Mass. League of Women voters. Cape Cod's delegation will bring their concerns about this issue to the convention floor and ask for a resolution to avoid state and local chapters being left out of the loop where such actions are concerned that effect our reputations.
On a personal note, I believe, what I consider to be a mistake by the leaders of the League ties in however to what often becomes the desperate and illogical conversation in DC about our national issues.
JJL Just for the record, my political agenda is to try and bring common sense to government. I care deeply about Sandwich and about all the things we need government to do in order to help our community stay whole and move forward. We all pay a lot of taxes and I want to help solve the the problems when it comes to shrinking revenues and maintenance of services for our town. Politics is everywhere, in every group, but I am not driven by a political agenda. Like all other volunteers in our town government and anywhere in town, I just want to help. People make lots of assumptions about those of us who step up to the plate or hot seat. Cut us all some slack. At least we use our names and fight the good fight out in the open. Building community comes in many shapes and sizes. Even blogs are part of it. From what I can tell that is what we are all about.
ReplyDeleteMs. Grundman, you should watch the Selectman meetings if you can. There is only one person who has over and over talked about "partisan politics, blames everything on partisan politics, questions and speaks to EVERY item broght forth. That person is the least partisan person that I know in town politics and that person is instrumental in forming the league. You know that person well. That person is you.
ReplyDeleteFight the good fight out in the open? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteTo JJL, I say “Amen.” Just look at the reaction of one individual after the recent election for Chair and Vice Chair on the Board of Selectmen and you see the truest form of what the person wants more than anything, and what happens when they don’t get it. In my opinion it’s control.
ReplyDelete