Action and Advocacy

League of Women Voters^®
of Naperville

We are truly a grassroots organization...

Our Issues

Study and Agreement. Local Positions. Dupage Ethics Reform. Sportsmans Position. School Funding. Constitutionl Convention.

How We Arrive at Our Positions

League advocacy begins with members selecting, studying and seeking agreement on issues of public concern. When we reach a consensus, we have a position. The League uses its positions to advocate for policies, legislation and ballot measures which our members believe would best serve the public interest and against proposals that are in conflict wtih those goals.

Position Statements for 2009

Diversity in Schools:

Support for a policy in school districts that works to enhance diversity through hiring practices, curriculum, school personnel training, and community involvement and dialogue on diversity issues. Forms of diversity include but are not limited to race and ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and orientation, age, economic resources, religion/belief, mental and physical capacities, and learning styles.
Support for adequate budget funding of such a policy.

Education:

Support for a curriculum that meets the needs of individual students according to their abilities and goals and is uniform throughout each district with facilities adequate to support the curriculum.
Gifted Education: Support K-12 gifted programs that are comprehensive and provide for diverse ability levels with a variety of programs .
Class Size: Support for lowering the maximum allowable class size below 35 for Grade levels K-8 with the lowest size in grade K-3.

Environment:

Support for the discontinuance of the trapshooting program at Sportsman's Park so that this park land may have wider public use.
Support for non-restricted access by all Naperville residents of the entire Sportsman's Park property.
Support for the Park District's development of a plan that addresses thoroughly and in a public manner the issues of noise pollution, lead and other contaminants, and responsible financial management of the property.
Support for a plan addressing the environmental clean-up of the area.

Growth: Support for the development of civic services adequate to serve the Naperville population growth.
Land Use: Support for the development and implementation of a land use Master Plan in the Naperville planning jurisdiction to define the future development of the city.
Library: Support for the development of services adequate to serve the Naperville population needs.
Local government:

Support for the Council-Manager form of government with the mayor elected at large.
Support for home rule.
New study of position on hybrid mix representation on City Council.

For more information on this study, click here
Recycling: Support for recycling in Naperville to improve environmental quality and promote conservation of natural resources.
Transportation: Support for planning for transportation needs in Naperville including thoroughfares, parking, and public transit systems.
Zoning/Housing: Support for the development of local zoning policies that allow for a variety of housing options.

Dupage Election Commission Ethics Reform

August 10, 2009
We, the League of Women Voters in Downers Grove/Woodridge/Lisle, Glen Ellyn, Naperville and Wheaton, applaud the efforts of the DuPage County Election Commission to strengthen the ethics provisions for officers and employees of the Election Commission. Given the frequent reports of unethical behavior at so many levels of government over the past decades, it is important that the public be assured of sound and transparent governmental practices, something the League of Women Voters has advocated since our inception nearly 90 years ago.
However, we think the Commission could do better.
The way the draft was originally presented to the public and the time frame the Commission established for public comment did not allow sufficient opportunity for citizens to thoroughly review the ordinance and express their concerns. While the Commission did extend the deadline for comment and postponed their vote on the ordinance, we strongly urge the Commission to continue to allow more time to inform citizens of the additional changes and extend the period for citizens to comment by the following means:

Send a news release alerting the general public of the proposed amendments and the opportunity to comment on-line.
Extend the period the proposed amendments will be posted on-line and the opportunity for the public to comment on-line.
Make all comments available to the public.
Hold a public forum to discuss the proposed amendments and publicize the forum widely throughout DuPage County.

In addition, flaws in the ordinance as it is proposed should be addressed. Some examples include:

Officials and staff should never receive fees, royalties, dividends or any financial benefit whatsoever from a vendor.
The idea of a single ethics officer puts too much authority on one person. Furthermore, by receiving a fee from the Election Commission, the impartiality of any person who takes on that responsibility is compromised.

Finally, what's missing? At the minimum:

There should be a provision to protect a whistle blower.
There should be a requirement that it is the DUTY of those bound by the ordinance to report ethics violations and to cooperate in investigations.
There should be a requirement for all Election Commission staff and board members to file statements of economic interest. The DuPage Election Commission should open the doors to real reform, write a better ethics ordinance and allow the public sufficient time for meaningful review and comment.

Sincerely, Nancy Peraino, President, League of Women Voters of Downers Grove, Woodridge and Lisle Ginger Wheeler, President, League of Women Voters of Glen Ellyn Jane Barnes, President, League of Women Voters of Naperville Missey Wilhelm, President, League of Women Voters of Wheaton

League Position on Sportsmans Park

In the ongoing discussion of uses for the Caroline Martin Mitchell land, one issue has received little attention: the presence of lead on the Sportsmans Park site. Various actions to deal with this contamination go back to before 1995, but that was the year that the League began to follow the issue and request information about it from the Park District.
For a the complete text of the League's comments about this subject please Click Here

To view the statement you need Adobe Acrobat Reader

League Position on School Funding

The Illinois House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee held hearings in October to consider school-funding reforms. The statement posted here represents the League position on this issue.
To read the LWVIL testimony on School Funding, click here.
You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document

LWVIL Position on 2009 Constitutional Convention

The League of Women Voters of Illinois opposes holding a constitutional convention at this time. We believe the present constitution is serving the citizens of Illinois and may be changed using the amendatory process where necessary.
A constitutional convention opens the entire constitution to revision with the risk of losing many of the important gains achieved in 1970. It is estimated that the convention would cost at least $78 million, and this money could be put to better use at a time when state resources are limited.
The serious lack of preparation and public information by Illinois government officials on a constitutional convention means that there is insufficient time to educate the public adequately on the complexities of the issues.
For the latest update click here

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: November 12, 2009 05:43 PST.