League of Women Voters of Kitsap

Have you ever wondered why your taxes never seem to go down when the value of your property drops? If so, you are not alone
The League of Women Voters of Kitsap will host a special meeting open to the public on property taxes Sept 28 at the Eagles Nest.
Kitsap County Assessor Jim Avery and Treasurer Meredith Green will take questions and help us understand where the money goes and how the current real estate market affects taxes and the local economy.
They will also discuss how changes in assessed value affect your tax bill and what effect the tax issue on November’s ballot will have if passed.
Come and get educated about these topics and other rumors and misconceptions.
Here are the details:
Property Tax Program
When: 9:30 a.m. social time
10 a.m. to noon meeting
Where: Eagles Nest, 1200 Fairgrounds Road NW
Info: Judy Matchett, (360) 830-4154

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A crowd gathered to hear from candidates for city council.

The League’s first two forums of the season, for Bainbridge Island City Council candidates and North Kitsap School Board candidates, took place on July 26 and 27.
Bremerton Kitsap Access TV (BKAT) videotaped the school board forum and will air it on Comcast Channel 12, Wave Channel 3 on 7/29 – 4pm, 7/30 – 7pm, 7/31 – 8:30pm, and 8/4 – 10am.

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The League of Women Voters of Kitsap will host the following candidate forums prior to the primary election:
Bainbridge Island City Council Candidate Forum
Tuesday, July 26th – 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

Bainbridge Island City Hall, 280 Madison Ave. N.


City Council Candidates: District 1 – At-Large
 Steven Bonkowski, Kimberly Hendrickson, and Barry Peters
District 4 – Central Ward: John Green, Joe Levan, Chris Van Dyk, and David Ward



Videotaped and broadcast courtesy of Bremerton Kitsap Access TV (BKAT)
To be shown on Comcast Channel 12 on 7/29 – 2 pm, 7/30 – 3 pm, 7/31- 7 pm and 8/1-1:30 pm

North Kitsap School Board District 4 Candidate Forum
Wednesday, July 27th – 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Poulsbo City Hall 1st Floor Council Chambers

North Kitsap School Board District 4 Candidates:
Julie Edwards, Scott Henden, and Val Torrens

Videotaped and broadcast courtesy of Bremerton Kitsap Access TV (BKAT)
To be shown on Comcast Channel 12, Wave Channel 3 on
7/29 – 4 pm, 7/30 – 7 pm, 7/31 – 8:30 pm, and 8/4 – 10 am

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Our next public meeting, on April 27, will focus on the crisis in health care funding. Hope to see everyone there. Below are the details.

Public Meeting

Severe Budget Cuts in Health Care Funding

What do they mean for Kitsap County?

Wednesday, April 27
9:30 a.m.-noon
Hostmark Apartments Community Center
6th Street, Poulsbo
(Note: Please park on 6th Street)

Speakers: Dr. Scott Linquist, Director, Kitsap County Health District
Barbara Malich, CEO, Peninsula Community Health Services

They will discuss budget cuts at both the federal and state level and how they will affect our community.

Information: Pam Hamon, (360) 598-3509 or pchamon@msn.com

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With recent tragedies, both nationally and locally, involving mental illness, the League of Women Voters of Kitsap will host a
Conversation about Mental Health Issues
Wednesday, March 23
9:30 a.m.-Noon
Poulsbo Library
700 NE Lincoln Road

Speakers: Jane Cartmell and Jim Decker, Educators for the NAMI Family to Family Program, and Joe Roszak, Director of Kitsap Mental Health

When and how should citizens get involved? What can you do if a loved one, neighbor, or colleague is showing signs of mental illness? Who do we call on for advice or help? Come with your questions and concerns.

For information call
Connie Waddington
(206) 842-9483

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Hope to see you at Wednesday’s meeting on the future of our shorelines in Kitsap County. It will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Eagle’s Nest, near the county fairgrounds.
Here is our earlier announcement:
Recreation. Views. Shellfish.
So much of what we love about living in Kitsap County involves our shores. Come to the League’s next public meeting and find out what’s happening with the Shoreline Master Program Update for the county and its cities. It’s important to everyone living in a county with 230 miles of saltwater and freshwater shoreline.
Here are the details:

Public Meeting

The Future of Kitsap’s Shorelines

Wednesday, February 23
9:30 a.m.-noon
Eagle’s Nest
1200 Fairgrounds Road, Bremerton

Speakers: Barbara Nightingale and Joe Burcar
Shoreline Planners, State Department of Ecology

No reservations necessary. For information cal Judy Matchett, 360-830-4154.

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Recreation. Views. Shellfish.
So much of what we love about living in Kitsap County involves our shores. Come to the League’s next public meeting and find out what’s happening with the Shoreline Master Program Update for the county and its cities. It’s important to everyone living in a county with 230 miles of saltwater and freshwater shoreline.
Here are the details:

Public Meeting

The Future of Kitsap’s Shorelines

Wednesday, February 23
9:30 a.m.-noon
Eagle’s Nest
1200 Fairgrounds Road, Bremerton

Speakers: Barbara Nightingale and Joe Burcar
Shoreline Planners, State Department of Ecology

No reservations necessary. For information cal Judy Matchett, 360-830-4154.

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Statement from Elisabeth MacNamara, President of LWVUS

Washington, DC – The League of Women Voters joins with all Americans in expressing our shock and dismay at the tragic shootings in Tucson. We express our deep sorrow to the families of the victims, and offer our sincere hopes for the recovery of Representative Giffords and the other survivors. We applaud the courage of the individuals, thinking they were just out for a Saturday conversation, who took immediate action to help the injured and end the rampage.

 What can we make of this madness, this senseless act of violence? And terrible though this event was for all of us now, what might the long term effects be? Will it make public figures – politicians, media figures, celebrities – more mindful of the potentially harmful impact of their angry words – or will everyone continue to put their own agendas first, without regard to the climate they create? Will it make the public more trusting of the patriotic motivations of their elected leaders – or will respect for them be further diminished? Will it make our elected leaders more willing to reach out to meet and hear from their constituents directly – or will it reinforce the growing gap between voters and those they put in office? Will it allow Americans to feel comfortable and welcome in the public space – or will they conclude that it is safer to stay home and drop out of the conversation? It is clearly time for each of us to consider these issues, individually and as a community.


For 90 years, the League has worked to facilitate the civil exchange of different points of view, to bridge the gap between the voters and the elected, and to help improve the functioning of government. We hope that moving forward our nation will come together to foster and strengthen the very essence of our representative democracy: “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

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By Susan Gilbert, 40-year League member
LWV of Berrien and Cass Counties, Michigan

It is not uncommon for outsiders, and even some members, to question how the
League can be nonpartisan yet advocate on positions that, in the slice of time
that is now, appear to be partisan. In the highly partisan climate that has
developed in recent years, the League is one of the very few political
organizations that is not in either the liberal/Democratic camp or the
conservative/Republican camp. And we have members of all political
persuasions and encourage them to get involved in politics. So members may be
partisan but the organization is not. All this is hard for many to wrap their
minds around.

The League is nonpartisan in that we do not endorse or support any political
party or candidate for office. We don’t rate legislators, we don’t track
their votes and we don’t threaten them if they don’t vote our way. Voter
service is one of our main missions, and we hold candidate forums to help voters
educate themselves beyond TV ads. Education is an important League function,
and we try in our meetings to inform our attendees and stimulate them to think
about issues in our world.

However, the League is also an advocacy group, and we have positions on issues
that have been developed over the years since our founding in 1920 and are the
result of study and consensus of the local Leagues nationwide. These
positions are updated from time to time, but are basically consistent. The
positions and platforms of the political parties, on the other hand, do change
and at times they resemble our League position, or not. But the League
doesn’t change or drop its positions because they are currently those of one
party or the other. And we do speak out!

An example is health care. The League has a position on comprehensive health
care for all Americans. President Truman liked that idea too and President
Eisenhower delivered a special message to Congress on January 31, 1955
recommending a comprehensive health program for Americans. Lyndon Johnson
got Medicare passed and that took the pressure off for a while. But President Nixon
encouraged HMOs as a way to rein in costs and provide health care for more people.
Then President Reagan came along and decided the free market was the best way to
manage health care and the Republicans have basically supported this idea since.
But clearly both parties have been on both sides of the issue.

The key is not to confuse politics with position advocacy.

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Today’s local program planning meeting of the League of Women Voters of Kitsap has been canceled because of snow.
Our state program planning meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, Jan. 26, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Country Meadows Red Barn in Silverdale.
For information call Catherine Ahl at 360-697-7924.

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