Women with Opinions

A Sports Hall of Fame for Women! What Next?

In May, the Sports Museum of America will open in New York City.  It will include the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, which will be the nation's first permanent women's sports hall of fame and exhibit.  About time, I say!

Billie Jean made her mark in history in 1973 when she defeated Bobby Riggs in one of the most famous tennis matches in history.  Riggs was the former No. 1 men's player.  King  went on  to do  tons of other great things for women's sports, including founding the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation and getting women tennis players equal pay with male players.  Listen up, Joe Robach (State Senator Robach (R-Greece) is helping to block the Fair Pay Act in Albany.) 

Why is Alice Kryzan Running for Congress?

Quiz Political Candidates on Church/State Issues

Questions to Ask Candidates

           

Here are suggested questions that you can use at Town Hall meetings or other locations where candidates for office will be gathering.  You can copy and paste them into an email message to the candidates.  Or use these as suggestions to help formulate your questions to candidates to find out their views on safeguarding separation of church and state and protecting religious liberty.  First Freedom First (firstfreedomfirst.org) compiled the questions.

1.  Leaders on the religious right often say that America is a "Christian Nation."  Do you agree with this statement?

2.  Do you think Houses of Worship should be allowed to endorse political candidates and retain their tax exempt status?

The Truthtellers

"You don't like the sound of the truth comin' from my mouth."  Probably because it's so hard to take.   Ask George Bush, the War President, or Rush Limbaugh, Mr. FemiNazi himself.

Robach: Flipflopping on Pay Equity

On average women earn only 73% of what men are paid for comparable jobs.  The New York State Fair Pay Act (S.2936) would end this discrimination by simply requiring equal pay for equal work.  Not only is this important for the paychecks women receive now, but also for calculation of Social Security and pension benefits.  The NY State Assembly has passed this bill every year since 2002, but it has been blocked in the Senate.

On Wednesday, women's rights heavyweight Gloria Steinem  came to the Well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany to speak to union leaders, politicians and supporters about the importance of passing the Fair Pay Act.   State Senator Joe Robach, R-Greece, also addressed the crowd, saying he supported the legislation.  Then, Robach, who is the new chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, started backsliding, telling a reporter that he wouldn't actively commit to supporting the bill.

We Know Her

Unborn Victims Act: Bad

A letter to the editor from today's Democrat and Chronicle:

Unborn act should not be passed

Thank you, Willa Powell, for bringing to the public's attention the dangers of passing the Unborn Victims of Violence Act which Sen. Joe Robach, R-Greece, and other anti-choice legislators are trying to propel through the state Legislature. As Powell pointed out in her April 1 Speaking Out essay, this bill is simply another thinly disguised attempt to chip away at a woman's right to control her own body.

Unfortunately, well-organized lobbyists representing the religious right and anti-choice groups such as the Women's Health Collaborative have convinced Sen. Robach that he is on safe ground sponsoring such irresponsible legislation. Sen. Robach needs to hear from others who hold a different point of view on this issue.

LINDA STEPHENS
GREECE

The writer is a member of National Organization for Women, Rochester Chapter.

Adding Insult to Injury

Think back to 2006.  The most hotly contested Senate race that year was in Pennsylvania.  Ultra-conservative Republican Rick Santorum (Pictured on the left.) was the incumbent.  NOW members  wanted  the extremist Mr. Santorum gone so bad they could taste it.  The frontrunner to take on Santorum was a woman, Barbara Hafer,  a strong advocate for reproductive rights.  Then what happened?

Suddenly the higher-ups in the Democratic party decided Hafer wasn't good enough.  They needed a man to do the job.  After showing Hafer the door, they recruited  Bob Casey Jr. to run (Pictured on the right.).  NY Senator Chuck Schumer,  you will recall, was the chief wheeler-dealer in this backroom scheme.

Unborn Victims of Violence Act - A Speaking Out Essay

At long last, the Democrat and Chronicle has fulfilled its commitment to publish this essay on legislation disguised as pro-woman:

The bill's intent is "that the affirmative right of the pregnant woman to carry her child to term be protected, and that perpetrators of crimes against pregnant women and their unborn children be held accountable." (Sen. Maltese, primary sponsor)

but which is in fact anti-choice:

"The real mission of such legislation is to undermine women's right to choice, by giving legal status to the unborn, undermining the recognized and established legal basis for Roe v Wade" (Sen. Liz Krueger)

Read the April 1, 2008 Speaking Out Essay as printed in the D&C, or keep reading for a longer version, which contains a more detailed explanation of the impact of such legislation on women who have already made their first choice (to have a baby) and are discovering that they are losing their right to make a host of other choices for themselves and their families.