This month’s “Major Leaguers” are Mike and Pam Re, long-time Roselle residents who are quite active in their community.
1) How did you hear about the League of Women Voters of Roselle-Bloomingdale?
We’ve both been impressed by LWV candidate forums since we were in our early 20’s. When David Pileski was a Village Trustee, he encouraged us to join the Roselle-Bloomingdale League. The fact that the LWVRB was instrumental in getting a 708 Board in Bloomingdale Township which uses tax dollars to fund mental health programs like police social workers, pre-school screenings, senior mental health services, etc., impressed us and made us eager to join.
2) Was there a particular issue or situation that prompted you to join League?
We are most concerned about the environment and Climate Change. Since the LWV is non-partisan and has a good reputation for fairness, elected officials are willing to come to League events and participate in discussions in their offices about climate and other issues.
3) What other local volunteer activities have you been or are you involved in?
We volunteered with School District 12 and Cub Scouts when our son was young, cooked breakfast for PADS for several years, have done many Salt Creek cleanups by canoe, and are long-time members of Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, and Citizens’ Climate Lobby. We have lobbied for legislation to mitigate climate change at the Federal and State levels for many years.
4) Which League positions address this area of interest?
The LWVUS supports carbon pricing but doesn’t back any legislation on this issue. In Illinois, the League was very supportive of CEJA, which recently passed.
5) What are your goals as a League member, regarding this topic and/or others?
We hope that the LWVUS takes a stronger stand on legislation to fight climate change and plan to continue lobbying for action. We plan to help with voter registration in the coming year.
6) Have your views on League activities changed over time? If so, how? Why?
Yes! We’ve found that being league members is a lot more fun than we imagined! The presentations and events are terrific, i.e., the Love Your League trivia night and voter rights presentation, the “Rank Your Beer” rank choice voting event, the Holiday dinner around Christmas, the “Home Rule” presentation event, summer picnic, garage sale, and the list goes on…
