Hello everyone,
I would like to invite you to attend the Avon Township Democrats Open Meeting on October 17, 2009 at 10am at the Round Lake Beach Village Hall. Candidates, public officials, and other progressives will be meeting to discuss what issues are being considered at the county, state, and/or federal level as well as what SHOULD Be worked on.
We are a grass-roots, progressive organization that is small but growing and committed to giving back to our community. We meet monthly at the Round Lake Beach Village Hall and are ALWAYS looking for new members.
For more information, please contact me:
Marc Feldstein - Avon Township Democrats Chair Marc.Feldstein@tds.net
How can we make sure that health care reform includes ending insurance companies' abuse of denying claims (millions of claim denials a year)?
My son was just refused reimbursement for $1,300 for physical therapy for a serious knee injury. His physical therapy was recommended by his doctor to prevent the need for surgery. He was told he could be covered for PT only after he had surgery. How stupid and short-sighted is that! But I bet that, if he has to have surgery , insurance will find another reason to deny the claim. Just think about it. Our insurance premiums pay for insurance staff to find excuses to deny our benefits! Multiply this problem by millions a year.
Access to affordable health insurance is a key starting point, but reform needs to include correction of these bogus claim denials and continued oversight. Universal and continuous access to a public option would also help a lot to keep private insurance honest and give people like my son a chance to vote with his feet and walk out on ripoff private insurers.
I just finished my first post-election conference call with Organizing For America (OFA). During the election I’ve been on several conference calls for volunteers, but this is the first time I’ve heard “This is the operator from Air Force One, please hold for the President.” After graciously thanking us for our efforts, President Obama talked to us about the importance of working together for health care reform now, and answered questions from volunteers. Clearly the great organization built during the campaign is fired up, and ready to go to work for change. OFA staff – Jeremy Bird, Mitch Stewart, Natalie Foster and David Plouffe - did their usual excellent job of running the call and letting us know about events – June 6th house parties for health care reform – and online organizing tools – event tool, call tool. Now it’s up to us.
To host or attend a health care organizing kickoff, link to:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hckickoff
I don't know how many of you have seen the article about the turn out in Early Voting this week, but it goes to show that all of our efforts registering, calling and canvassing to GOTV is working!!!
BRADENTON, Fla. _ The times, they are a changin’.
So say local Democrats who point to a favorable surge in early voter turnout as proof that the political landscape here could be starting to shift. Through the first five days of early voting in Manatee, 6,979 voters cast a ballot: 46 percent were registered Democrats, 28 percent were Republican.
Election experts predict that a third of the electorate will already have voted by Nov. 4, up from 15 percent in 2000 and 20 percent in 2004, according to the Associated Press. In Florida, 40 percent of the electorate is expected to vote early.
Those are numbers that bode well for a Democratic Party that has worked hard to get out the early vote. Party leaders urged voters, particularly blacks, to cast ballots early in case there are any problems. Already, 1,100 black voters have cast a ballot in Manatee, another good sign for Democrats.
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has made early voting a keystone of his campaign and urged voters to do just that during a campaign stop in Tampa on Monday.
Early turnout has also given local Democratic leaders hope that Obama could pull off a stunning upset and carry Manatee County, despite an overwhelming registration disadvantage.
"It’s as good a chance as anyone has had in years," said Manatee Democratic Chair C.J. Czaia. "We’ve been trying to build the party to create a viable second party in our community, and for the first time we feel like we’re achieving that."
The complete story at bradenton.com
The discrimination of Rush Limbam and the rest of the McCain/Palin Campaign entourage reached a new low today.
The hate they are spewing now is anti-American. They don’t understand that reverse discrimination is discrimination.
Their diatribe puts the United States back 50 to 100 years in civil rights, affirmative action and opens the door to increased hate crimes. When we degrade another, this approves and condones any disgraceful language and violence that lurks behind closed doors.
Personally, this brings me back to 1964 when my High School counselor told me that while he didn’t have a scholarship or grant for my college, it was ok because your people only get married and have babies. Today I would have ACLU on the phone after I called a personal lawyer. In those days, I was trained to be polite to my elders, so I said nothing. I most likely even thanked him before leaving his office. Odd that he bothered with my untold hours spent volunteering in his office over three years instead of taking a study hall.
I always dressed neatly. My clothes were always clean, color coordinated and pressed. It was important to be presentable while working in his office.
Inside I wasn’t even upset when the counselor killed my dreams for college. This is what happens when a person is told for years that ‘my people’ of Hispanic descent are ‘lazy, dirty and stupid.’ Years later, when I moved with my husband to his first Air Force assignment, my mom advised me to be sure and keep our home neat and presentable at all times. She reasoned that an untidy home would reflect those old attributes given when one is not white. I know she did me a favor as I would never want to hurt my Polish husband’s career.
Today’s discriminatory messages from the Republican corner tell us that discrimination is just under the skin of some Americans. They may have done us a favor to bring this to our attention. Our journey is a work in progress.
Thank goodness that we have amazing, wonderful Americans like Senator Obama’s grandparents who loved him and raised him. The photo that is being shown today when the Senator was a teenager reflects a great love. The way his grandfather easily has his arm around his grandson is love in action as well as the smile on all their faces.
It is my sincere desire that Americans in 2008 show their humanity and elect a president based on the desire to have the most qualified person in the White House. Oophs, there’s that color again. The best message is that we keep making calls for the Obama/Biden campaign and volunteering to ensure that they are elected November 4th. Hope springs eternal.
During Hawaii’s September Primary, I met the most outstanding woman while I was working at a polling site. I thanked her for taking time to vote. She responded by telling an amazing story. She said that she waited 30 years to do this. This was her first time voting. Her husband told her that even after she became an American she shouldn’t vote. Now, she decided it’s important for her to vote. She was all smiles!! What a story!
How many more women don’t vote because their husbands tell them not to or it’s not important for them to vote? It hasn’t been 100 years since women were given the right to vote, finally. While we’ve come a long way, the journey isn’t over. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony wouldn’t stop and neither should we.
This is just one more example of why we need Obama in the White House. We need someone who understands the US Constitution and the rights of women, people of color, etc., etc.
Governor Linda Lingle says she has to end Hawaii’s universal child health care. (AP 10/18/08)
This latest news confirms that Lingle follows in President Bush’s footsteps. He’s already cut funds for child health care even though at the beginning of 2000, Bush came into office with a budget surplus. Two years ago, Lingle said Hawaii had a $700 Million Surplus.
Now, Hawaii's DOE budget was cut three times this year. This month, Lingle cut the entire state budget. She says there’s a state deficit in line with the $700 Million Surplus. Lingle did find funds for a $50 million pier that never had an EIS. What does this say about her priorities??
First, DOE was cut $69 million this October. Now, she has cut the children’s health care program.
We need a bumper sticker that says someday we’ll have a bake sale for bombs instead of books. Guess the time has come. In the meantime, we need bake sales for science books as well as child health care as long as a Republican is in office.
Our state and nation can’t afford anymore Republican budget abuse. Barack Obama's Health Care Policy would never leave the children without health care.
The Alumni of Punahou in Honolulu has done a super job of keeping us in Obama memorabilia. I have this wonderful black shirt with the front “Barack the Vote - Hawaii.” On the back, there’s a marvelous likeness of Obama. This way we get the public coming and going. I wear it with pride even though I don't like t-shirts. This shirt is special!
Tuesday was a bumper day for Obama t-shirt comments. As I was leaving Nordstrom’s, a man ran after me, asking where he could get a shirt like this. Of course, I gave him directions to headquarters.
This next experience will never fade away. A woman stopped me in the Navy Commissary. She commented on how much she liked my shirt and then asked where she could buy one for herself.
Just before this, I felt uncomfortable as I thought people were looking at me. While I like to stand out in a crowd, the thought that some military personnel might take exception to this amazing shirt was giving me an uncomfortable feeling. Thank goodness that this woman loved my shirt.
Right there in the military commissary we had a fantastic Obama rally! The woman told me a story that I will never forget. She said her husband took off her Obama button and threw it in a lake because he doesn’t like Obama. I told her that she deserves to buy herself a shirt. We laughed and then, we parted friends. I felt like crying as I walked away to think that a woman is treated so shabbily in her own family. We have so much work to do.
This story just reminds me why we are working so hard for Obama. Freedom of speech has taken far too many hits in the last eight years. We need to get back to the basics of being Americans. No more fear, no more arrogance and no more intimidation. Go, Obama/Biden, Go!!!
I was sent today a great GOTV music video.
Enjoy!
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=-ycu0sy5RW8
Hey Obamians,
I took my personal picture off my profile and replaced it with an image created by my daughter Kourtnei, who will be voting for the first time. The image she's holding is a picture I took at the Democratic convention. The image in her sunglasses was taken at a Town Hall meeting in Plainfield, Indiana. I hope her art speaks to your heart as it did to mind. Enjoy!
When my husband accepted his commission to the USAF in 1965, the contract included health care for life when he retired. There was no reason to expect this benefit would be tampered with because his father was a veteran of WWII and had his health care intact in 1965.
Somehow over the years, the health care for veterans has slowly diminished and now it is not the benefit it was in 1995.
As a social worker, I have had to explain to our veterans at a military medical center that they have to pay a portion of their health care. Some, especially those from WWII, Korean Conflict and Vietnam are in a fixed income and can’t afford any more financial stressors.
Recently Sen. McCain has suggested that Veterans’ Health Care might be one cost that needs to be cut back in this economic crisis. This is a betrayal beyond reasoning as we are continuing to send troops into harms’ way and still have the veterans from the previous years to care for.
There’s no alternative with McCain, a veteran from WWII who might understand the plight of his comrades but seems to have forgotten what it means to be a veteran now that he has the plum health care from Congress. The only option is to vote for the Obama/Biden ticket.
Down to the wire at Leeward Community College, District 40 for Obama joined Ewa Beach for Obama, Hawaii for Obama!, Obama Ohana, and Pearl City for Obama to register voters and explain Absentee Ballots. I was only able to join them on four out of the five days.
Registering students is addicting. They are enthusiastic about voting, especially those voting for the first time. Most of the time, when I offered the Absentee Ballot, they were more interested in being part of the ritual of voting in person.
My husband Mike, also a certified Registrar, was able to help out by taking the ballots from me and deliver them to Honolulu Hale the day after collecting the registration.
On Monday Pete R. from Aiea drove them down to the Hale. On Friday, I personally hand delivered 61 registrations prior to the closing of the Office of Elections. For the week, LCC turned in a total of 176 voter registrations.
The LCC students and staff are wonderful! Remember that the registrations postmarked on 10-5-08 will be accepted. These are the words from the Office of Elections when I checked in.There seems to be some misunderstanding on mail ins.
On 10/3/08, I was asked to deliver registrations to the nail shop I frequent. I took absentee ballots along as well and promised to pick them up this pm.
Doug and Nettie of District 40 were registering voters at the Kapolei Open Market this am. Then they went on to another destination to finish off the day. I can imagine that you all have similar stories to share.
Go Obama.
1900 Superior Ave. Suite #221
Cleveland OH 44114
Phone: (734)645-6261
www.concerneddemocrats.org
An Open Letter to Democratic Candidates for Office
October 5, 2008
Dear Democratic Candidate for Office:
We are writing you as Democrats to another Democrat. As a Democratic candidate for office in this historic year, you are in an unique position to help Barack Obama and Joe Biden reverse our nation's priorities.
Unfortunately, the combination of the Obama/Biden campaign’s practice until very recently of de-emphasizing use of traditional visual materials such as yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons and the natural tendency of local candidates to be focused on their own races has resulted in a repeat in 2008 of what has been a longstanding problem in Democratic campaigns during Presidential years: uneven levels of coordination between local campaigns and the top of the ticket in many areas and inadequate support for the top of the ticket.
True, there are many areas in which there is strong support for the top of the ticket and vice versa. That may very well be the case in your area. But this Open Letter stresses the importance of supporting the top of the ticket in very simple ways, such as wearing Obama/Biden buttons, putting Obama/Biden bumper stickers on your car, putting an Obama/Biden sign in your own front yard, trying to get Obama/Biden yard signs up where your own supporters have yard signs, etc..
Concerned Democrats was formed with goal of raising consciousness among candidates for office about the importance of the use of such Obama/Biden materials, in order to send a symbolic but important message to everyone who sees you that you support the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.
Although there are many logistical causes of lack of coordination, lack of support for the top of the ticket also has political roots. It has manifested itself most often when there has been a liberal candidate for President, such as in 1972, 1984, and 2004. This year Barack Obama has articulated a uniquely pragmatic point of view. Barack Obama realizes that the social problems facing rural, suburban and urban American can’t be solved in isolation from each other.
Senator Obama is the real maverick in this race. He has worked successfully across party lines on nuclear proliferation and other issues. He defied the odds and ran a tough primary campaign during which he and Senator Hillary Clinton made history together. But their efforts and those of their supporters will be nullified if we don’t unite to elect Barack Obama as President, Joe Biden as Vice-President, and Congressional and state candidates across this country and state.
This makes it particularly important that all Democratic candidates unite to show the flag for the top of the ticket. That is the best way to build the turnout needed to win up and down the ticket. This year, undecided rates are still at a high rate, according to recent polls, and many voters are looking for guidance to those persons in public life they know and trust. In your area, that would include you!
You are in a good position to help voters in your area realize that our local problems can’t be optimally addressed without a change in administration in Washington. However, if voters don’t see consistent and visible evidence of your support for Barack Obama, they may mistakenly conclude that you are actually distancing yourself from the top of the ticket.
Thank you for hearing our concerns. Please feel free to call contact us at any time at mdover@concerneddemocrats.org. We are especially interested in hearing unique ideas as to how you have improved coordination and generated momentum in your area. We will then collate these ideas and share them with you in a follow-up email just prior to election day. We will also share them with the Democratic Party and the Campaign for Change, although I want to make it clear that Concerned Democrats does not represent either of these entities.
From preliminary conversations, one idea has already arisen, and that is for each candidate to say at every possible opportunity, "If you are supporting me, I would strongly urge you to also vote for the Obama/Biden ticket on election day."
One day, years from now, all of us who are active in this election will be asked by people close to us, "What did you do to help elect Barack Obama as President in 2008?" As a Democratic candidate for office this year, you will be able to proudly point to your candidacy and its important contribution to change in your area. However, I am writing you to ask that you also be able to say that you did whatever was in your power to be help elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden!
Sincerely,
Michael A. Dover
Concerned Democrats
This debate was telling. The Biden/Palin debate proved one thing for sure. Republicans can't stand a surplus. Palin started out her governorship with a surplus, now it's in deficient mode. Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii praised Palin while she herself claimed before her re-election a $700Million surplus and now states a $700Million deficit. Of course, no one takes the award for deficit away from President GW Bush. Lingle has cut education, drug rehab, rehab over all and the list goes on. This doesn't make sense that after all these cuts, we now have a deficit. Odd that Lingle was selected by the Republicans to reflect on Palin. Looking behind what they tell us about themselves needs more research.
I do think that Palin has learned to use a smile regardless of what is going on around her; what question she is asked and what question she wants to answer. It was good that some of the reporters realized that this was her main tactic on this panel.
As for who won the debate? It would be a shame if the only criteria for winning is that you don't bomb. This appears to be the response from the Republican pundits about Palin. In my opinion, the debate shows that she is capable of memorizing material but not on how to use the material with any understanding of it.
This whole appearance by Palin is not what I want when people think of women candidates. Palin continues to be a disgrace for any woman in a campaign. She doesn't have a background in history, international affairs, environment, wild life preservation, economics, reproduction rights, education, etc. She may corner the market in hockey issues but little else. If this was a beauty contest, then she'd have a chance. But a smile and switching questions does not do the job as a VP candidate. She didn't do McCain any favors. Wasn't that the point of this event???
See www.concerneddemocrats.org.
While I respect the campaign's wish that folks not operate independently, in addition to working within the campaign, I must do so. We'll be distributing 2000 buttons, 1000 bumper stickers and 2500 lapel labels directly to rural and suburban House candidates in Ohio and Michigan and seeking their pledge to more actively support the top of the ticket in the weeks again. The Obama/Biden campaign's stubborn failiure to listen to the people coming into the office asking for materials to distribute to neighbors and friends (due to David Plouffe's faulty and mistaken belief that visual materials don't matter and his over-reliance upon email, text messaging and TV ads) has combined with the intentional and unintentional failure of local candidates to show the flag for the top of the ticket. This 'perfect wave' is threatening the election outcome in Ohio and Michigan. When rural and suburban voters don't "see" visible support by their local candidates for the talk of the ticket, this lack of 'visuals' makes them think that these candidates aren't supporting Obama/Biden, which is very often not true. I'm hearing one story after another from these candidates about how hard a time even they have getting materials! So we're sending them on our own one candidate at a time.
Mike Dover, mdover@concerneddemocrats.org
