Shawano Dems January/February Newsletter

Posted on January 18, 2021 by John Durben

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SPRING ELECTIONS
It seems like yesterday that we elected Joe Biden President and Kamala Harris Vice-President. Now it’s time to take our enthusiasm for change into 2021.

The only state election is for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. There are seven candidates who will be on the ballot in the February 16^th primary. Two of them have been invited to come to our January 20^th Zoom meeting which will be held at 6:00 pm since the candidates will be involved in a Forum from 6:30-8:00 pm. Shelia Briggs is presently the Assistant State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Jill Underly is the Superintendent of Schools for the Pecatonica Area. Also reaching out for support from the Shawano Dems was Dr. Shandowlyon Hendricks who is an author and consultant in Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District 3 has three candidates. Antigo attorney Aaron Loudenslager and Wausau attorney Rick Cveykus have both wanted help from the party.
Website information about all the candidates can be found on our website.

Those living in the School District of Shawano have an opportunity to vote for Robin Raber Bergeron for the Shawano School Board in the at-large member position. Robin works as a clinical social worker and substance abuse counselor In her private practice in Shawano . She is active in her daughter’s school’s PTA and PTO.

Also, in the primary will be candidates for Shawano Alderperson for District One. Maureen (Muffy) Culhane and Daniel Poels will be on the ballot with two others. Muffy is a pharmacist at ThedaCare and board president for SAM25. She is also on the board for Red River Riders. Dan is an insurance agent for Humana with 12 years of experience in the Medicare industry. He has done volunteer work for Shawano Pathways and is a volunteer driver with SHHS to bring people to their doctor’s visits.

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MARCH AND APRIL NEWSLETTER

Posted on March 9, 2020 by John Durben

TIME TO FIRE UP THE BASE

There are several opportunities in March to volunteer before the spring election. On Sat., March 14th a phone bank will be held at the Shawano Civic Center between noon and 3:00 pm. Bring your cell phone or use a burner phone if available. We need to find more volunteers to knock doors on March 21 and 28 and to “Get Out the Vote” on April 4th. Let us know if you can help in any way.
We want to have more progressive nonpartisan candidates running for office at the state and local level. Spreading the word to vote for Jill Karofsky for State Supreme Court Justice is important. If you are interested in putting up a sign, let us know.

SHAWANO DEMS’ MEETING

The 7:00 pm March 18^th meeting at the Shawano Civic Center will feature some of the candidates running for county board. District 1 Dan Poels and Nancy Cramer; District 3 Milt Marquardt and District 24 Bill Switalla have been invited to participate. District 23 candidate Aaron Damrau can’t attend but has submitted his opinions on various topics.

MONEY IN POLITICS AND MEDICAID

The March op-ed will be about the influence of money in our politics. The passage of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling in 2010 opened the flood gates to Political Action Committees (PACs) being able to spend as much money as they want to influence voter’s minds. Unfortunately, representatives who accept PAC money are beholden to their contributors instead of to the citizens they represent. Due to the grassroots United to Amend movement, states and municipalities are passing resolutions and referendums in support of a movement to get a Constitutional Amendment to reverse Citizen’s United. Residents of the Town of Wescott have an opportunity to vote “YES” in a referendum on April 7^th.
April’s op-ed will be about Medicaid. Wisconsin’s failure to accept funding and the Trump administration’s cuts have affected families’ healthcare. Amanda Stuck, candidate for Congress, will be on the Breakfast Club on April 9^th to further discuss this topic.

DELEGATES FOR CONVENTIONS

   This year the 6^th and the 8^th Congressional Districts will have a joint convention in Oshkosh on April 5^th. If you wish to be a delegate, text Dan Weidner at 715-250-1212.
   Those interested in being a delegate to the National Convention can start by submitting the form online at www.wisdems.org/convention by April 17th. Please keep in mind submitting this form only makes you eligible to attend the county level caucus which will be held on April 26^th at the Shawano Civic Center. Registration is from 1:00-2:00 pm.
   Delegates selected from the county level caucus will go to the 8th CD Caucus on May 17th. At the Congressional Caucus 6 delegates, 2 males and 2 females will be chosen to represent the 8th Congressional District in Milwaukee.
   Volunteers will also be needed at the Convention. Sign up online at www.Milwaukee2020.com/volunteer.

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 12: Listen to WTCH’s Breakfast Club from 8:00-9:00 am on 960 AM & 96.1 FM.
March 14: Phone bank at Civic Center noon-3 :00pm.
March 18: 7:00 pm County Board Candidate Forum and Shawano Dems’ Meeting.
April 1: Executive Committee Meeting 5 :30 pm, Shawano Civic Center
April 7: Vote in Spring Election!
April 9: Listen to Amanda Stuck on WTCH’s Breakfast Club from 8:00 am-9:00 am on 960 AM & 96.1 FM.
April 15: Shawano Dems’ Meeting at 7:00 pm at the Civic Center. Speaker to be announced.

Chair’s Comments

   What a difference a week can make from the narrowing of the presidential race to the unfortunate spread of the coronavirus. It’s hard to turn off the news with so much going on.
   It is crucial that our vote is protected in the upcoming elections. Attorney Steve Menard has volunteered to be our county liaison in case there are problems at polling places. But we also need poll watchers. If you are available on April 7^th and November 3^rd, your help would be greatly appreciated. You can sign up at http://tiny.cc/WisDemsVoPro. The spring election is a chance to get your feet wet so you are a pro by the general election.
   The Dems like to help out where we can. SAM25 will be selling brats and hamburgers at Charlie’s Red Barn on April 23 and 24. If you are able to help, please call Connie at 725 -851-7252.

Newsletter for May 2019

Posted on May 7, 2019 by John Durben

2020 KICK-OFF WITH TACOS
   The Shawano Dems invite you to join them as they enjoy a taco meal prior to their meeting on May 15th. The event will begin at 6:00 pm at the Shawano Civic Center.
The May meeting will be held at 7:00. Speakers include Lee Snodgrass, candidate for the 2^nd vice chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party and Jake Fenzl, Regional Organizing Director for northeast WI. Plan to attend this event which will kick-off the 2020 campaign season. It’s time to reconnect with fellow Democrats.

PLAN TO ATTEND THE STATE CONVENTION
Now that Milwaukee has been slated to host the 2020 National Democratic Convention, the state convention will be even more exciting. Since Wisconsin will be targeted as a swing state, it will be interesting to see how many of the 21+ candidates will be there seeking votes.
   Milwaukee’s Potawatomie Hotel & Casino will be the site of the convention which will be held on June 1-2. You can pre-register at https://www.wisdems.org/events/2019-wisdems-state-convention. You do not need to be a member of the Democratic Party to attend but membership is encouraged.

THIS MONTH’S TOPIC
   Every month the Shawano County Democrats will be zeroing in on certain topics. Our views are being put forth on two separate media outlets. The Shawano Leader will be printing our op-ed on their editorial page each month. Also, tune into the WTCH Breakfast Club on the second Thursday of the month from 8:00-9:00 am on 960 AM.
   May’s topic explains the meaning of the term democratic socialism   It is an attempt to thwart the idea that some of the Democratic candidates and some members of Congress are putting forth ideas that smack of socialism or even communism.
   The conservative right likes to compare progressive programs like the $15 minimum wage, Medicare for All and the Green New Deal as government run programs that would make our country socialist. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
When there are problems with the status quo, the government in a democracy is supposed to initiate programs that help its citizens. Capitalism can still thrive. Businesses and the government can work together to make the needed changes that benefit citizens. Many times, liberal ideas are necessary to make necessary reforms.

UPCOMING EVENTS
May 9: Listen to the Shawano Dems on the WTCH Breakfast Club 8:00-9:00 am at 960 AM and 96.1 FM
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May 15: Taco meal at 6:00 pm prior to the Shawano Dems’ meeting at 7:00 at the Civic Center. Speakers include Lee Snodgrass and Jake Fenzl.

June 5: Executive Committee Meeting 6:00 pm

July 25: Summer picnic

Oct. 5: Fall dinner

Chair’s Comments
As we get bombarded with politics in the media, we need to take a step back and try to make sense of it all. What is the truth and what are lies? If you don’t plan to read the whole Mueller report, you can read the summaries that were written by the Mueller team. As the March 27th letter to Attorney General William Barr from Special Council Robert Mueller indicates, they should be made public..(https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/read-mueller-s-letter-attorney-general-william-barr-n1000601)      You can read the summaries at https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/politics/full-mueller-report-pdf/index.html. For the summary of Volume 1, go to “Pages” and click on Page 12 (which is p. 4-10 of the whole report). For the summary of Volume 2, go to “Pages” and click on Page 215 (p. 3-8 of the whole report).
   It is bound to be a momentous presidential campaign season. We need all hands on deck to make sure our country elects a president who will make the presidency truly great again. You can help out by coming to our events and joining the WI Democratic party.

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