CLINTONCOUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER
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http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org
May 16, 2005
The Clinton County Democratic Central Committee will meet Tuesday, May 17, at 7:30 PM at Clinton County Headquarters, 224 22nd Place,  Clinton.  Highlights of the agenda include:
Review of the Hall of Fame Dinner.
Plans for the Sesquicentennial Parade on June 4
Nominations will be open for the position of Clinton County Democratic Party treasurer.
Representatives of the Police Department will discuss the plans for a new police station.
Comments from members of School Boards, City Councils,  CountyGovernment and the State Legislature, if they have adjourned by then.
Saturday, June 11, 2005:  The State of Iowa 6th Annual Democratic Hall of Fame Celebration will be held at the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel in Cedar Rapids.  Special Guests:  Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Senator Tom Harkin, Governor Tom Vilsack & First Lady Christie Vilsac,  Lt. Governor Sally Pederson and Congressman Leonard Boswell.  Jean Pardee will be an honored recipient of the Democratic Activist Award.  For more information visit the website:  www.iowademocrats.org
ANOTHER PUBLIC SERVICE OF OUR LIBRARIES
If you know someone who doesn't have a computer, encourage them to go to the public library.  Libraries provide access to information.  In a modern library that means computers and the internet.  The librarians will help set up email accounts, access the internet, use the Google search engine and use Microsoft Word.  The libraries provide copying and printing services. Some of the libraries offer classes.  All Clinton County libraries are part of a County Association.
RETIREMENT SECURITY?
Finally some members of Congress are expanding their debate of retirement security beyond the President's insistence on diverting money from the present highly successful social security system into private accounts.  If anyone thinks that diverting 4% of their social security deduction into private accounts will provide a good retirement, they are delusional.  Everyone should have a secure retirement system similar to that of public employees in addition to social security.  Unlike many corporation retirement systems most of the public funds have been well managed and provide a dependable and secure retirement income.  Most retired people spend their social security and pensions putting the money back into the economy and making a healthier economic climate for everyone including the super-rich Republicans.
SHOULD WE RUN A GOVERNMENT FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE?
."that a government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."   (Abraham Lincoln)
"Do we run the country for the people, or do we run it for the nameless, faceless banks or international corporations?  That was the issue way back as far as the Depression.  The ultimate decision was we run it for the people  .And now we have made a complete turnabout:  We not only don"t invest in the middle class, we drain away the middle class.  We tax them harder; we leave them with bigger risks like never before in history.  And we take away the last shred of a safety net - bankruptcy.  It's war on the middle class."    (Professor Elizabeth Warren, HarvardLawSchool)
Today's Republican Party practices very few of the values held by Abraham Lincoln or Theodore Roosevelt.  Those two Presidents would be ashamed of "their" Party today.
IS IT CHRISTIAN TO PAY PEOPLE UNFAIR WAGES?
{Hey!  The Republicans started this values debate.}
Home health care providers in Maryland are paid $5.00 per hour.  This is below Federal minimum wage requirements.  These workers are providing care in the homes of Medicare recipients.  If these people were transferred to nursing homes it would cost the State of Maryland approximately $50,000. per patient.  That is a big savings.  Yet the Republican Governor of Maryland in a great fit of generosity offered to raise their pay from $20.to $22. per day.  Is this fair?  Should some people in the healthcare field afford frequent and extravagant vacations on the French Rivera while others slave at substandard wages?  Their pay should be doubled.  Even at $10.00 per hour their annual pay would be less then $20,000.  There are plenty of people in Maryland who should pay higher taxes to prevent this inequity.  One of the principles of the Democratic Party is to fill in the great chasm between the rich and the poor so that people are treated fairly.
BACK TO THE DARK AGES WITH TOM DELAY
"Justice Anthony Kennedy actually does research for his opinions on the Internet.  This is disgusting.  This is incredibly outrageous."   (Congressman Tom DeLay 'the Fading Star of Texas')
Congressman Jim Nussle's record on Tom DeLay:   He accepted $15,020. from Tom DeLay's PAC and voted 91.16% of the time with DeLay (4,281 of 4,696 votes)  Tell Rep. Nussle,  "Fire Tom DeLay!"
Mr. Nussle has said, "My best information comes from the people I represent. By going to http://www.nussle.house.gov/email.htm you may e-mail your comments to me and learn more about my role in Congress".
"A month ago it looked like the scandals surrounding Republican Majority Leader Rep. Tom DeLay couldn't get any worse. Newspapers were breaking new stories every week about lobbyist-paid golf trips, the $500,000 paid from DeLay's political coffers to his family, and back-room deals DeLay was cutting to save his hide."

"Then, it got worse.  The latest scandal connects DeLay to sweatshops in the Mariana Islands making apparel with "Made in the USA"  labeling while avoiding U.S.labor laws - exploiting Chinese immigrant labor. But a growing number of Republicans are going mute on DeLay's ethical abuses. They're afraid of far-right organizations - who are staunch DeLaysupporters - and of retribution from DeLay himself.  (Data in the "Report Card" was compiled by Public Campaign Action Fund. For its DeLay Rankings go to http://www.InDeLaysPocket.com) -  [MoveOn]
HAVE A GREAT DAY!