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“The Bush Administration’s bungling
of the war in
http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org
April 9,
2007
COMING EVENTS
Monday, April 9 11:45 A.M – 1:00 P.M.
Congressman
Bruce Braley Will Discuss Veterans’ Issues.
ALL AMERICANS ARE INVITED!
Tuesday, April 17
– 7:30 P.M.
The Clinton County Democratic Central Committee will meet at
Democratic Headquarters.
EVERYBODY IS WELCOME TO
ATTEND DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETINGS.
Final plans will be made for the Hall of
Fame Dinner
BRALEY AND BIDEN TO SPEAK AT
DEMOCRATS’
2007 HALL OF FAME DINNER
Congressman Bruce Braley
will be the Keynote Speaker at the Clinton County Democrats’ 2007 Hall of
Fame Dinner. Among the honored speakers
will be Delaware Attorney General Joseph R. Biden III
the son of Delaware Senator Joseph R. Biden II who is a candidate for President of the
The Clinton
County Democrats will hold their annual Hall of Fame Dinner Saturday, April
21, at the Frontier Motor Inn. A
reception will be held starting at 5:00 P.M.
Dinner will follow in the banquet hall at 6:00 P.M. The Hall of Fame dinner is the largest social
and fund raising event of the year for the Clinton County Democrats.
This year
Clinton County Democrats will honor Party activists Willis and Charlene Anson
and Diane Bolte for their many years of service to
the Democratic Party. Democrats who have
had significant success in furthering the principles of the Democratic Party
are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame. Those principles include
promoting security and prosperity for all Americans and encouraging all
citizens to assume the responsibility of participation in their
government. Clinton County Democratic
office holders, State Legislators and representatives of Presidential
candidates will be attending.
Tickets to the
dinner and reception may be obtained from members of the Clinton County
Democratic Central Committee who are listed on the County Democratic website, http://ww.clintoncountydemocrats.org,
or by calling County Chair Jean Pardee at 242-8111 or jmpardee@mchsi.com Tickets
for the dinner are $25. Tickets for the
reception are $10.
AT LEAST THE WAR ON THE MIDDLE CLASS IS GOING WELL
SENATOR
EDWARDS PRESENTS A SPECIFIC AND POSITIVE PLAN
Senator
John Edwards has laid out a transformational change agenda to guarantee
universal health care, stop global warming, close the education gap, end
poverty at home and make
“Everything we do at home ripples around the world. Everything we do around the world affects us here
at home. There is no such thing as just foreign policy anymore. In this new
world the old incremental approach just doesn't cut it—we need a bold,
daring, boundary-pushing change. We need transformational change because there
are still two
“In the Working Society, we
will reward work with a higher minimum wage, stronger labor laws and tax
credits for working families. We will offer affordable housing near good jobs
and good schools and create a million stepping-stone jobs for people who cannot
find work on their own. We will help workers save for the future with new work
bonds and affordable savings accounts. We will end the scourge of poverty in
“Transformational change of this magnitude can happen, but it cannot come
from one candidate or one President adopting a big vision. It only happens when
an entire generation decides they are ready to fully realize their potential
for greatness. It happened at our nation's founding. It happened when our
parents and grandparents overcame the Great Depression and defeated the
fascist-totalitarian juggernaut.”
(Senator John Edwards)
POVERTY IS
A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION
DATA SHOWS
THAT THE INCOME GAP IS WIDENING
Ø Income inequality grew significantly
in 2005, with the top 1 percent of Americans — those with incomes that
year of more than $348,000 — receiving their largest share of national
income since 1928.
Ø The top 10 percent, roughly those
earning more than $100,000, also reached a level of income share not seen since
before the Great Depression.
Ø While total reported income in the
Ø The gains went largely to the top 1
percent, whose incomes rose to an average of more than $1.1 million each, an
increase of more than $139,000, or about 14 percent.
Ø The top 300,000 Americans collectively
enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person,
the top group received 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom
half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980.
Ø The top tenth of a percent reported an
average income of $5.6 million, up $908,000, while the top one-hundredth of a
percent had an average income of $25.7 million, up nearly $4.4 million in one
year.
Ø Such growing disparities are significant
in terms of social and political stability.
Ø If the economy is growing but only a
few are enjoying the benefits, it goes to our sense of fairness. It can have
important political consequences.
(From an article by DAVID CAY
JOHNSTON in the New York Times March 29, 2007)
"Should any
political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and
eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again
in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group that believes you can
do these things. Among them are a few
(President Dwight D. Eisenhower,
Republican, November 8th, 1954)
http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org
April 16,
2007
COMING EVENTS
Tuesday, April 17 – 7:30 P.M.
The Clinton County
Democratic Central Committee will meet at Democratic Headquarters.
Final plans will be made for the Hall of Fame
Dinner. The 2008 caucus sites
and the district workshop
also will be on the agenda.
Democratic Party events
are open to everybody who would like to attend.
Saturday, April 21 -
Frontier Motor Inn
2007
The social hour will
start at 5:00 P.M. Dinner will be served
at 6:00 P.M.
Congressman Bruce Braley
will be the Keynote Speaker. Among the
honored guests will be Delaware Attorney General Joseph R. Biden
III.
The
The dinner this year will be an elegant
buffet with five salads, two vegetables, two potatoes, and roast round of beef
and roast pork loin with sage dressing. Dessert will be served at the
tables. At the reception beverages will be available in our guest suite
and you may mingle with other Democrats in the atrium next to the pool
where hors d'oeuvres will be available. We expect a full house
for our dinner. Please reserve your tickets soon in order to assure your
place.
Tickets to the dinner
and reception may be obtained by calling County Chair Jean Pardee at 242-8111
or jmpardee@mchsi.com Tickets for the dinner are $25. Tickets for the reception are $10.
Please make your check payable
to the Clinton County Democratic Party.
We look forward to a great evening with nothing but the
truth spoken!
This year Clinton County Democrats will honor Party
activists Willis and Charlene Anson and Diane Bolte
for their many years of service to the Democratic Party. Democrats who have had significant success in
furthering the principles of the Democratic Party are eligible for induction
into the Hall of Fame. Those principles include promoting security and
prosperity for all Americans and encouraging all citizens to assume the
responsibility of participation in their government.
Charlene
and Willis Anson of Camanche will be inducted into
the Democratic Hall of Fame. For many years they have been important contacts
in the Camanche area for all Democratic
activities. They have been poll
watchers, drivers for those needing rides to the polls, absentee ballot
couriers and neighborhood door knockers encouraging people to register and to
vote.
Diane Bolte taught in the
elementary schools in
Diane has served as Clinton County Democratic Party
secretary. She has been a worker at
precinct caucuses, county and district conventions. She has served on county and district
platform and rules committees. She
served on Bill Gluba’s steering committee when he ran
for congress. Diane has been a voter
registrar, precinct leader, poll watcher, parade volunteer, fair booth worker
and office helper. She is concerned about education, environmental protection
and women’s rights and equality. She was a founding
member of the Women’s Political Caucus in
"History is a
great teacher. Now everyone knows that the labor movement did not diminish the
strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standards of
millions, labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole
nation to undreamed of levels of production. Those who attack labor forget
these simple truths, but history remembers them." (Martin
Luther King Jr.)
SENATOR HARKIN
STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE RIGHTS OF AMERICAN WORKERS
“I
share your support for the rights of American workers, and I am proud to
co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act. The fundamental right of workers to
associate freely and join together to form a union is being threatened today.
One in every four employers unlawfully fires workers when they try to form a
union and, far too often, workers are threatened and intimidated when they
exercise their fundamental rights in the workplace. Once workers demonstrate
their
support for forming a union, they often face enormous obstacles in obtaining a
first contract because many employers refuse to bargain in good faith.
“Unions have proven to make a critical difference in the lives of American
workers and families. On average, union workers earn 28 percent more than
non-union workers. Union workers are more than twice as likely to have a
pension plan, and four out of five union workers have health benefits, compared
to only half of non-union workers. Unions make the vital difference between
poverty-level wages and a decent living for millions of workers in the
“The Employee Free Choice Act would allow employees to form, join or assist
labor organizations to help ensure that employees have decent wages and a safe
working environment. The bill would establish a more efficient system for
enabling employees to form a union and negotiate their first collective
bargaining agreement. At the same time, this legislation would increase
penalties and remedies against employers engaging in unfair labor practices
during organizing efforts. I believe that protecting the rights of workers is a
matter of fundamental fairness and is the best way to guarantee that American
families receive the fair wages and quality healthcare they deserve. Please be
assured that I will continue to support legislation that is in the best
interest of
“Again,
thanks for sharing your views with me. Please don't hesitate to let me know how
you feel on any issue that concerns you.”
(Letter from Senator Tom Harkin to
Democrats want opportunities for all
Americans.
April 23,
2007
Saturday, April 28
WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY
CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATIONS
Tuesday, May 1 -- 6:30 – 9:00 P.M.
Join the Democrats at Remingtons
at Frontier Motor Inn
for a Cinco de Mayo Celebration.
This is not a fund
raiser. It is a celebration of culture
and a chance to socialize. It is our way
of celebrating the rich heritage of our friends of Latin American descent.
The hors d’oeuvres buffet is complimentary. Your only costs are your drinks.
Cinco De Mayo is a Mexican National Holiday
that commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza over French occupational forces in
the
Sunday, May 6 – 2:00-5:00 P.M.
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and Fund
Raiser featuring Los Mocambos – live mariachi music.
Great
Mexican food, beer and pop.
ALL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN INVITED.
Hosted
by Rita Vargas and Bill Gluba’s campaign committees.
Suggested donation =
whatever you can do.
Democratic Party meetings
and events are open to everybody who would like to attend.
AN ADMINISTRATION’S
EPIC COLLAPSE
I.R.A.Q. Irresponsible Republicans Arrogance =
Quagmire
“The first three months of the
new Democratic Congress have been neither terrible nor transcendent. A Pew
poll had it about right: a substantial majority of the public remains happy the
Democrats won in 2006, but neither Nancy Pelosi nor Harry Reid has dominated
the public consciousness as Newt Gingrich did when the Republicans came to power
in 1995. There is a reason for that. A much bigger story is unfolding: the epic
collapse of the Bush Administration.
“The three big Bush stories of 2007--the
decision to "surge" in Iraq, the scandalous treatment of wounded
veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the firing of eight U.S.
Attorneys for tawdry political reasons--precisely illuminate the three
qualities that make this Administration one of the worst in American history:
arrogance (the surge), incompetence (Walter Reed) and cynicism (the U.S.
Attorneys)
“
(by
Joe Klein, Time Magazine columnist, April 16, 2007)
CONGRESSMAN
BRALEY SPEAKS IN SUPPORT OF LABOR
(On March 1 Congressman
Bruce Braley delivered the following
speech on the floor of the
House of Representatives.)
“Madam Speaker, I rise this morning in a pair of
work boots that I have owned for 26 years to express my strong support for HR
800, the Employee Free Choice Act.
“I wore these boots when I worked
for the Poweshiek County Road Department building roads and bridges on the
county roads where I grew up. I wear
them proudly today as a reminder of the hard work and sacrifice made every day
in this country by working men and women who exercise their constitutional
right to freedom of association by joining labor unions.
“The Employee Free Choice Act
provides greater protection to that freedom of association by providing for
majority sign-up, first contract mediation, binding arbitration and tougher
penalties for violations of workers’ rights.
“Protecting the rights of workers
has been a long and difficult struggle.
Seventy-five years ago this month, Congress passed the Norris-LaGuardia
Act, which declared it to be the public policy of the United States that
employees be allowed to organize and engage in collective bargaining free from
coercion by their employers. The
Employee Free Choice Act reinforces that public policy for labor negotiations
in the Twenty-first Century.
“I am proud to be an original
co-sponsor of this important bill and I look forward to the day when it is
signed into law.” (The above speech was
included as part of a letter to Clinton County Democrat Bill Tieso.) If you would like to contact Mr. Braley with any concerns, please click the following link
and he will respond shortly (http://braley.house.gov/contact.shtml
RETURN HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND MORALITY TO GOVERNMENT.
SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
CAUCUS COMMITTEE
One
of the ‘brain storming’ discussion groups at the Democratic Caucus held in the
v
Rotate the
site where the Central Committee meetings are held around the County.
v
Work with
High School and College students to increase political involvement.
v
Reach out
to include more members of minority groups in our activities.
v
Increase
the visibility of the Party by making donations to community projects, being
involved in more community events and sponsoring more countywide events.
v
Sponsor
more events that recognize and honor cultural diversity such as the Irish
(St. Patrick’s)
and the Cinco De Mayo
celebrations.
v
Work harder
to increase Democratic registration.
v
Increase
public awareness of the importance of political parties in our democratic
processes.
v
Improve the effectiveness and shorten the length of Central
Committee meetings.
v
Appoint ad
hoc committees that meet outside the Central Committee meetings.
v
Organize a
phone tree.
v
Expand the email list and add to the number of people receiving
the newsletters.