| JULY 2008 www.utdemocrats.org | Summer in the high country (© Willie Holdman, www.willieholdman.com)
"The public is tired of a legislative body that appears to take more pride in furthering the interests of its members than those of their constituents; a legislative body marred by too many conflicts of interest; and a legislative body characterized by backroom deal-making and decisions made outside the view of the public.
FROM THE CHAIR | Wayne Holland It seems like déjà vu all over again Did you see McCain last week talking voucher love in Cinncinati, bad-mouthing teachers, administrators, and elected officials, wanting to take money out of public schools and subsidize private academies? Sounds familiar. But Sen. Barack Obama was out there talking about investing in public education, putting money back into our schools to make them stronger. "We need to focus on fixing and improving our public schools; not throwing our hands up and walking away from them," he said. Last year, Utahns decisively rejected an ideological experiment passed by Republican lawmakers and signed into law by the Republican governor. It would have been the nation's most comprehensive voucher program, an idea McCain has consistently supported in the U.S. Senate. In 1999, he proposed an amendment to authorize $1.8 billion a year for three years to establish a pilot school voucher program. Then in 2001 he pushed vouchers as an amendment to the No Child Left Behind Act. The differences between the two candidates are stark. Sen. Obama believes in investing in our public schools as a way to provide the path to global opportunity, high-quality employment, and strong local communities. He proposes a multi-faceted approach that includes retooling NCLB, investing in early childhood education, recruiting and rewarding teachers, making science and math education a national priority, helping at-risk children succeed in school, enlisting parents and communities to support teaching and learning, and committing to fiscal responsibility. Our likely Democratic presidential candidate reflects the sentiment of thousands of Utahns who voted "YES" to strengthening public education and "NO" to vouchers. Utahns said loud and clear that they'll control their schools. Thank you very much! Their kids aren't guinea pigs, and their futures won't be held hostage to educational experiments of radical right-wing millionaires. If you voted against vouchers last year, I am asking you to do it again. Help us elect Sen. Obama president and strengthen public schools for every chlld. Help us keep McCain and his voucher profiteers out of the White House. SCHWAG ALERT! • Obama buttons, bumper stickers, and lawn signs are available at Utah Democratic Party Headquarters, 455 S. 300 East, Suite 301, downtown Salt Lake City. Contact Nikki Norton (801) 328-1212 or (435) 513-2606. Also, Bill Keshlear at (801) 699-7773, bkeshlear@utdemocrats.org.
• Where does Obama stand on issues that affect everyday life here in Utah? Download a flier and pass it around. NEIGHBORHOOD VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Recently the DNC and Utah State Democratic Party rolled out the Neighborhood Volunteer Program enabling people to login to a Web site, download a list of targeted voters in their area, print out a script and a flier and join the growing list of grassroots activists throughout Utah and around America working to take back their local, state and national governments. More than 1,800 Democrats around the state signed up to participate in this program over the past year, and we are now in the process of contacting each and every one of them. We hope to have a small army of Neighborhood Volunteers knocking on doors in their area by Labor Day, if not sooner. Utah is among the first states to see the Neighborhood Volunteer program activated. Your participation in the Neighborhood Volunteer Program will make you an important part of the largest grassroots effort in Democratic Party history. You will be able to access the login page via the link provided above (click on the the graphic) or by visiting the Utah State Democratic Party page at www.utdemocrats.org and following the link provided there. Thank you in advance for your participation and support for this important program. If you have any questions about the Neighborhood Volunteer Program please contact either Craig Axford at caxford@utdemocrats.org or Nikki Norton at nnorton@utdemocrats.org. The Karen Shepherd Fund is accepting applications for upcoming campaigns. The fund provides stipends to interns for Democratic candidates running in local, state, and federal campaigns in Utah. Contact administrator Ann Floor at 355-4441 or ksf@xmission.com for more information. The fund's Web site is www.karenshepherdfund.org. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? The saga of Herbert's Hot Potato In late May a GOP candidate for treasurer filed a complaint with GOP Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert alleging his opponent, GOP Rep. Mark Walker, offered him a bribe to end his candidacy. This sordid election-year tale of intrigue is a hot potato for our GOP elected officials, bouncing around finally landing in the hands of criminal prosecutors. Follow along at www.utdemocrats.org as it unravels and exposes a pattern of corruption, cronyism, incompetence within leadership of the Utah GOP. (Can you ID the players? From left: Mark Walker, former GOP lawmaker; Greg Curtis, GOP speaker of the House; Gary Herbert, GOP lieutenant governor; Stan Lockhart, chair of the Utah GOP; and Greg Hughes, GOP lawmaker) Read commentary by columnist John Flores in The Deseret News KICKING ASS | The blog of the Utah Democratic Party 2nd District resident Jason Chaffetz, who wants to be our 3rd District Congressman, recently told The Deseret News “there’s no doubt Democrats are the problem (to high gasoline prices). ... since (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi took over, gas prices have doubled.” Pelosi responsible for high gasoline prices? Chaffetz didn't mention the multiple initiatives intended to lower high energy costs that have passed the Democratically controlled House only to run into a brick wall in the Senate because they didn't receive the 60 votes needed to overcome Republican filibusters. And he didn't mention that maybe the two oil men in the White House and the cronies they cultivated within the Houston-Washington-Riyadh network over the past 30 years might have something to do with it. Or maybe unregulated speculation that allows corporations (such as the now-defunct Enron run by Bush's friend and felon, the late Ken "Kenny Boy" Lay) to "game" the system, driving up the price of energy and contributing to record oil industry profits (and, in Enron's case, costing thousands of retirees their life savings and possibly hundreds of elderly Americans their lives because they couldn't afford to heat or cool their homes). Maybe that has something to do with it. So far, Chaffetz is relying on Karl Rove's playbook to get by. He's studying the art of "the character attack," "the rhetoric of diversion," and "the unsubstantiated and rarely challenged talking point." GET INVOLVED | Mark your calendar JULY 23 Help write Obama's Democratic platform The Washington County Democratic Party will host another great Southern Utah Obama event, from 7-9 p.m. at Jazzy Java on Bluff Street in St. George. It’s called "Listening to America," and you'll have a chance to discuss a political issue that matters most to you. We’ll be one of many groups across the country that will give feedback to the Obama campaign and help form the Democratic national platform. We'll discuss the economy, war, energy (including gasoline prices), the environment, education, immigration, and health care. But any issue can be discussed. We hope to facilitate a lively, energized, and meaningful conversation that results in ideas that reflect the southern Utah Democratic point of view. Jazzy Java will keep its counter open later than usual to accommodate food or beverage requests. RSVP by replying to this e-mail (cyrnoble@beyondbb.com); arrive promptly at 7 p.m.; bring a pen and notepad; and be prepared to discuss an issue that matters most to you. JULY 30 Help send Chris Buttars into retirement Join John Rendell and Saturday's Voyeur at Salt Lake Acting Company, 168 W. 500 North, for an evening of laughs at the expense of Sen. Chris Buttars. Rendell is the Democratic candidate for State Senate District 10. A reception is 6:30 p.m. The performance is 7:30 p.m. Price of tickets start at $75. For more information, call (801) 949-9321 or e-mail bglarson@comcast.net. AUGUST 9 Utah State Democratic Party Central Committee meeting Park City Mountain Resort, 1310 Lowell Ave. Breakfast, 8 a.m.; training, 9 a.m.; committee meeting, noon. The state party will provide training for State Central Committee members, county leaders and other local leaders/candidates on voter file tools, the new Neighborhood Volunteer Program and other efforts under way to win elections across Utah this November. After the training, committee members will vote on new committee assignments, review the party's budget, and discuss issues regarding the national convention in Denver. Contact Craig Axford at caxford@utdemocrats.org or (801) 328-1212, ext. 207, if you have questions. Play softball now, then hardball this fall Help strike out the GOP at the annual Democrats vs. Republican Softball Game at Ellison Park in Layton, 700 N. 2300 West (Layton Hills exit, turn west to 2300 West ), at 7 p.m. Candidates are highly encouraged to participate, as well as fans to cheer the good guys and hoot at the bad guys. Call Richard Watson, chair of the Davis County Democratic Party, at (cell) 540-3146. AUGUST 25-28 • The Democratic National Convention will be Aug. 25-28 in Denver. For more information go to www.demconvention.com. OCTOBER 3 15th Annual Eleanor Roosevelt Awards Luncheon The Utah Democratic Party will honor Susan Kuziak at Little America, downtown Salt Lake City, 500 S. West Temple. Kuziak is a long-time champion of public schools in Utah. Registration and reception begins at 11:30 a.m. ; the luncheon is at noon. Find out more information or help sponsor the event. Contact Tika Beard at (801) 328-1212, ext. 204 or e-mail, tbeard@utdemocrats.org. FIRST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH* The Women's Democratic Club at Embassy Suites Hotel, 110 West 600 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Check in/networking begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch and meeting at noon. *The next meeting will be Saturday, Sept. 6. WANT A BLUE STATE? | Act Blue ActBlue is more than just an online fundraising tool for Democratic candidates. it is also a way for grassroots activists to participate in the political process. Because money makes our political world go round, ensuring our Democratic candidates have enough is very important. Everyone in our party can be an effective fundraiser. ActBlue has the tools to show you how by creating a page and raising money for the candidate(s) of your choice. Visit www.actblue.com/page/utdemocrats to learn what you can do elect more Democrats in Utah. PREVIOUS MESSAGES
The Democratic Party of Utah 455 S. 300 East, Suite 301 | Salt Lake City, UT 84111 | 801-328-1212 www.utdemocrats.org Support your Utah Democratic Party through ACT BLUE www.actblue.com/page/utdemocrats THE MESSAGE is published and compiled by the staff of the Utah Democratic Party as a way to build a community of Democrats committed to political reform and common sense solutions to public policy. Submissions related to events, facts, figures, trivia, and idle chit-chat are welcome. Please contact Bill Keshlear, communications director, at bkeshlear@utdemocrats.org. Call (801) 328-1212, ext. 206 or (801) 699-7773. Paid for by the Utah Democratic Party, www.utdemocrats.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidates' party. TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MESSAGE, THE E-MAIL NEWSLETTER OF UTAH DEMOCRATS, CONTACT BILL KESHLEAR, bkeshlear@utdemocrats.org. |