Editor - Jerry Meyer
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND THEM
US: On March 30th we were at Democratic Headquarters honoring past and present Civil Rights leaders.
Them: On April first, their meeting guest speaker was indicted Trump Adviser Roger Stone.
The Torch Passes April 13th
When Jeff Yonce's health forced him to step aside as President of the Villages Democrats, Mary Schiener took over as interim President and has done an admirable job of juggling the many duties connected with the job.
On April 13th a new, but very familiar face will appear at the podium when Chris Stanley takes the reins of the club. In her first official appearance on the job, she plans to give a brief club history and acknowledge past volunteer leaders who led the club as it grew to the largest in the state.
Also on the program is a League of Women Voters presentation on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact by Helen Kelly. Here is a brief explanation taken from Wikipedia.
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to whichever presidential candidate wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact is designed to ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide is elected president, and it would come into effect only when it would guarantee that outcome. As of March 2019, it has been adopted by twelve states and the District of Columbia. Together, they have 181 electoral votes, which is 33.6% of the Electoral College and 67.0% of the 270 votes needed to give the compact legal force.
The Villages Democrats meet at the Colony Rec. Center with the doors opening at 9:00 am and the meeting beginning at 9:30 am. Leave time to visit the table displays in the entry room as much information can be found there.
The April 13th meeting will probably be well attended, so remember the room has a capacity limitation that must be followed and blue wrist bands are handed out until they match that number and then the room is declared full.
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Thanks for your help!
Prior to the Villages Dems monthly breakfast at Hacienda Hills we had put out a couple of requests from EPIC (our committee focused on education issues), for some items needed by the P.R.E.P. school in Wildwood.
Thanks to you Committee Chair Gerry Van Luven reports the receipt of 40 full-size boxes of tissues (apparently in somewhat short supply in the waning days of the cold and flu season) and a number of cartons of granola bars. Three-ring binders didn't get much attention and only one was donated.
The donations filled the rear of Gerry's car and she immediately took them to the school, where it took her and the assistant Principal three trips to haul them into the building.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated and thanks to EPIC for all they do.
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Spring Fling Potluck
Sue Blalock, on the left, guided the Villages Democratic Club to a rousing beginning, organizing the Spring Potluck at Colony Cottage on the evening of March 29th.
After dining on a generous selection of main dishes, salads and deserts, the crowd danced to the music of Bill Board and the Headliners.
Thanks to Sue and her committee for a well organized and fun evening.
From the Kaiser Health News website
For detailed Health Care New visit this Kaiser Family Foundation site
The detail that could make Medicare for All generous — and expensive
Now that the Democrats have taken control of the House, their "Medicare for All" proposals are going to get hearings and scrutiny. One feature of Bernie Sanders' version that hasn't gotten a lot of attention yet, but it will: the plan has no deductibles or other forms of patient cost-sharing.
Why it matters: In a country where so many Americans are bedeviled by medical bills, especially people who are sick and use a lot of medical care, this would be a big deal. It would actually make our system more generous than any of the other developed nations that Democrats like to cite as models for our own.
Details: It may be surprising, but no other developed nation has zero out of pocket costs — even those that treat health care as a basic human right, as Medicare for All supporters want to do. That’s because their national health plans have cost-sharing, or allow people to purchase health care outside the plan, or both.
- Even in the United Kingdom’s very comprehensive National Health Service, there are copays for some drugs and consumers pay a substantial amount for long term care.
- Consumers in other high-income countries spent an average of $857 per person out-of-pocket on health care in 2016, ranging from $467 in France to $2,326 in Switzerland.
Two proposed national health plans — Sanders’ plan and a similar plan in the House now sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state — have no cost-sharing for covered services. (Details regarding exactly which benefits these plans would cover are still evolving, so patients could end up with some out-of-pocket costs for non-covered services.)
- Other congressional proposals that would expand access to Medicare or Medicaid have various cost-sharing arrangements based on the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, or cost-sharing levels set by states.
The big picture: Deductibles and other forms of cost sharing have been rising steadily in private coverage, far outpacing wage growth. The Sanders cost-sharing strategy could make the proposal more popular to the more than 150 million Americans who would have to switch from their private coverage to join a national plan.
- It will certainly appeal to the one-third of people in fair or poor health, with insurance, who had trouble paying for health care in 2017.
The catch: A zero cost sharing approach is also sure to make any Medicare for All plan more expensive — because if the patients aren't paying for any of the costs, the government has to pick up the entire bill.
- It will also subject any plan to the inevitable criticism that it will lead to overuse of medical care and drive up health spending since there wouldn't be any incentive for patients to worry about costs.
- All of this will draw new attention to the price tag of the plan. (Sanders says it would still be less expensive than our current system because it would get rid of bureaucracy and administrative costs.)
What to watch: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that hearings may begin soon in the House on Medicare for All, but we are far from the stage where legislative sponsors have had to make significant compromises in order to get a bill passed.
If and when the debate gets to that point, it seems likely that there would end up being a modest level of cost sharing to deter unnecessary use of medical care and keep the overall costs of the plan down.
No doubt cost-sharing would be kept lower than it generally is today, both as a selling point and to eliminate the barriers to care and economic burdens high cost-sharing has become today for many families. It is also possible that enrollees would be allowed to buy additional care outside of the plan, as they can in some other countries.
The bottom line: There will be plenty of other arguments, for and against a Medicare for All-style plan. But the burden of rising out-of-pocket costs is one reason the plan could have appeal for many Americans — even if it's not possible to get rid of them completely.
Characteristics of a Narcissist
Narcissists often lack a conscience, so climbing in the ring with one is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Wielding cruelty and abuse like it's their right, the narcissist easily wounds a person with a conscience who often feels guilty for firing back. The guilt perpetuates feelings of responsibility and self-doubt, frequently causing the person with a conscience to surrender. So how does a person create a fair fight? The most effective way is to fully understand the narcissist’s most lethal weapon, projective identification, and to disarm it.
It’s truly amazing how unfair, underhanded and malicious a narcissist can be, but rarely do they feel true remorse for their deeds. Readily deflecting, distorting, and projecting, they alter their perception of reality, freeing themselves from accountability while simultaneously projecting blame onto another. Their line of unconscious defense mechanisms operates like a force field around their ego, excusing them from deep and sincere feelings of remorse, insight, introspection, and accountability. Thus, they feel like they are never wrong.
Occasionally, when their back is against the wall, the narcissist may act as though they feel sincere remorse. However, this may be a trick to regain the trust of the person whom they are manipulating. Also, operating from a victim stance assists him or her in controlling others through guilt.
Projective identification is the most powerful psychological mechanism in a narcissist's arsenal. It is what creates the toxic chemistry that psychologically chains an empath to a narcissist. Projection, which is the first component of projective identification, is a psychoanalytic term used to describe the unconscious process of expelling one’s own intolerable qualities and attributing them to someone else. For example, an individual who routinely acts rude may call someone else rude. This person does not see the quality in himself or herself but perceives it in others. Narcissists utilize this defense mechanism routinely.
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Villages Democrats Board member Sue Dubman is a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists who released a report last month titled "The State of Science in the Trump Era."
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The report can be accessed online at https://www.ucsusa.org/center-
Also, the report, report appendices, and fact sheets are in a folder on the DWCV's google drive. You can access this at
Also, in this folder, is a presentation on Medical Science in the Age of Trump and the UN Climate Report.
An oldie but goodie is "Trump's Craziest Statements on Science". It is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/
Finally, a cartoon that says it all:
A couple of pictures from the Lake County Gala that didn't make it into the last issue.
Dee Melvin manning Congressional Candidate Dana Cottrell's table.
Dana spoke to the audience prior to the address by Andrew Gillum. She and Gillum are shown reacting to the crowd prior to the dinner.
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Wall of Honor Celebration
On Saturday, March 30th an Inaugural Reception was held for the "Wall of Honor" at the Democratic Headquarters in Wildwood.
The committee that pulled it all together included Alex Marino, Cris Andersen, Pat Beerhalter, Anita Crumel, Brenda Edwards, Cathie Hardy, Ruby Perry, Heather Rabinowitz, Jim Shields, and Marilyn Shields.
The theme for the first quarter of the year highlighted the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Restoration of Rights: Amendment 4 for Florida in 2018.
Seventy-one individuals were nominated, ranging from past presidents to school lunch ladies. Information on each nominee has been entered into a binder which is maintained near the wall for everyone to read. Many of the names are from the pages of history, but there are also names of people who played vital roles but are relatively unknown.
The following pictures and information highlight nominees who attended the reception.
Bill Fisher Mr. Fisher, who also acted as guest speaker for the event, is a retired prosecuting attorney in Philadelphia. He is honored for his counseling on the Rights and Justice Task Force, also known as Florida Amendment 4, the voting rights for Felons Initiative.
Michael Hardy. Mr. Hardy headed the NAACP in Orange County, Florida in the late 60s and early 70s. In that capacity, he brought suit to desegregate the County schools. Originally the case was denied, but then it was overturned by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court.
Birdie Mitchell, seated, was nominated by her daughter Dee Williams. In 1983 Birdie's boss at the postal station where she worked turned down her request for time off to attend the Civil Rights March in Washington. She politely told him President Kennedy had said any postal employee could have the day off with pay and she was going. Her husband joined her and the two of them were there for Dr. Martin Luther King's " I have a dream" speech.
Rodney Harris and Michael Pfaendtner are childhood friends who remain close as adults. After Trayvon Martin was killed, their discussions led to the creation of the short film, "A Continuing Series of Small Indignities." In the film Rodney discusses the racism with which he grew up and continues to encounter. The film is presented to organizations, then followed by a discussion on how to promote a better understanding of racism in our society today.
Jill Moss Greenberg, close with the Kings, was nominated in particular for her role with Coretta Scott King in making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal observance. The Villages resident remains astounded by what King accomplished in his 39 years of life. She says he demonstrated how much of a difference one person can make.
Rev. Thomas H. Poole, Jr. shown at the left, nominated his father Thomas H. Poole, Sr. Mr. Poole was involved in Civil Rights leadership for 56 years, including being elected President of the Tri-City Branch of the NAACP for Lake County in 1968. His son recalled that his father organized the Lake County Voters League, responsible for many voter mailing campaigns.
Al Mytty on the left and Larry Berman on the right, were nominated for their active roles in the Sumter County Democratic party and their efforts in the Rights and Justice Task Force. Better known as the Florida Amendment 4, the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons initiative. With the passage of the Amendment, more than one million individuals who have paid their debt to society will now gain the dignity of having their right to vote restored.
Heather Rabinowitz is probably the most active Democrat in Sumter County. One of her projects emerged when she and her good friend Anne Timoner created a program to inform the unaware about the underlying conundrum of unrecognized "white privilege." They brought in many learned scholars to speak on the issue. Community buildings were selected for the presentations so attendance would not be limited to Villagers.
Anne Timoner authored "Finding Grace," the story of the African American woman who raised her due to her mother's illness and her bewilderment as a child watching the prejudice endured by her beloved "adopted" mother. Anne is an ambassador for Young Performing Artists, Inc. the non-profit founded by Beverly Steel, a community leader in the historic African American community of Royal. Anne has helped Villagers to know and visit this community by advertising "40 Acres and a Mule," tours as well as selling tickets to the Soul Food Festival that helps fund children's camps as well as the Young Center Museum Beverly manages, especially important this year since the Governor cut all the state's arts funding.
An appreciative crowd paid tribute to the nominees who spoke at the reception. The pictures and stories above are a small sample of the stories in the book of nominees. Some of the nominees are well known, but many are "ordinary" people who did extraordinary things.
The 2nd quarter of the Wall of Honor will celebrate the G.I. Bill, Honor flight and all Veteran Benefits.
You are invited to share your story and Honor a Veteran
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ADL-led Florida Hate Crime Coalition Reaches 122 Members; Urge The FL Senate Criminal Justice Committee To Hear Legislation
Although Florida has a hate crime law, it does not protect all Floridians. Senate Bill 940 (SB940) would make the hate crime law comprehensive by fixing critical gaps in the statute. Help protect all Floridians by urging the Florida Senate's Criminal Justice Committee Chair to hear SB940.
Background on Florida Senate Bill SB940:
In Florida, a hate crime cannot be charged if a victim is targeted because of a physical disability such as blindness, or because of a victim’s gender or gender identity. The law also does not cover “association with” hate crimes where, for example, a person is victimized for being at a bar or restaurant with African American, Hispanic, Muslim, or Jewish friends. It also does not cover “mixed motive” hate crimes. So, for instance, if a perpetrator involved in a fender-bender assaults the other driver while yelling racial epithets and angry remarks about the accident at the victim, a hate crime cannot be charged. SB 940, filed by Senator Kevin Rader (D-29), would fix all of these issues with the current hate crime law.
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