Neighborhood Buzz
A Blog for Democrats and Independents
Editor Jerry Meyer
thevillagesdemocrats.org
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FDP Legislative update
On April 3rd over a hundred Parkland survivors, students and gun control advocates stormed the State Capitol to protest House Bill 7093 which would arm teachers.
House Speaker Jose Olivia delayed the hearing.
State Party chair Terrie Rizzo has called the action a new low and a sad day for our democratic process and urged the speaker to listen to the voice of Parkland survivors who traveled to Tallahassee to urge legislators to drop the plan. She added, "nothing matters more than keeping our kids safe and Florida Democrats will do all they can to block the legislation.
SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER AUDREY GIBSON SEEKS
CLARIFICATION ON SB 1272
TALLAHASSEE – Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson
(D-Jacksonville) on Tuesday (4/9) called for clarification on legislation that would
leave the Jewish community vulnerable to hate crimes in Florida:
“SB1272 may be
well-intentioned, but it fails to protect the very constituencies that have
been the subject of hate crimes in Florida, and in this country. My goal
yesterday and going forward continues to be ensuring that all religions
are protected. That’s why I raised the questions I did during the Senate
Judiciary Committee meeting on Monday. But the bill currently falls short in
guaranteeing that equal protection.
“As it currently
stands, this legislation fights the wrong battle, and targets the wrong enemy.
It restrains school children from making anti-Semitic statements, but removes
culpability for those who actually carry out anti-Semitic hate crime attacks.
“The legislation has
additional committee stops before it’s presented to the full Senate for a vote.
I hope that the guarantees that are needed - as the bill sponsor alluded to -
will be provided before it comes before me again in the Rules Committee. I look
forward to a meeting on this bill with stakeholders this afternoon.”
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The Villages Democrats Monthly Meeting
Saturday, April 13th at Colony Rec. Center
Saturday, April 13th at Colony Rec. Center
The program is a League of Women Voters presentation on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact by Helen Kelly. The compact would ensure the candidate for President getting the most votes would be elected to office. (What a concept!)
Doors open at 9:00 am, the meeting starts at 9:30 am. Don't forget your food bank donation and leave time to visit the display tables.
Food Bank Donation
This week's collection is for the Christian Food Pantry of Lady Lake.
In addition to the usual food items, they particularly need: canned fruit, canned mixed vegetables, stewed or diced tomatoes and peanut butter and jelly.
The usual items needed are: canned meats, including tuna, soups, vegetables, pork and beans, canned or boxed rice, canned or boxed potatoes, sauces.
Boxed items: pasta, mac & cheese, cake mix, tea and coffee.
Paper goods, toiletries.
Thank you
Food Bank Donation
This week's collection is for the Christian Food Pantry of Lady Lake.
In addition to the usual food items, they particularly need: canned fruit, canned mixed vegetables, stewed or diced tomatoes and peanut butter and jelly.
The usual items needed are: canned meats, including tuna, soups, vegetables, pork and beans, canned or boxed rice, canned or boxed potatoes, sauces.
Boxed items: pasta, mac & cheese, cake mix, tea and coffee.
Paper goods, toiletries.
Thank you
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In honor of Earth Day the speaker is R. David Walker,President of the South Florida Audubon Society. David is a fifth generation Floridian with a great love for our state and its' natural resources. He knows Florida's economy depends on the strength of our environment. His talk will focus on the many water quality and water supply challenges that face the state and what can be done to address them. Audubon Florida has been at the forefront of almost every successful effort to protect wetlands and water resources.
Earth Day on the Lake Sumter Market Square
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Starts at 8:00 am
Villagers gather to celebrate Earth Day
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Democratic Women's Club of the Villages
Meets Saturday, April 20, 2019
at the Moyer Recreation Center (3000 Moyer Loop)
Doors open at 9:30 am - The meeting starts at 10:00 am
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What a wealth of Presidential Material
If you are confused by the many candidates seeking our party's nomination for President, you're not alone. The field is too large, in my opinion, but attrition will eventually take place.
But what great ideas are emerging. After months of enduring Donny Dimwit the demagogue and his conservative minions destroying democracy, it is wildly refreshing to hear bright people speak intelligently about climate change, how to meet the coming job losses created by automation and other real issues.
Technology has always been our friend, but if driverless vehicles, self check out at stores and using your phone to scan bar codes, and even more shopping at Amazon continue, jobs will disappear. Some of the candidates see new jobs appearing and I look forward to hearing more from them.
The first Democratic presidential primary debate, to be broadcast on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo, will originate from Miami on June 26 and 27th. Line ups will be determined at random, with each candidate given a fair opportunity to make her or his case. The debate will be streamed for free on NBC News' digital properties, including NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, NBC News Mobile App and OTT apps in addition to Telemundo's digital platforms.
Party Chair Terri Rizzo says, "when our candidates take the stage, they're going to show the American people the Democratic party is the party of ideas."
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I'm not OK with that!
The remarkable comments of Adam Schiff
“My colleagues might think it’s OK that the Russians offered
dirt on the Democratic candidate for president as part of what’s described as
the Russian government’s effort to help the Trump campaign. You might think
that’s OK.
“My colleagues might think it’s OK that when that was offered to
the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the
president’s son did not call the FBI; he did not adamantly refuse that foreign
help – no, instead that son said that he would ‘love’ the help with the
Russians.
“You might think it’s OK that he took that meeting. You might
think it’s OK that Paul Manafort, the campaign chair, someone with great
experience running campaigns, also took that meeting. You might think it’s OK
that the president’s son-in-law also took that meeting. You might think it’s OK
that they concealed it from the public. You might think it’s OK that their only
disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary
Clinton wasn’t better. You might think that’s OK.
“You might think it’s OK that when it was discovered, a year
later, that they then lied about that meeting and said that it was about
adoptions. You might think that it’s OK that it was reported that the president
helped dictate that lie. You might think that’s OK. I don’t.
“You might think it’s OK that the campaign chairman of a
presidential campaign would offer information about that campaign to a Russian
oligarch in exchange for money or debt forgiveness. You might think that’s OK,
I don’t.
“You might think it’s OK that that campaign chairman offered
polling data to someone linked to Russian intelligence. I don’t think that’s
OK.
“You might think it’s OK that the president himself called on
Russia to hack his opponent’s emails, if they were listening. You might think
it’s OK that later that day, in fact, the Russians attempted to hack a server
affiliated with that campaign. I don’t think that’s OK.
“You might think it’s OK that the president’s son-in-law sought
to establish a secret back channel of communication with the Russians through a
Russian diplomatic facility. I don’t think that’s OK.
“You might think it’s OK that an associate of the president made
direct contact with the GRU through Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, that is considered
a hostile intelligence agency. You might think it’s OK that a senior campaign
official was instructed to reach that associate and find out what that hostile
intelligence agency had to say in terms of dirt on his opponent.
“You might think it’s OK that the national security adviser
designate secretly conferred with the Russian ambassador about undermining U.S.
sanctions, and you might think it’s OK that he lied about it to the FBI.
“You might say that’s all OK, that’s just what you need to do to
win. But I don’t think it’s OK. I don’t think it’s OK. I think it’s immoral, I
think it’s unethical, I think it’s unpatriotic and, yes, I think it’s corrupt –
and evidence of collusion.”
“Now I have always said that the question of whether this
amounts to proof of conspiracy was another matter. Whether the special counsel
could prove beyond a reasonable doubt the proof of that crime would be up to
the special counsel, and I would accept his decision, and I do. He’s a good and
honorable man, and he is a good prosecutor.
“But I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is OK. And
the day we do think that’s OK is the day we will look back and say that is the
day that America lost its way.”
“And I will tell you one more thing that is apropos of the
hearing today: I don’t think it’s OK that during a presidential campaign Mr.
Trump sought the Kremlin’s help to consummate a real estate deal in Moscow that
would make him a fortune – according to the special counsel, hundreds of
millions of dollars. I don’t think it’s OK to conceal it from the public. I
don’t think it’s OK that he advocated a new and more favorable policy towards
the Russians even as he was seeking the Russians’ help, the Kremlin’s help to
make money. I don’t think it’s OK that his attorney lied to our committee.
There is a different word for that than collusion, and it’s called
‘compromise.’
“And that is the subject of our hearing today.”
Each of the factual points the chairman raised are supported by
evidence, and as best as I can tell, none of the factual assertions have been
contested by Trump, any of his allies, or the contents of Attorney General Bill
Barr’s memo.
In theory, this should represent the end of the Republican
tantrum over Adam Schiff.
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