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This is the newsletter for the Villages Democratic Club - the largest Democratic Club in all of Florida!
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Neighborhood Buzz
News and Commentary
for Democrats and Independents
Editor - Jerry Meyer
jerrymeyer.meyer1@gmail.com
Meets monthly on Second Saturday at Colony Recreation Center
doors open at 9:00 am - program at 9:30 am
July 13th speaker - Paul Nathanson
Nathanson served as director of the University of New Mexico
Institute of Law, where he is now an emeritus professor.
In 2018 Justice in Aging honored Nathanson with its Hall of Fame Award.
Headquarters 300 S. Main in Wildwood
Save Lot Shopping Center
(My first unsolicited campaign slogan)
My bid is: NO TRUMP!
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Invigorated in Orlando
Villages Democrats who traveled to Orlando to counter the Trump Presidential kick off campaign say they were invigorated by the experience, although they were some distance from the activity around Trump. Their bus deposited them just a few blocks from the Amway Center, just outside Stonewall Bar Orlando, with a good view of the stage and in the center of the counter programming and street protests. The speakers were progressive representatives from minority and marginalized communities.
Just after boarding the bus in Wildwood, it started to rain lightly, but it stopped just as they pulled into the parking lot in Orlando. The bus was slightly early and for a time the Villagers were part of a rather small crowd, and were quickly sought out by the large group of reporters looking for interviews. Every Orlando TV station carried an interview with a Village Democrat on their evening news. When other Democrats started to arrive, they were pleased to see the delegation from the Villages, with many expressing surprise at the vitality of the group. Apparently they were under the impression people from a retirement community would all be very old and somewhat feeble.
One unexpected turn was the arrival of the "Proud Boys." considered a boisterous and often racist group of Trump supporters. Police quickly set up a line between the two sides, containing the contact between them to shouting matches.
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| Kerry Sanders |
MSNBC in the Villages
Sumter Co. In Florida is one of two counties in the state, reportedly hacked by the Russians ahead of the 2016 elections. MSNBC’s Kerry Sanders came to the Villages recently to try to determine why the Russians would want to attack such a Republican stronghold.
One of the people he spoke to was Chris Stanley, President of the Villages Democrats, who told him that when the story first came out she said, “no way, it makes no sense.” Now she says,” if I were a hacker and I wanted to see if my plan was going to work I would choose a little county that nobody would have paid attention to. Everybody knows this is a red county and it is going to vote red, and so if you just wanted to see if your system worked, this is a good county to just kind of try it out on. The voters need to know, if their vote was safe, and was counted. We turned out 78% of the Democratic vote in 2018, I wonder if we didn’t have 80%?”
Sanders also talked to Art Donnelly of the Villagers for
Trump. He says it’s no secret hacking
took place and he thinks it happened here.
He isn’t concerned about the exact intent, but thinks anything that
undermines the general public’s sense of security or integrity in the system is
going to hurt us.”
Gov. DeSantis told Sanders the FBI told him the hackers did
not tamper with any data or compromise election results.
Donnelly thinks it is a long term problem and the hackers are looking to
undermine confidence on a long term
basis, perhaps even generational.
In his summation Sanders said both Democrats and Republicans
are concerned about whether the Russians actually hacked. “The Republicans seem to believe, in broad
strokes, that the system is going to resolve this, I don’t need to know too many
details, I have trust in the system.
Where the Democrats in Florida are saying wait a second, two of the 67
counties in the state were hacked, which two, why won’t you tell us? And what
is being done to make sure this doesn’t happen again? So, details wanted by Democrats, and Republicans
with a greater belief the system will resolve it.”
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News from DC
Sara
Huckabee Sanders, who took over the job as President Trump’s Press Secretary
from Sean Spicer, is now following him out the door, heading back to Arkansas.
Spicer’s
term was a constant battle with the Press, Providing Saturday Night Live with enough material for two classic
skits. His briefings evolved into a
daily “scrum” with reporters and the final straw came when Anthony Scaramucci
was hired as communications secretary.
Spicer quit in July of 2017.
Sanders
proved equally combative behind the podium.
Like Trump she was combative with reporters and displayed a tenuous
relationship with the truth. She was
caught flat footed when she claimed FBI agents told her they approved of the
firing of Director James Comey. In
testimony to the special counsel’s office, she described the statement as a
“slip of the tongue.”
Kellyanne
Conway is taking heat, but probably will not face consequences for violations
of the Hatch Act. The 1939 law bars Executive Branch
employees from campaigning while on the job.
The U.S.
Office of Special Counsel, no conection
to Robert Meuller, said Conway violated the law numerous times.
Citizens for
Responsibility in Washington, an ethics watchdog, has launched a petition drive
to remove Conway from her job. However
President Trump isn’t interested and has said he is not going to fire her.
The military
is reported cyber attacking Russia’s electric power grid, placing potentially
crippling malware in the system to be used for surveillance or attack,
apparently a response to possible Russian actions here.
The website Common Dreams, says the New York Times
is reporting the President is being kept out of the loop.
The New York
Times reports that Deutsche Bank, still tangled in the financial dealings of
the Trump family empire, is being investigated by U.S. authorities for
potential money-laundering lapses regarding transactions linked to President
Donald Trump, and son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner.
Associated Press
reports say U.S. air quality is worsening, with an increase in polluted air
days over the last two years.
At the same time
the Trump administration has wiped out an Obama administration rule that tried to
rein in fossil fuel emissions.
Lawmakers and
coal state officials see the EPA replacement rule as key to staving off coal plant closings.
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Villages Democrats Monthly Breakfast
TUESDAY - JUNE 25TH
WORLD OF BEER - SPANISH SPRINGS
OPEN TO ALL! NO RESERVATION OR VILLAGES ID REQUIRED
$10.00 INCLUDES BREAKFAST, BEVERAGE, TIP AND CONVERSATION
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VILLAGES DEMOCRATS MONTHLY FOOD DRIVE
At the July 13th meeting the food pantry collection will benefit:
The Christian Food Pantry of Lady Lake.
They need: Canned goods, fruit, meats, vegetables, soups, chowders, tuna, pork & beans, mac and cheese, sauce, pasta
Boxed goods: pasta, cereal, cake mix, rice, oatmeal.
Also: peanut butter, jelly, paper products.
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Be Part of the 20 for 2020 Campaign
Join your fellow Democrats
by making a $20 monthly donation.
Your donation will help keep the campaign headquarters
open though the 2020 campaign.
Help educate and engage with voters and community groups
and - help register more Democratic voters.
Log on to sumterdemocrats.com
and click on "Donate Today"
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Have you thought about running for office?
Your skills may be of value for a Villages CDD or County Commission member!
For assistance on how to run for office contact:
Mike Hardy - Democrat Party Candidate Coordinator
mlhardy024521@gmail.com
352-623-7823
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We are looking for Artistic Democrats
Are you a painter, pencil artist, potter or quilt maker?
Are you one of the many artists in the Villages
whose work is admired by everyone?
Were you a professional artist before moving to the Villages?
Would you consider donating a piece of your work to be included
in the "Silent Auction" at the Sumter County Democrats Gala?
This event will be held November 9th, 2019 at Harbor Hills Country Club!
All items will be prominently displayed, with a tent card describing your work.
Funds raised at the Gala make possible our outreach efforts on behalf of the Democratic Party and our work to elect candidates
who reflect the America we hold dear.
If you are willing to contribute an item please respond to:
Lydia Busch at 504-377-7450
Or
Jean Cutter at 978-764-904
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This book, by Beverly Steele is available on AmazonSmile. Ten per cent of the sales will go to to Young Performing Artists when buyers choose it as their charity.
Steele is the CEO and owner of The Steele Organization, LLC, a for profit marketing and management firm. She is also the founder of Young Performing Artists, Inc., a 501 c(3) not for profit statewide focused, state corporation.
Steele is the recipient of the Robert W. Saunders' Library's Lamp of Knowledge award, the Daughters of the Union 1861-1865 Civil War Remembrance Award, the Florida Alliance for Arts Education Business Leader Statewide Award, the Sumter County Community Hero award and a 2015 Be More Entrepreneurial award. She has a Bachelor of Science, with a minor in Business Administration from Florida A & M University. She lives in Royal Oak with her husband and 97 year young mother.
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