We Must Elect Democrats!
About 47,000 kids have been cut from Kid's Care and about 310,000 adults have been cut from AHCCCS
When Will You Get Mad Enough to Fight?
AZ's Republican legislature will do anything to destroy Clean Elections and our Public School System
Feb 11
9
Restore the Funding…
On February 28th we will be holding a “Restore The Funding” Rally/Press Conference at the State Capitol at 11:30am. It is our goal to get the legislature to restore the funding for transplants. Bills will be presented in the House by Rep. Anna Tovar and in the Senate by Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Current speakers include Rep. Tovar, a transplant recipient herself; the sister of one of those being denied a transplant, Dr. Jonathan Weisbuch, Former Maricopa County Health Officer and Director, County Department of Public Health, Phoenix and Dr. Mike Newcomb of KPHX radio, 1480 on the AM dial, Phoenix’s progressive radio. Please join us in letting our legislature know we oppose these cuts to the sick and needy. DFA is preparing a petition, watch for it. DFA-MC is sponsoring this event in conjunction with Democracy for America.
Feb 11
5
Taking Back Arizona
As part of DFA-MC plans for the next year (or two) to help take Arizona back is a messaging program – a plan to get out the Democratic message, our beliefs and hopes for the future. Unfortunately we don’t think enough Arizonans heard about where we stand prior to the mid-term elections and we have to change that NOW. We will be working with other groups such as Organizing for America (OFA) and working within the Democratic Party to get our Democratic message out. Remember if our elected officials and our neighbors don’t hear from us they think we don’t care.
How can you help?
- Call. If you get a request from an organization you trust to call your elected official, do so even if you think they won’t listen, such as Kyl or McCain or Brewer. If you call they will know that people care.
- Write letters to the editor. If they get a lot of letters on a subject they will include some.
- Know the facts and correct people when they are wrong, be it on Facebook (FB), Twitter or across the backyard fence or in the grocery line.
- Let us know if you hear something you don’t think we know about. Our email is info@dfamc.com.
- Regularly check our here, join our FB group, be sure to check in regularly and follow us on Twitter (@dfamc).
We will help you.
- We will share information we get, be it another outrageous thing the Arizona Legislature and/or Brewer are trying to do or provide correct answers to the misinformation (lies) Fox News and the conservative blogosphere is spreading. Our emphasis will be on Arizona. OFA’s is national but we will share both.
- We are gathering the names and emails for the many local area newspapers in Maricopa County and will post that information on our Media Response page that you will find under the Team navigation tag above. As we get the addresses for your local news paper we will post them.
- We will share news from the Arizona Democratic Party and the Maricopa County Democrats. Join us in Taking Arizona Back.
From the Arizona Democratic Party:
It’s been a busy week for the Arizona Democratic Party and our new chair, Andrei Cherny. It’s also been an important week as we set the tone for the party’s new direction and provide a strong message to counter the Russell Pearce Republicans who run the state Capitol.
One of the things Andrei has asked us to do, based on conversations with many of you, is to help Democrats be more assertive in getting our message out. We need your help – at backyard BBQs, in the grocery store aisle, in talking to your friends. So, moving forward, we will begin providing weekly talking points to statewide PCs every Friday, in order to help unify and strengthen our message as Arizona Democrats. Here are some basic talking points for this week:
On what Arizona Democrats stand for:
- Today in Arizona, Democrats represent Arizona’s mainstream, while the Russell Pearce Republicans represent only the extreme.
- Just this week, while Arizona’s economy keeps sinking, the Russell Pearce Republicans introduced a so-called “birther bill,” cited Roe v. Wade as a cause of the Tucson attacks, and are seeking to undermine the basic idea that everyone born in America is equal to anyone else.
- The Arizona Democratic Party is now the “big tent” party where Democrats, independents and fed-up Republicans can work together to move our state forward.
- Arizona Democrats are focused on what really matters to Arizonans — a stronger economy, safer streets, and better schools.
- The Russell Pearce Republicans are stuffing more kids in each classroom and kicking kids off healthcare. They’re taking cops off our streets and letting criminals out of jail and back into our communities. They’ve sold our state Capitol to big banks in New York, and they haven’t lifted a finger to help create jobs.
On the 14th Amendment bills:
- First of all, Arizona Democrats believe illegal immigration is wrong and are in favor of strong measures to crack down on the smuggling rings and cartels that are driving this problem.
- At a time when Arizona should be fighting for a stronger future, the Russell Pearce Republicans want to refight the Civil War. When we should be striding into the 21st century, their motto seems to be “Bring Back the Worst Ideas of the 19th Century.”
- These GOP bills are un-American and go against the very idea of America — anyone born here is as American as anyone else.
- This legislation is a waste of taxpayer money and it solves nothing. It’s also a glaring example of the wrong priorities of the Russell Pearce Republicans.
- Their obsession with frivolous legislation is an insult to all those Arizonans who are losing their jobs, their homes or their health care.
Jan 11
28
Eric Cantor is wrong
Either House Majority Leader Eric Cantor doesn’t understand how Social Security works or he doesn’t care.
Just hours after President Obama said that Social Security cuts and privatization are off the table, Cantor said that Social Security had to be cut to balance the budget. But here’s the thing: Social Security does not and never has added a single dime to the federal deficit.
Let me try to explain this to Mr. Cantor. Social Security is paid for through the payroll tax. Currently, the payroll tax raises way more money than Social Security pays out and things are projected to keep going this way for another couple of decades.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? They add to the deficit. Tax breaks for billionaires? They add to the deficit. Subsidies for big oil? They add to the deficit. Bailing out Mr. Cantor’s friends on Wall Street when they make a bunch of shady deals, cause a financial crisis and almost ruin the world economy? That adds a lot to the deficit.
Simply put, Social Security will run a surplus for decades. The rest of the budget runs a deficit. So, why are we even talking about Social Security?
Here’s why: Eric Cantor and his right-wing friends want to destroy the program. That’s the only reason we’re having this conversation. Join me now and let’s send Eric Cantor and other members of Congress a message — Keep Social Security safe, stable and secure.
Eric Cantor’s comments aren’t anything new. Right-wing Republicans have been trying to tear down Social Security for generations. It’s the holy grail of the right-wing.
Now Republicans are playing with fire — they’re threatening to shut down the government. They’re holding the debt ceiling hostage. They’ll do whatever it takes to put cutting Social Security on the table.
But America is a community. We stand up for one another — including our seniors. That’s why DFA has launched it’s biggest campaign ever to push back against the right-wing lies and spin and to push a real solution to keep Social Security safe, stable and secure forever.
See, right now people like Mitch McConnell and Sarah Palin don’t pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security that most Americans do — and big surprise — neither does Eric Cantor. That’s because the tax is capped at $106,800, but most Americans don’t know it. All we need to do is scrap the cap and make the payroll tax fair and equal for everyone to keep Social Security safe, stable and secure.
Join the movement to beat back the right-wing and keep Social Security safe, stable and secure.
When we stand up for our values of community, security and liberty, America wins.
- Arshad Hasan, Executive Director
Democracy for America
Jan 11
28
Safe, Stable, and Secure
America is a community. We look out for each other as a nation. We build schools for our children, fund police for our safety and provide a secure retirement for our grandparents. We don’t toss aside our seniors when they need our help the most. Instead, each generation of American workers invests in the Social Security Trust Fund under the guarantee that someday when they retire or get too sick to work, the Trust Fund will be there for them.
Now, our community is coming under right-wing attack.
Republicans in the House are chomping at the bit to gut Social Security, threatening to raise the retirement age and cut benefits that millions of seniors depend on to survive. Claiming Social Security is in crisis is simply not true, but that doesn’t stop Republicans from saying it. Even with no changes to the system, reports show Social Security can pay out full benefits until at least 2037.
That’s why cutting benefits now, including raising the retirement age, must remain completely off the table. Social Security is the economic backbone of a retirement free from poverty and homelessness for aging and sick Americans no longer able to work. Raising the retirement age is a job-killer for young Americans while cuts to benefits will force the elderly to choose between food and rent. That is not the America we believe in and we will do everything in our power to stop cuts from happening.
But stopping cuts should not be good enough. We can do better.
Right now, Bill Gates doesn’t pay the same percentage of his income into Social Security that most Americans pay. Neither does Tom Cruise , Donald Trump or for that matter even President Obama. The reason why: the Social Security payroll tax is capped at $106,800 per individual costing tax payers billions of dollars in lost revenue from the people most able to invest. The cap risks the long-term health of the program while effectively giving wealthier Americans a tax cut.
Join me in calling on Congress to keep Social Security safe, stable, and secure for generations to come.
This isn’t just any new campaign. We’re building off the success of our “Hands Off Social Security” campaign last year that helped defeat the reckless proposals created by the Deficit Commission. Now, we’re pulling out all the stops and going on offense.
It’s never been more important to stand up and fight than now. Right-wing Republicans are willing to do anything to tear down Social Security. They’re talking about shutting down the government, holding the debt ceiling hostage. Whatever it takes to destroy Social Security and prop up big banks, insurance companies and Wall Street, they’re going to do it.
We’re building on our biggest campaign ever to stop them and it starts today. The first step is to deliver a message that Americans are unified and standing strong against cuts while fighting for improvements. Can you help us get to 100,000 signatures by the end of the month to launch the campaign and send Congress and the President a message?
Yes! I want to join the campaign
We believe in a strong community that will keep Social Security safe, stable and secure for generations to come and we will stand up to make it happen.
Thank you for taking action today.
- Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America
We’ve come a long way together over the years. We’ve had many victories and our share of setbacks. The next few years aren’t going to be easy either. It’s going to be a fight to stop right-wing Republicans from rolling back progress and forcing gridlock in Congress. We’ll need to work harder than ever to accomplish real change and reelect President Obama in 2012. But we’ve never been afraid of hard work.
We’ve never sat back and hoped for change, we’ve always done what it takes to make it happen.
Which is why it’s time to discuss the State of our Progressive Movement. How we can move forward to unite our country for a better future and take stock in how far we’ve come. We must decide together where we go from here.
The question is still what kind of country do we want to live in?
Republicans often play to the worst impulses in human nature and separate people from each other, scapegoating minority groups and dismantling our community support systems. We have a better answer.
We know what we believe.
We believe in community. We care about our neighbors and we help each other. We can provide a bright future to our children with a quality education and we can provide a secure retirement free from poverty and dependence for our grandparents. And we can accomplish it within a reasonable budget so we don’t leave a burden of debt on the next generation. Democrats are responsible and balance budgets. Democrats lift up the community and make sure that everyone has a chance for a future.
We believe in security. We will foster strong partnerships with other nations to ensure the secure and safe prosperity for all. We will reduce our dependence on resources that make us vulnerable to attack. We will use our American ingenuity to strengthen our own economy and our environment. We won’t start wars of choice and then perpetuate them to keep the military contractors in business. We will fund schools and investment in green jobs over funding bombers and missile defense our military doesn’t need or even want.
We believe in liberty. We respect every American’s right to practice their own religion and to live a life free from bigotry, abuse, and harassment. We will fight discrimination and deliver on the promise of equality for all Americans. We believe that no one, not multinational corporations nor the government, has the right to your personal information to keep tabs on you for profit or unwarranted policing.
We believe in community, security and liberty and we will never back down.
We will fight to live in a country that values those things we hold dear. Whether we are fighting corporate greed or right-wing attacks, we will stand up for what we believe.
So what does that mean for us in the next two years? That means that we must fight for our values against Republican attempts to dismantle any progress we have made. It will be our mission to make sure Americans know the difference between our values and Republicans — a choice between strong communities, security and liberty — or Republican division, greed, and fear.
President Obama said it best at the memorial service for those who were tragically gunned down in Arizona, “As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together.”
I know we will fight even harder in 2011 and 2012 than we did in 2008 to make sure no Republican can turn back the clock on the advances we’ve made so far. We will defeat those who stand against the advances we have yet to make. We will not compromise our values in the name of political expediency. We will always fight to move America forward against those who are determined to force us back…
The State of the Progressive Movement is strong. This is our time to recommit to our work for a better America. You are the reason why we have come so far.
I look forward to working with you, in 2011 and beyond.
- Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Founder, Democracy for America
Join us for a rally and press conference to
“Restore the Funding”
February 28, 2011 at 11:30am
Arizona State Capitol grounds
sponsored by Democracy for America.
Speakers currently confirmed include Rep. Anna Tovar, a transplant recipient herself; the sister of one of the current transplant patients as well as Dr. Jonathan Weisbuch, Former Maricopa County Health Officer and Director, County Department of Public Health, Phoenix.
We cannot allow the State to give our tax money to big businesses and private schools while denying life-saving healthcare to the needy amongst us.
Note: the insurance the Governor and Legislature have, which we pay for, covers their transplants.
Please be there and help us fight these unconscionable cuts. Watch here or sign up for the newsletter [see the left column] for updates on this event as it comes together.
Jan 11
23
February 2nd DFA-MC Meeting
NOTE: CHANGE IN OFFICERS
Our next meeting will be February 2nd at the Old Spaghetti Factory, on Central Ave, just South of McDowell in Phoenix. We will meet our first candidate for 2011, Greg Stanton, running for Mayor of Phoenix. We must begin our charge to reclaim Arizona one city at a time, one school board at a time. Whether you live in Phoenix or not, come meet Greg and learn what you can do to help all our 2011 candidates.
We will also be holding election of officers. Following is the slate of officers proposed by our nominating committee:
Chair: Joe Murphy
Vice-Chair: Mary Jo Nickum
Vice-Chair: Randall Holmes
Treasurer: John Nickum
Secretary: Doris Freeman
Members-at-large: John Beaulieu, Mary Ellen Bradshaw, Carol Corsica, Doris Freeman, John Gallagher, Stephanie, Toby Stahl, and Janet Tillotson, Jeffrey Brown
Per our bylaws the Executive Committee amended the bylaws to increase the number of officers on the Executive Committee from 11 to 15 with a quorum being 50% of the number of filled positions.
Nominations will be taken from the floor.
DFA-MC would like to congratulate Andrei Cherney on becoming Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. We offer our help in anyway we can to improve the chances of Democratic Candidates in Arizona.
Jan 11
16
Time for Civility
Although I don’t think Sarah Palin or Glen Beck or Michelle Bachmann are directly responsible for the disaster in Tucson, I do think their vitriol contributes to the angst of the country. As DFA-MC works on messaging for the next election, I hope we will set the example of civility for Arizona and the USA. The first Messaging Team meeting will be held on Jan. 19 at the Old Spaghetti Factory following the Board Meeting.
Jan 11
3
Monthly Meeting on 1st Wednesday
The January 5th meeting of DFA-MC will feature candidates for the Democratic State Party Chair. Currently we expect Rodney Glassman and Andrei Cherney to be our speakers. Anyone else running for Chair is welcome to speak. RSVP to info@dfamc.com.
We will also announce the slate of officers for 2011 to be elected at the February meeting. We will also discuss the messaging group for the Maricopa County Democrats and a group being organized to create a think tank for Democrats.
Join us at:
The Old Spaghetti Factory
On Central, South of McDowell
Meet for dinner at 6:30pm, meeting at 7pm
