Greetings Staunton Democrats and Happy Halloween ! My scary Halloween costume this year is Ben Cline ! Enclosed are more news, opportunities, future and past event details, and pleadings for volunteers and funds and whatever else we think of. We hope you will look forward to this post every Monday and use it to keep fighting for our democratic values and dedication to all members of our communities. If you wish to submit information to be published by the SDC then please email the information to publicity@staunton-democrats.care . We can publish to the blog weekly, and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) more frequently. Please send all comments and feedback to publicity@staunton-democrats.care . And now for the show ! This week: Opportunities and calls for action ! The SDC Candidate Forum for the Win ! VOTE ! Our Democracy at Stake ! Events SDC Coffee The SDC blog - NEW Posts ! What is a living wage for Staunton ? News from our friends Ben Cline (Sigh!) Jennifer Lewi
Greetings Staunton Democrats !
Enclosed are more riveting news, opportunities, future and past event details, and pleadings for volunteers and funds and whatever else we think of. We hope you will look forward to this post every Monday and use it to keep fighting for our democratic values and dedication to all members of our communities.
If you wish to submit information to be published by the SDC then please email the information to publicity@sawdemocrats.care . We can publish to the blog weekly, and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) more frequently. Please send all comments and feedback to publicity@sawdemocrats.care .
And now for the show !
This week:
- Opportunities and calls for action !
- Health News You Can Use
- Random Local News
- Events
- Candidate Forum (sponsored by the SDC)
- SDC Coffee
- The SDC blog - NEW SECTION and posts
- News from our friends
- Democratic achievements and news
- Meanwhile, the Republicans …
- Ben Cline (Sigh!)
- Jennifer Lewis (YAY !)
- Staunton City Council and School Board races
Opportunities and Calls for Action !
ANYTHING That You Can Do Is Helpful !
Donate to the Staunton Democratic CommitteeWhere will your money go ?
Donations may be used in election related activities (mailings, radio issue ads, events for voter registration and candidate support, door to door canvassing for local regional candidates, etc).
Donations can also be used to support the SDC office and printing capabilities that are needed during the non-stop elections seasons. We are also looking towards the future since there is a Virginia Legislature election in a year then the 2024 elections. The fight is a continuing effort !
- Join the Staunton Democratic Committee and Join an SDC Committee (SDC membership is required). Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. Without volunteers you would not be reading this very fine publication !
- Volunteer - door to door canvassing for candidate - The SDC is trying to organize some canvassing efforts and some individuals are interested in canvassing their neighborhood on their own. Regardless, we NEED volunteers since leaflets don’t distribute themselves.
- Spend a few hours staffing the SDC Headquarters – answer phones, talk to visitors, data tasks, distribute canvassing and electoral information, etc.
- The Jennifer Lewis for Congress campaign needs volunteers to help. Get in touch with Peri Price at peri@friendsofjenniferlewis.
Health News You Can Use
FDA Authorizes Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines for Use as a Booster Dose
These new vaccines are more omicron specific (Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are the current dominant strains of Covid-19).
Availability is apparently the week on 9/7/22.
If you have already had your primary Covid-19 vaccine series or a booster more than 2 months ago and 18+ for the Moderna and 12+ for the Pfizer-BioNTech then you are eligible for the new Bivalent vaccine.
Talk to your health care provider to see if the Bivalent booster is appropriate for you.
FYI, I got the Pfizer Bivalent updated booster on 9/10/22 and only had mild side effects for about 24 hours and am back to normal now.
Random Local News
Help the planet !
Augusta County recycles mixed paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum and steel (bi-metal) but no plastics.
Events !
Candidate Forum
Tuesday 9/13/22 at 7 PM the SDC is holding a non-partisan Candidate Forum
Live Streaming at: https://www.facebook.com/stauntonorgnzng/
To be uploaded later for viewing at: https://youtube.com/channel/UCzpzyR3JX3N0bsRUZjbojpg
We have invited all the Staunton City Council and School Board candidates as well as VA 6th Congressional District candidates Ben Cline and Jennifer Lewis.
A moderator will officiate and ask questions of the candidates that we hope will reveal the differences between them and allow the public to make a more informed voting decision.
The doors open at 6:00 pm food available, the forum starts at 7:00 pm. Use the entrance for Tempest Bar and Lounge on North Central Ave.
MASKING AND VACCINATION IS REQUESTED
IF YOU ARE SICK THEN STAY HOME AND WATCH THE LIVE-STREAMING
RESPECT YOUR FELLOW STAUNTONIANS
An Alice Woods for City Council event:
Brad Arrowood is hosting an event - “Let's Talk About the City We Want”
Saturday September 17 4-6pm at the Mill Street Grill
Join him for music, drink, food, fun and great conversation!
Other Candidate Forums:
September 27, 7pm Marquis Memorial Church on W Beverly. All City Council Candidates have been invited. Sponsored by the Staunton West End Business Association
October 15, 1pm-4pm Gypsy Hill Gymnasium. All Local Candidates have been invited. Sponsored by Building Bridges
SDC Coffee at Serendipity – what could be better than sitting at a local coffee shop with a great cup of their fresh brew (supplied by the SDC) and talking to compatriots about the news of the day.
I have been attending the SDC Coffee at Serendipity Java Bar and Eatery since I joined the SDC in May 2022 and have met wonderful people and learned much in the subsequent discussions.
This happens on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 9-11 AM.
Donations are welcome to help pay for the coffee or you can order something else for yourself (including food).
Serendipity is located at https://bit.ly/3Pru44b . You can find this event and many others at the SDC Event Calendar on the SDC website at https://www.sawdemocrats.com/calendar .
The SDC Blog
The SDC blog is coming along slowly but nicely. Now there are 6 sections !
Learning from our Readers - NEW SECTION ! - We are now publishing letters to the editor from our readers. Three letters just this week. Go read them to appreciate our fellow local Democrats
Staunton Democrats Speak ! - this section is more issue specific and currently has 2 articles “Vote Like Your Pants Are On Fire !” and “Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, is my HERO !” We plan other posts called “My Wife is not a Second Class Citizen”, “On the Chopping Block” and others (I will give you a cookie if you can guess the topics behind these titles).
Ben Cline. Where’s the beef ? - this section is dedicated to the appalling and anemic performance of our current VA 6th District Congressional Representative. With your help we can retire this section on November 9, 2022. Snippets of his record will occur weekly in this Email with more discussion of the bills and vote on the SDC blog.
Thoughts from Yvonne Surette – Yvonne is a well known local columnist who always (to use a basketball reference) swishes her jumpshots.
Democratic achievements – Democrats are generally humble people and think more about the world as a whole rather than just themselves. Thus, we are generally very bad at tooting our own horn when we do something good. Talking points included.
Community Voices - In this section the Staunton Democrats hope to soon publish content from users and organizations from the Staunton area that have a unique perspective on life and where they fit into the American melting pot. There are many voices that are not often heard so we hope to help them ! This may include contributions from the LGBTQ community, from younger voters, those who are struggling to help others and those who are just struggling. We want to hear about your lived experience. Knowing and caring about our neighbors better is why we are Democrats.
Of course I am going to ask for volunteers and writers and any ideas and feedback you may have.
The SDC blog is at https://blog.sawdemocrats.care
News from our Friends
From Cindy Connors at the Staunton Visioning Coalition Steering Committee:
Greetings all !
With just over two weeks until early voting begins, our candidates Alice, Brad, Michele, Fontella, Kristin and Stephanie need our active support. What can you do ? We have lots of great suggestions! Don't stop reading here...check them all out and choose the best ones for you.
Candidate Forums
September 13, 7pm Tempest Bar in the Clock Tower (enter from N Central, doors open at 6 for food and drinks, event starts promptly at 7).
All Local and Congressional Candidates have been invited. Sponsored by the Staunton Democrats
September 27, 7pm Marquis Memorial Church on W Beverly.
All City Council Candidates have been invited. Sponsored by the Staunton West End Business Association
October 15, 1pm-4pm Gypsy Hill Gymnasium.
All Local Candidates have been invited. Sponsored by Building Bridges
There are others in the works and we will keep you posted as we receive additional information
Volunteer on Election Day
The Staunton Visioning Coalition plans to have a table/information supporting our candidates at each voting location.
We need volunteer "Captains" to adopt each of the 5 polling locations to assist with volunteer recruitment, set up and clean up.
We need pairs of volunteers to work two hour shifts (with the exception of the first shift). 6-9am, 9-11am, 11am-1pm, 1-3pm, 3-5pm, 5-7pm
We need canopies and tables.
The locations are:
Ward 1 Third Presbyterian Church 1313 Barterbrook Rd
Ward 2 Christ United Methodist Church 1500 Churchville Ave
Ward 3 Gypsy Hill Park Gym 229 116th Regimental Rd
Ward 4 Seventh Day Adventist Church 1000 North Coalter St
Ward 5 Memorial Baptist Church 224 Taylor St
RSVP to stauntonvisioningcoalition@gmail.com if you are interested in Captaining a location (we have a captain for Ward 4). A sign-up sheet will be sent at a later date for the shifts, but we are happy to hear from you now if you are interested.
Educate yourselves on all the candidates
There have been several articles in the Augusta Free Press (no need for a subscription), hopefully they will cover all the candidates soon.
Alice Woods: https://augustafreepress.com/woods-seeks-to-bring-unity-of-purpose-to-staunton-city-council/
Eric Curren: https://augustafreepress.com/why-would-anybody-want-to-run-for-staunton-city-council-erik-curren-gives-his-reasons/
Brad Arrowood: https://augustafreepress.com/talk-about-the-city-we-want-brad-arrowood-runs-for-staunton-city-council/
Communicate your support for our candidates
Door Knock - the number one way to help candidates earn more votes
Donate - help them pay for materials to connect with donors
Write your own letter to the editor - News Virginian is currently the only paper we are aware of doing LTEs - https://newsvirginian.com/site/forms/online_services/letter_editor/
Share your support on your social media pages - write your own post or share from their sites
Reach out directly to the campaigns and offer assistance:
Democratic Achievements and Related News
In the Alaska special congressional election, Democrat Mary Peltola defeated former governor and 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin for the state’s sole Congressional seat. Peltola took 51.5 percent of the vote to Palin’s 48.5 percent, bringing at least a temporary end to Palin’s belated attempt at a political comeback. Why is this important (aside for stopping Palin in her tracks) ? First, Peltola would be the first Alaska Native (she is Yup’ik). Democrats have also now overperformed their 2020 margins in all five special elections held since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. And Peltola’s overperformance is the biggest yet. Peltola turned a state Donald Trump won by 10 points in 2020 into a three-point win — a shift of 13 points. We are on a roll !
Labor market added 315,000 jobs in August [2022], a bright spot in the economy. A stellar 20 consecutive months of sustained job growth more than recovered the millions of jobs lost during the pandemic.
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Mississippi Emergency Declaration. See the backstory listed in the next section named “This multi-billion dollar corporation …”
Judge strikes down 1931 Michigan law criminalizing abortion. This was the trigger law that threatened women’s rights and health in Michigan pending the Roevember ballot that could enshrine those rights in the Michigan Constitution.
Remember to vote BLUE in Roevember !
Meanwhile, the Republicans …
At least nine Republican congressional candidates have scrubbed or amended references to Trump or abortion from their online profiles in recent months, distancing themselves from divisive subjects that some GOP strategists say are two of the biggest liabilities for the party ahead of the post-Labor Day sprint to Election Day. This includes Yesli Vega, a Republican running for the U.S. House in a competitive Virginia district against Democrat incumbent Abigail Spanberger. So much for the party of principle.
Teachers and kids are back in school with an abundance of new restrictions, disrespect and lack of pay for what they are worth. Where is this coming from ? The right is demanding speech and thought restrictions and banning books and of course cutting taxes disallows investment in our children. Here is a nice short video from Robert Reich regarding the problem.
Michigan Republicans block abortion referendum, setting up showdown in the state Supreme Court. The board’s chairman, Anthony Daunt (Republican) apparently objected because of defects in spacing in the original petition. Really ! You cannot make this stuff up !
BREAKING NEWS ! Michigan Supreme Court says abortion ballot measure will be put to voters in November (see the previous story above).
Gov. Youngkin reveals plan addressing teacher shortage, learning loss. Youngkin delivered a multi-point executive order to assess and address the Virginia teacher shortage. What he does NOT say anything about is teacher pay and the meddling of politicians and others in how a teacher does the job. School board member Jonathan Young said retention is a big issue for Richmond Public Schools, where one quarter, or 25.6%, of RPS teachers, walked away last school year. He described the problem succinctly “We’re losing teachers because they are being micromanaged - because they are being told to shut up, sit down, know your place”.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin to campaign for Maine Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage, a former two-term governor with a history of making racially incendiary remarks. He called Black and Hispanic people “the enemy” and said that many out-of-state drug traffickers passing through Maine “impregnate a young White girl before they leave.”
Catholic health care systems prohibit access to reproductive care including birth control pills, IUDs, tubal ligation, and vasectomies. According to the story, four of the ten largest healthcare systems in the US in 2020 were Catholic and other systems are affected when Catholic agencies are hired to manage healthcare services. Combine this with the $4 million the Kansas Catholic church spent to overturn abortion in Kansas and the Catholic church is a major force against women’s rights and health care.
Republican state attorneys general and other leading conservatives are exploring a slew of potential lawsuits targeting President Biden’s plan to cancel some student debt — challenges that could limit or invalidate the policy before it takes full effect. Well, that’s going to be a popular position to take !
The Biden Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan Is Popular and Will Benefit the Economy
This multi-billion dollar corporation exacerbated the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi. This article details how Mississippi state Republicans refused to help Jackson repair their water system then a major corporation screwed up their magic solution to the problem (how could this happen ? The private sector is the solution to all of our problems !). So why does anyone think that any state Republicans in power are, in any way, interested in helping their constituents ? What does this pattern of behavior mean for the pregnant women who will undergo forced birth and for rest of their lives ? Remember that the Dobbs lawsuit originated in Mississippi.
These Republicans cheered abortion policy going to states. They are also sponsoring a federal ban. Republicans talking out of both sides of their mouths ? I am shocked !
Steve Bannon faces state indictment in N.Y. Could not happen to a better grifter.
Va. attorney general creates ‘Election Integrity Unit’. Republican conspiracy theories have arrived in Virginia !
GOP backs away from some hard-line abortion measures it once championed. So why is this in this section of the SDC Weekly ? At first glance this would appear to be a good thing that the GOP is backing off of their hard right extreme positions about abortion. Don’t believe it for a minute. GOP politicians and well known for changing their spots when it is most advantageous for them and later showing their true self later. Remember Youngkin avoiding questions about his abortion position inorder to seem more moderate during the campaign ? Well, now he is asking hard right legislators to come up with restrictive abortion legislation. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM !
Medical Impact of Roe Reversal Goes Well Past Abortion Clinics, Doctors Say. Video also. This is what happens when politicians do not listen to experts.
Republicans look to restrict ballot measures following a string of progressive wins. More evidence of Repubs cheating and restricting voter rights.
Rick Scott Horror Stories
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is the Senate leader in charge of the Republicans taking control of the Senate in November 2022. He devised a 12 point plan to “Rescue America”. Please don’t go to his website without nausea medication. I will be highlighting some of the absolutely harmful or hypocritical Republican proposals and providing some commentary..
Let’s try another Rick Scott Republican gem. Please sit down for this. “All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again” from the Government Reform & Debt section.
Whoops ! There goes Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, laws against murder or fraud. All military and government personnel are fired. Unbelievable !
For many years the Republicans have wanted to get rid of what they call “entitlement” programs but are actually lifelines for millions of Americans.
More to come !
Ben Cline (sigh!)
This section of the SDC Weekly Email has been voted the hands down favorite of our readers ! Not really but like a fender bender on the highway you cannot avert your eyes from Ben Cline’s appalling voting record !
More detailed information about Ben Cline’s voting record is located on our Staunton Democrats Speak ! Blog – Ben Cline has his own section called “Ben Cline. Where’s the beef ?”
Ben Cline voted NO to removing the deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Between not wanting to pay women equally and this NO vote, we know what Cline thinks of women.
Ben Cline voted NO against the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 which expands labor protections related to employee’s rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace.
Ben Cline voted NO against the For the People Act which expands voter registration and access and removes the ability to suppress and subvert elections.
Remember to vote BLUE in Roevember !
Jennifer Lewis
More about Jennifer at:
Staunton City Council and School Board Races
The Staunton Newsleader has summary profiles of some of the Staunton, Augusta and Waynesboro School Board candidates.
Thanks for reading !
If you have any suggestions or corrections then please email to publicity@sawdemocrats.care and put Feedback for Weekly Email 9/12/22 in the subject line.
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