The Impact We Are Having on Local Politics is Phenomenal
Thank you for helping in the signing of nomination papers. We need to get Chris Taylor for Supreme Court and Christine Hansen for Appeals Court District 2 on the ballot as well as all of our local candidates!
The impact this county party is having on local politics is phenomenal. Here is the lineup of speakers we had at our meeting Wednesday night: Mandela Barnes, gubernatorial candidate; Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin, our representative in Wisconsin’s 8th Senate District; Melissa Custer, candidate for Ozaukee County Board Grafton District 12; Dana Glasstein, candidate for Assembly District 22; Jack Holzman, candidate for Assembly District 59; Deb Andraca, our representative in Wisconsin’s Assembly District 23; Senator Kelda Roys, gubernatorial Candidate; Mike Heidenreich, 6th CD candidate; and Brad Smith, 6th CD candidate.
Other candidates and elected officials in the room included Monas Khan, running for Ozaukee County Board District 20; Dan Vogel, running for both the Town of Grafton Board and Ozaukee County Board District 10; Jen Mackinnan, Ozaukee County Board District 19; Connie Kincaide, candidate for re-election to the Cedarburg School Board and Ozaukee County Board District 16; Kevin Curtis, Grafton Village trustee; and Yvonne Klotz, Port Washington School Board member. Wow!
There was a time when if I wanted to get yard signs for Democratic presidential candidates, I had to go to Milwaukee and purchase them. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin said that giving our county yard signs was a waste of time. Times have changed. We are rapidly closing the gap as a county on Republicans and have surpassed their vote in many of our larger municipalities.
Nationally, Wednesday night President Trump gave another one of his useless speeches, and the equally useless Speaker of the House Mike Johnson sent the House home again. There will be NO VOTE on the extension of tax subsidies for the ACA premiums. According to Aaron Parnas, “Mike Johnson and House Republicans sent the House of Representatives home for the rest of the year, assuring that there will be no vote on the discharge petition put forth but moderate Republicans and Democrats to extend the subsidies for a period of three years. The earliest there will be a vote on the petition will be early next year, potentially after open enrollment ends for the Affordable Care Act.” Really responsible and caring policy. Call Glenn Grothman’s office and tell him how mad you are about their absolute lack of accountability. Glenn's Fond du Lac Office number is 920-907-0624 and his DC number is 202-225-2476. Shame on them.
In conclusion, we are supposed to be entering a season of joy across many faiths. Instead we once again have our faces shoved into another season of violence.
As one of the goodhearted members of our county party, Rhonda Lindner, said to me on the phone this week, “All tragedies are not equal.” I believe the work of this party – of the helpers, as Fred Rogers would say, in this room – need to become more aggressive in our fight. It is time to go beyond condemning the shooters, assassins and horribly dangerous people living among us.
It is our responsibility to work as hard as we can and as we have been trying to do, to elect local, state, and federal people to office. To stop the meaningless thoughts and prayer conversations. To stop the “hateful policies from Washington” on down. All of us have a personal story of pain, regret, and yes joy. I am grateful to every one of you. I appreciate the work the committee chairs, committee members and leadership team put in every day. Thank you.
When I was teaching Sociology, I used to show a French film titled Night and Fog. It is one of the most graphic and unsettling documentaries I have ever seen on the Holocaust. All high schools in France require their students to watch this film. It was subtitled so my kids had to pay especially close attention. At the end of the film the narrator says, “The monster is sleeping but it has one eye open.” I am afraid it has more than one eye open. Donald Trump is just one of those monsters.
Our New Year’s resolution is that we will work to make this Grothman’s and all the other Republicans in our county their last term in office.
Happy holidays, and see you next year, for the next stage of our growth and influence.