Flagler County Democratic Party ( DEC) e- Newsletter

Message from the Chair:

May, 2012

Volume 2 Issue 5 May , 2012 Newsletter

Flagler County Executive

In this issue:
*Location *Club Meeting *Dates and Times *Contact us *State and Local *National *Legal Notice *Flagler County Democratic Party Structure *Comment/ Thoughts *Armed Forces Day *Memorial Day *Verma for Congress Dist. 6 *Doug Courtney for State Rep. Dist. 24 *Volunteer/Donate *Well Wishes *Mothers Day

Hello Fellow Democrats,

DAN PARHAM, CHAIRMAN

A reminder to anyone that wants to file to run as a County Presidential Delegate to the State Delegate selection conference (June 2 - 4th, 2012 in Tampa) . The election will be held on May 5, 2012, between 10 am and 2 pm at the Chamber of Commerce on Rte 100, near the Flagler County Airport. Even if you do not wish to run as a Delegate, plan to vote during the election. We want the total State wide vote on May 5th, 2012 to exceed the State wide vote that the Republican Candidates receive during their Presidential Primary. We are having, on a regular basis - Phone Banking, Canvassing, Candidate Petition Signings and Voter Registration Drives at the Flagler County Democratic Headquarters, (DEC), and about town. We are very excited at the success and the number of people from all walks who are now involved in the process of making sure the President and Local Democrats are elected. Make no mistake, you are making this happen and if you want it to reflect positively on Election Day, you will continue the momentum by volunteering to get that word out, THAT WE ALL MUST VOTE! If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer in this exciting on going movement, you can do so by any of the following ways: Call the office at (386) 283-4904 Fill out a Volunteer form on the website : http://www.flaglerdemocraticparty.com Send a volunteer message to email : flaglercntydem@gmail.com Volunteer your home for meetings.

PRIMARY ELECTION DAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 2012

Flagler County

Page 2

One Hargrove Grade Bldg. A Suite 1D, Palm Coast, Florida, 32164 P.O. Box 350928, Palm Coast, Florida, 32135

Date and Location of DEC and Club Meetings

Our Democratic Executive Committee meets the 2nd Monday of every month @ 7pm. Meetings are held at the Flagler County Headquarters Conference Room, One Hargrove Grade, Palm Coast, Fl., 32137. Our next meeting is scheduled for May 14th, 2012. (Directions: Palm Coast Pkwy West to Rte. 1, make a right at light, then a left at next intersection, then another left at the first driveway. Look for One Hargrove Grade sign). Hope to see you there.

The
Flagler County Democratic Party (DEC)
(386) 283-4904 flaglercntydem@gmail.com Find us on the web: www.flaglerdemocraticparty.com Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/flaglercountydemocraticparty

The Democratic Womens Club meets the 1st Saturday of every month at 11am. Next scheduled meeting is May 5, 2012. Location: Flagler Chamber of Commerce 20 Airport Road, Palm Coast, Fl. In lieu of the Womans Club Meeting there will be an observance and participation in the Presidential Delegate election.
The election will be held on May 5, 2012, between 10 am and 2 pm at the Chamber of Commerce on Rte 100, near the Flagler County Airport. Even if you do not wish to run as a Delegate, plan to vote during the election. We want the total State wide vote on May 5th, 2012 to exceed the State wide vote that the Republican Candidates receive during their Presidential Primary.

Flagler County Democratic Club meeting Are held the 4th Tuesday of each month. The next scheduled meeting is May 22, 2012., at 7 PM. Location: TBA
Regretfully the Flagler County Democratic Party (DEC)'s Precinct 31 (Grand Haven Democrats) has had to cancel their Tuesday, May 1, 2012 Fund-Raising Meet and Greet. Precinct Captain Art Dycke indicated there are several competing event's on that evening and there is too little time to advertise a new date properly. He indicated that they will probably wait until mid July to reschedule.

Courtney Chaplin, President. ( 386) 283-4904 or Cell ( 386) 793-1561

Volume 2 Issue 5

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Re-electing President Barack Obama is my top priority as Chair of the Florida Democratic Party and today I would like to invite you to take part in an exciting process that helps Florida Democrats do just that.

This year, Florida will send 300 delegates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC to officially select the Democratic nominee for President -- and the path to becoming a delegate to the National Convention and electing our President begins by participating in a County Caucus on May 5th.

Click here to learn how you can be part of this historic process, and to learn about how you can take the first step towards becoming a delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Already know you want to run as a delegate? Then click here to download and learn how to submit the State Delegate Filing Form.

Florida will play a historic role in re-electing our President. Please join us by participating in your local county caucus on May 5, and lets make history together.

Sincerely, Rod Smith, Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party

THE MORE YOU KNOW

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2012 CONTACT: Mark Hollis (850) 488-9622

DEMOCRATIC RANKING MEMBER STATEMENT Rep. Charles Chestnut Comments on Governor Scott's Budget Action T " HIS BUDGET FAILS FLORIDA's FAMILIES" TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Rep. Charles Chestnut (D-Gainesville), the Democratic Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the governor's action today on the state budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13. "The Republican-crafted budget signed by Governor Scott today is an assault on Florida's middle class with deep cuts to health care and higher education. At a time when the Legislature could have focused more extensively on job creation, the Republican spending plan cuts more than 4,300 positions from state government and slashes funding for hospitals, nursing homes and universities. Though monies are put toward important projects, this budget fails to meet the overall needs of our state and eliminates jobs that could bolster Florida's economic rebound. "The education portion of the budget is $2.1 billion less than what the Legislature put toward public schools only five years ago, and it fails to fully restore the massive cuts to our schools that the Republican leadership approved only a year ago. "While some people say that the budget is crafted without new taxes, it raises tuition and relies upon mandatory contributions, or what I call a personal income tax, of 3 percent on teachers, firefighters, police officers and hundreds of thousands of other participants in the Florida Retirement System. "In addition, we cannot forget that the Republican-run Legislature has passed on to Florida's middle class millions of dollars in new costs in the form of higher driver's license and auto-tag fees starting three years ago.

"This budget fails Florida's families and moves our great state in the wrong direction."

Money Struggles, Not Mommy Wars

Thursday, 19 April 2012 11:31 By EJ Dionne Jr, Washington Post Writers Group | Op-Ed 2012, Washington Post Writers Group

Washington - Instead of fighting a phony mommy war over what Hilary Rosen said about Ann Romney, we should face the fact that most families these days cannot afford to have one parent stay home with the kids. This is not about "lifestyle" or "values." This is an economic struggle highlighting yet again the social costs arising from decades of stagnating or declining wages and growing income inequality. There is a profound class bias in our discussion of what mothers should or should not do. The public debate seems premised on the idea that all two-parent families have a choice as to whether one or both work. That's still true for the better-off. But this choice is denied to most American families. They have had to send two people into the workforce whether they wanted to or not. Thus the importance of a study released this week by the Center for American Progress that deserves wide attention. The report demonstrates conclusively that the ruckus over Ann Romney's decisions is 30 years out of date. Its core conclusion: "Most children today are growing up in families without a full-time, stay-at-home caregiver." "In 2010, among families with children," the study notes, "nearly half (44.8 percent) were headed by two working parents and another one in four (26.1 percent) were headed by a single parent. As a result, fewer than one in three (28.7 percent) children now have a stay-at-home parent, compared to more than half (52.6 percent) in 1975, only a generation ago." And these changes are driven more by economics than by any of the mommy war issues that provide so much fodder for television and radio brawls. "Breadwinning wives are even more common in families with lower incomes," according to the CAP report. "Seven in 10 (69.7 percent) working wives earn as much or more than their husbands in the bottom 20 percent of income distribution for all families. And about half (45.3 percent) of working wives are breadwinners in families in the middle of the income distribution, up from four in 10 (39.1 percent) in 2007 and only 15.2 percent in 1967." So here's the deal: If you want more households in which one parent can stay home with the kids, you need to boost the incomes of average American families -- and especially of poorer families. For millions of American moms and dads, debates about "feminism" or "social conservatism" are irrelevant. It's about money. The timing of the report was not driven by the Romney-Rosen kerfuffle. Written by Sarah Jane Glynn, it was an update of an earlier study by CAP senior economist Heather Boushey that was part of a project on working women organized by Maria Shriver. Tuesday was "Equal Pay Day" and Boushey said the new study sought to underscore that equal pay "isn't just about women, it's about their families, because women are the breadwinner or co-breadwinner." We need to look at both sides of the work-family equation. There are, indeed, as Boushey notes, many families in which "women are working because they want to." That decision should be respected no less than the one Ann Romney made. But there are many others where the woman "is a single parent, or her husband is unemployed, or her husband isn't seeing the kind of wage growth that his father did and can't afford to support the family on his own." This points to a contradiction that few conservatives want to confront. When trying to win votes from religious and social traditionalists, conservatives speak as if they want to restore what they see as the glory days of the 1950s family. But they are reluctant to acknowledge that it was the high wages of (often unionized) workers that underwrote these arrangements.

Money Struggles < not Mommy Wars > Page 2.

Yet on the right, economic conservatism almost always trumps social conservatism, and market imperatives almost always get priority over family imperatives. As a result, the United States has the weakest family-leave laws in the industrialized world. We have done far less than other well-off countries to accommodate the difficult work-family dilemmas that most moms and dads deal with in the new economy. It's good that Ann Romney had choices. She made them honorably and raised a great family. Now let's debate what should matter in a presidential campaign: Which policies will relieve the economic pressures on millions of parents who are equally determined to do right by their kids but have far less room for maneuver. Pro-family rhetoric doesn't pay the bills.

2012, Washington Post Writers Group

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Where is our nation going ?

Thoughts of Don Hoskins.

The United Sates Declaration of Independence contains a sentence that was probably the basis for President Lincolns inclusion of the words That Government of the People, by the People, and For the People should not perish from the Earth, in his 1863 Gettysburg address. This sentence is, That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. To me these words mean: That government of the people mean, that our representatives are elected by its citizens; by the people means all who are eligible need to participate in the governmental process; and for the people means that those who are elected must do, first, what is right for this nations and its populace , second, what is right for all their constituents, and third, what is right for an individual, and sometimes these priorities most be reversed; not just for special interest groups and agencies, and should not perish form the Earth to me means, that the American people and their elected representatives must work to insure that the US Government is doing what is right for the nation and its citizens and future generations. These days, Lincolns words seem, to me, to mean, Government of the Lobbyist, by the Corporations, and for the Wealthy, and not perish for the Earth means that unless we see needed changes we are in danger of having a nation that is more dictatorial than democratic. At the beginning of the 2000 administration there was a surplus in this nations funds, but now this nation has incurred its highest debt and our elected officials have failed to resolve this mammoth debt problem. Instead we see for the first time in this nations history a decline in its credit rating; along with both parties continuing to blame each other for not reaching any significant resolutions. I can hear Presidents Lincolns words echoing down through history which were, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. Hopefully all elected representatives, at all levels, will quit all the gamesmanship and spitefulness that has become the norm and get back to providing the United States of America this new birth of freedom. Why do we continue to hear No new Taxes from the Republicans and yet I have not heard or read one word other than cut, cut, cut on how this nation will pay for budgeted items and reduce its debt? Seems to me the only thing the Republicans want to do is, protect the rich, continue to subsidies their corporate bases and reduce the capabilities of the workers to earn a decent wage; they seem not care about those who have lost their jobs and a complete disregard on keeping industries and jobs from moving overseas. Democrats seem only wanting to protect their base. We also continue to hear unrelenting vile verbiage about President Obamas, (He is the President not just Mr. Obama), record on jobs, the debt, and the economy. They both forget that it was the last two administrations failure to create the regulations needed to resolve the budget mess. Yet, we still see huge salaries and bonuses being paid to executive officers of corporations and have yet to see any anyone being held accountable for the actions that created the problems facing this great nation.

ARMED FORCES DAY SATURDAY, MAY 19TH.

If you love dogs and have or had one, this is worth every minute of you time. Even if you don't like dogs as pets, please read. They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie, as I looked at him lying in his pen. The shelter was clean, no-kill, and the people really friendly. I'd only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waves when you pass them on the street. But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did. But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes and a sealed letter from his previous owner. See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike. I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that. "Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see if your previous owner has any advice." __________ _________ _________ _________

To Whomever Gets My Dog: Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it. He knew something was different. So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you. First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier. Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hoards them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after them, so be careful. Don't do it by any roads. Next, commands. Reggie knows the obvious ones ---"sit," "stay," "come," "heel." He knows hand signals, too: He knows "ball" and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business. Feeding schedule: twice a day, regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand. He's up on his shots. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet. Good luck getting him in the car. I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows. Finally, give him some time. It's only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.

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ARMED FORCES DAY

And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you...His name's not Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. But if someone is reading this ... well it means that his new owner should know his real name. His real name is "Tank." Because, that is what I drive. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. You see, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with ... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter ...in the "event" ... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my CO is a dog-guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word. Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family. And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family, too, and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me. If I have to give up Tank to keep those terrible people from coming to the US I am glad to have done so. He is my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades. All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth. Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me. Thank you, Paul Mallory I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure, I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags have been at half-mast all summer. I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog. "Hey, Tank," I said quietly. The dog's head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright. "C'mere boy." He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months. "Tank," I whispered. His tail swished. I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him. "It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me." Tank reached up and licked my cheek. "So whatdaya say we play some ball?" His ears perked again. "Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?" Tank tore from my hands and disappeared into the next room. And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

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ARMED FORCES DAY

If you can read this without getting a lump in your throat or a tear in your eye, you just ain't right. A veteran is someone who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of up to and including their life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it. The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." G. K. Chesterton "When you change the way you see things, the things you see change".

LOCAL ARMED FORCES DAY SCHEDULED EVENT WALK FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS
Come out and support a Charitable walking event to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. Sponsored by Flagler County, the event features a roughly five-mile walk through the Palm Coast Town Center and Flagler Countys Lehigh Trail system, followed by a luncheon at Knight of Columbus. Participants will receive a commemorative ball cap representing their support of this important program ( while supplies last. ) Early registration is $20 for single walkers, and $100 for relay teams.

Date and Time : May 19, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. Sign in and late Registration begins at 7:30 am. Location : Flagler Palm Coast High School 5500 E. Highway 100, Palm Coast, FL. 32164 Flagler County 1769 E. Moody Blvd, Bldg. 2. Bunnell, FL.32110 ( 386) 313-4000 http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

NOTICE FROM TALLAHASSEE (Reminder for this Saturday )

To the Legislative List: 1. COUNTY CAUCUSES - THIS SATURDAY!! - May 5th/10am - 2PM With more than 1200 delegates running this Saturday for a spot at the FDP State Convention in June, and ultimately a spot at the DNC National Convention in Charlotte - we hope that everyone will come out to participate in the county caucuses this weekend. Our local parties will be holding a DEC "Day of Action" in every county - Vote by Mail, Precinct Person Registration, Info from FL Candidates, and more. **Action Item** As active Democrats on this list - PLEASE help us promote the caucuses through your lists and communities. All of our events can be found on the barackobama.com website:

http://ofa.bo/FDP (You can find your local caucus on this list - then promote that one)

AND - please contact your local DEC's to volunteer that day, or ask if they need any other help. Thank you! E.G. - Social Media: Facebook: Florida Democrats will hold their first ever County Caucuses THIS Saturday (5/5) to begin electing Democrats for the DNC National Convention in Charlotte, NC. Find your caucus location and come out to vote! http://ofa.bo/fdp Twitter: FL Dems will hold their 1st County Caucuses on Sat. to elect Dems for the DNC Conv. All FL Dems invited - Caucus info: http://ofa.bo/fdp _____________________________________________________

* See Flagler County DEC Chairmans Message Page *

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVED MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012

CITY OF PALM COAST

Memorial Day Ceremony Heroes Park 2860 Palm Coast Parkway 8:00 AM
CONTACT :

City Of Palm Coast

160 Cypress Point Parkway Ste. B-106 (386) 986-2360

DONATIONS
The main office located at One Hargrove Grade, Palm Coast, is where voters and candidates meet to develop a strategy to elect, and re-elect candidates who will support the Presidents agenda, in order to move the country forward in a successful manner for all Americans

Your help is needed to maintain the office and assist in electing Democratic Candidates. Did you know, donations made at the National or State level do not trickle down to us ? We depend solely on you. Please donate by mail, or at our website . Any amount is welcome and as always we appreciate your generosity. Did you also know we are all volunteers ? Please consider donating some of your time !

Mail Contributions : Flagler County Democratic Party, ( DEC ) P.O. Box 350928 Palm Coast, FL. 32135 ( 386 ) 283-4904 http://www.flaglerdemocraticparty.com

Pay Pal Available via web-site

Flagler County, DEC

One Hargrove Grade, Suite 1D Palm Coast, Florida, 32164 Phone : ( 386) 283-4904

Democratic Executive Committee Dan Parham, Chairman Konnie Rea, Vice- Chair Connie Parham, Secretary Melba McCarty, Treasurer

flaglercntydem@gmail.com

WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE

Melba McCarty, State Committeewoman Dan Parham, State Committeeman Don Hoskins, Parliamentarian

Flagler County Democratic Party

www,flaglerdemocraticparty.com

CLUBS AND CAUCUS

Democratic Club
Merrill Shapiro, President Diana Le Brun 1st. Vice President Ronale Bowman 2nd. Vice President Roxanne Convery Recording Secretary Konnie Rea Correspondence Secretary Ivory Johnson Treasurer

Democratic Womens Club

Courtney Chaplin President Connie Parham Secretary Audrey Gore Marcus Treasurer Courtney Chaplin Regional 11 Rep

Young Dems Veterans Caucus NEWSLETTER STAFF

: Mamie Godfrey, Editor

Andrea Levy, Associate Editor Connie Parham, Associate Editor

POLICY

The Flagler County Democratic Executive Committee ( FCDEC ) is Responsible for discharging Florida Democratic Party affairs within Flagler County.

Please note: All web-sites listed are being sent for informational purpose only and is not an endorsement from Flagler County Democratic Party. This information is being sent to those parties who have requested newsletters, meeting and information from the Flagler County Democratic Party.

TUESDAY, ELECTION DAY NOVEMBER 6, 2012

VIEWS AND COMMENTS

We welcome your views and comments. All stories/ comments will be posted at the discretion of the Chairman and/ or Staff Member

Paid for and authorized by Flagler County Democratic Party.

MOTHERS DAY
SUNDAY, MAY 13TH

HAppY MOTHERS DAY

MOTIVATIONAL OUOTES OF THE MONTH_____
"Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best." - Theodore I. Rubin "A tremendous stream is flowing toward the ocean, carrying us all along with it; and though like straws and scraps of paper we may at times float aimlessly about, in the long run we are sure to join the Ocean of Life and Bliss." - Swami Vivekananda

"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau