Flagler County Democratic Party e-Newsletter eVolume 1, Issue 10

Hi Democrats, Just a few words as to the Palm Coast City Primary and the Special Election Primaries for the State Senate District 5 Seat, vacated by State Senator Tony Hill. Palm Coast has 49,574 registered voters and only 5,272 (10.73%) voters felt that the election of the Mayor and a major charter amendment was important enough for them to vote. In the State Senate Primaries there were 1,787 registered voters in the (5) Precincts involved. A grand total of 41 (2.3%) voters cast votes.

October, 2011 Flagler County Executive Committee ( DEC)

That dismal turnout should cause everyone to become alarmed. People fought and died to win the right to vote. We do not have the right to squander those hard earned gains. We already have the Republican Party and the Tea Party trying to suppress the vote by making it very difficult to register people to vote by implementing identification requirements when you vote that reminds one of pre 1060's requirements. Instead of APATHY, we need to resolve to not only cast our vote, but to encourage and assist (drive them to the Supervisor of Elections Office), every eligible person we can to register and vote. If we do not TURN OUT THE VOTE for the Palm Coast General Election and the State Senate District 5 Election, life as we know it in Palm Coast and Flagler County will undergo a drastic change. A change that will not reflect our Democratic values. Yours Democratically Dan Parham Chair Flagler County Democratic Party

IN THIS ISSUE
*LOCATION
*Club Meeting Dates and Times *Contact us *State and Local *National *Upcoming Event *Flagler County Democratic Party Structure *Birthday

Dan Parham Chair

*Well Wishes
Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Flagler County Democratic Executive Committee ( FCDEC ) is Responsible for discharging Florida Democratic Party affairs within Flagler County.
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One Hargrove Grade Building A, Suite 1D, Palm Coast, Florida, 32164

P.O. Box 350928, Palm Coast, Florida , 32135

ates and location of DEC and Club Meetings

Our Democratic Executive Committee meets the 2nd Monday of every month @ 7 pm. Meetings are held at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE ( on Clubhouse Drive between East and Westbound Palm Coast Parkway). Next Scheduled meeting is October 17th, 2011.
The Democratic Womens Club meets the 1st Saturday of every month @ 11 am. Please call Democratic HQ for time and Location. Sat. meeting was cancelled due to illness.

Our Flagler County Democratic Club Meets the 4th Tuesday of every month @ 7 pm. Next scheduled meeting is October, 25th, 2011. Location: The Windsor of Palm Coast. Guest Speaker : Kim Weeks, Flagler County Supervisor of Election.. Contact : 386-586-3501

Flagler County Democratic Party

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. Martin Luther King, Jr. Contact us: ( 386) 283-4904

E-mail: flaglercntydem@gmail.com
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Were suing Ourselves: Progress Florida, Mark Ferrulo 9/28/2011

Florida voters passed the Fair Districts amendments in 2010 so that politicians would stop selfishly drawing legislative and Congressional districts to protect themselves, but House Speaker Dean Cannon is still spending our tax dollars fighting them. The Fair Districts amendments were supported by 63% of Florida voters, and seven court decisions have said the amendments are constitutional1. Why is Dean Cannon still fighting? Enough already.

Tell Speaker Cannon: Drop the taxpayer-funded lawsuit against Fair Districts. Thanks to our partners at Florida Watch Action, we have exclusive video of Cannon trying to defend his use of public tax dollars to try and stop Fair Districts. However, his arguments have been rejected. Earlier this month U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro dismissed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Fair Districts Amendment 6 filed by two self-serving politicians, and later joined by the Florida House at Speaker Cannons direction. Judge Ungaro made it clear in her decision that Cannon's case is without merit, pointing out that, according to our constitution, "[a]ll political power is inherent in the people." Enough with the stalling. Enough with the excuses.

This is about more than just lines and maps. This is about democracy. Last year, Floridians overwhelmingly voted for a democracy where politicians could legitimately be held accountable by the communities that send them to Tallahassee and Washington. That's where we as a state have said we want to go, but Dean Cannon is standing in the way. The old ways of gerrymandering have protected politicians like Cannon and he's dragging his feet so potential challengers won't know what districts they're running in until the very last minute. That's shameful and undemocratic, and worse, he's using our tax dollars to cause this unnecessary chaos.
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FLORIDA DEM CLIPS

More Florida Winners than Losers Under Obama Plan [Sun Sentinel] President Barack Obama's plan to cut deficits and create jobs, which he submitted to Congress on Monday, would impact Florida more than most states because of its millions of senior citizens and its high 10.7 percent unemployment rate WINNERS: Social Security recipients and most Medicare patients WINNERS: Most Florida workers and small businesses WINNERS: Some of the unemployed, teachers and veterans.

Congressman Deutch Urges Obama Jobs Plan Passage, to Fix Schools, Employ Workers [Palm Beach Post] Congressman Ted Deutch told school officials and students Monday that President Obama's jobs plan was the only way to renovate the 45-year-old school and thousands of others across the country. Deutch, D-Boca Raton, said the AmericanJobs Act, introduced to Congress last week, would not only provide about $98million in funds to modernize dozens of schools in Palm Beach County, but would also create thousands of jobs for the electricians, plumbers and maintenance workers.

New federal standards could ease schools' burden under No Child Left Behind
President Obama on Friday offered school districts across the country a pardon from No Child Left Behind requirements, but reminded officials that the new freedom is not free. "This does not mean that states will be able to lower their standards or escape accountability," Obama said

Florida wants more students to major in math, science

Sept. 25th,2011 By Lilly Rockwell THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE Floridas colleges and universities are facing mounting pressure to graduate more students with science and math degrees as part of a statewide effort to more closely align workforce demands with college degrees and keep Florida competitive with other states. The business community, in particular, has clamored for a de-emphasis on liberal arts degrees such as philosophy and history toward more practical degrees like engineering and computer science to keep pace with demand. Businesses recruiting for these high-paid, high-skilled jobs say they have to look out of state to fill positions, and Florida is ranked average compared to other states in student preparation for science and math careers.
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2011 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

2011 MUNICIPAL ELECTION INFORMATION SOURCE: Flagler County Supervisor of Election Office

UP FOR ELECTION
COUNCIL SEAT 1 Re-elect: Holsey Moorman

Palm Coast General Election

Election Date : November 8, 2011 Polls open from 7am to 7pm. Books close October 10, 2011

COUNCIL SEAT 3 Elect : Jason DeLorenzo

http://flaglerelections.com/ http://palmcoastgov.com/

Early Voting: Oct. 24 through Nov 5, 2011 Where: Flagler County Public Library. Hours : Monday through Saturday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Location: 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW in Palm Coast.

ELECTION DAY POLLING LOCATIONS

There will be six mass polling locations for this Election. On Election Day, and any eligible voter who is registered to vote within the city of Palm Coast may choose one of these six polling locations: Flagler County Library, Palm Coast Community Center, Matanzas High School, Belle Terre Elementary, Wadsworth Elementary, or Flagler County School Building next to FPC. For a complete list of Offices Up For Election in 2011 and 2012, please contact The
Flagler County Supervisor Of Election Offices. Monday Friday , 8:30 am 4:30 pm ( 386) 313-4170.

http://flaglerelections.com/
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FLAGLER COUNTY NEWS CLIPS

Annual Creekside Festival

Princess Palace: Oct. 8th and 9th, 2011 We will have an information booth set up each day. Festival Hours: Sat. Oct. 8th, 2011 Sun. Oct. 9th, 2011
Call the office to schedule a day/ time you will be able to cover the booth. ( 386) 283-4904 or ( 386) 871-0303

DELEGATION CHAIR ANNOUNCES DEADLINES AND MEETING DATE Flagler County Government Services Building State Senator John Thrasher, Chair of the Flagler County Legislative Delegation, announced a public hearing and legislative deadlines for the Flagler County Legislative Delegation. An Organizational Meeting and General Legislative Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at 4 p.m., in the Flagler County Commission Chambers located at 1769 Moody Blvd., Building 2, Bunnell, Florida. The purpose of the meeting is to elect a Chair and Vice Chair of the Flagler County Delegation and take public testimony on legislative issues, appropriations and local bills. Senator Thrasher further announced the deadline for filing local bills for consideration by the Delegation is 12 p.m., Friday, September 30, 2011. Interested citizens wishing to be placed on the agenda for the October 12 public hearing are asked to contact Senator Thrasher's District Office at 1-904-727-3600 prior to October 5, 2011. Those wishing to provide materials or handouts to Flagler Delegation members can mail them in advance of the public hearing to Senator Thrasher's District Office located at 9485 Regency Square Blvd., #108, Jacksonville, FL 32225. Flagler County Delegation meetings are open to the public.

MILLION YOUNG ADULTS GET HEALTH COVERAGE UNDER LAW

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press 3 days ago Sept. 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) At least one part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul has proven popular. With the economy sputtering, the number of young adults covered by health insurance grew by about a million as families flocked to take advantage of a new benefit in the law. Two surveys released Wednesday one by the government, another by Gallup found significantly fewer young adults going without coverage even as the overall number of uninsured remained high. The government's National Center for Health Statistics found that the number of uninsured people ages 19-25 dropped from 10 million last year to 9.1 million in the first three months of this year, a sharp decline over such a brief period. New data from an ongoing Gallup survey found that the share of adults 18-25 without coverage dropped from 28 percent last fall to 24.2 percent by this summer. That drop translates to roughly 1 million or more young adults gaining coverage. The new health care law allows young adults to remain on their parents' health plans until they turn 26. Previously, families faced a hodgepodge of policies. Some health plans covered only adult children while they were full-time students. Others applied an age cutoff. Elizabeth Wilson, an aspiring opera singer who lives near Indianapolis, said her mother's plan dropped her in the midst of a medical crisis because she had turned 23. At the time, Wilson was in the hospital under treatment for an inflammation of the pancreas. Because of the overhaul, she has been able to get back on the policy.

For complete details: Gallup Survey : http://tinyurl.com/3dy4nrk

The Associated Press Gibson will be Northeast Florida State Senator

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Audrey Gibson is going to be the next state senator from Northeast Florida. State officials on Wednesday canceled an October special election after Gibson's write-in opponent dropped out of the race. Gibson this week won a low-turnout Democratic primary for the state senate seat that stretches from Duval County southward through Putnam, St. John's, Flagler and Volusia counties. She defeated three other Democrats in the race to pick a successor to outgoing State Sen. Tony Hill. Gibson received 62 percent of the vote. Hill resigned in order to take a job in the administration of Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. He would have been forced to leave office next year due to term limits.

Former State Rep. Terry Fields was closet competitor, drawing just over 32 percent of the vote in Duval County and even smaller in percentage in Southern Counties.

NEWS CLIPS
MEDIA RELEASE:

PARTY NEWS

Chairman Smith Rouses Democrats as Elections Approach [Palm Beach Post] I want to ask you tonight. There's this thing about primaries and running against Democrats. And you can do what you want to - this is a great country but I want to tell you something: We can't afford it right now, Smith said. Our focus right now ought to be on one thing. It ought to be deciding whether we want a country that is represented by the tea party philosophy that we've been watching, or we want one that's represented by the traditions of the Democratic Party. VOTER SUPPRESSION LAW Do New Voting Laws Suppress Fraud? Or Democrats? [NPR] "Most people do have a photo ID of some kind, but there are still some who might not be able to vote because of the new laws. The elderly and disabled might have trouble getting to a DMV to renew their licenses. Others might not be able to afford a passport or lack the proper documentation for an ID, like a birth certificate. In some states, like Texas, student IDs are not acceptable. Berman says there are already fines in place to deter voter fraud. He says he thinks the restrictions won't prevent any wrongdoing and that the crime isn't widespread at all. 'A voter is more likely to be struck by lightening than they are to impersonate another voter at the polls,' Berman says, citing a report from the Brennan Center for Justice. Berman says the Department of Justice looked into 300 million votes cast between 2002 and 2007 and failed to prosecute a single person for impersonating an eligible voter at the polls."

Medicare Advantage News

News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 15, 2011 Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343
2012 Medicare Advantage premiums fall and projected enrollment rises

Open enrollment is earlier this year October 15 through December 7 On average, Medicare Advantage premiums will be 4 percent lower in 2012 than in 2011, and plans project enrollment to increase by 10 percent, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today. Of people with Medicare, 99.7 percent continue to enjoy access to a Medicare Advantage plan, and benefits remain consistent with those offered in 2011. This follows an earlier announcement that average prescription drug plan premiums will remain virtually unchanged in 2012. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Medicare is stronger than ever, said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. On average, Medicare Advantage premiums will go down next year and seniors will enjoy more free benefits and cheaper prescription drugs.

Contact: www.Medicare.gov
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FLAGLER COUNTY, DEC One Hargrove Grade, Suite 1D Palm Coast, Florida, 32164 Phone: ( 386) 283-4904 flaglercntydem@gmail.com Democratic Executive Committee Dan Parham, President Konnie Rea, Vice chair Connie Parham, Secretary Melba McCarty, Treasurer Working together AS ONE Melba McCarty, State Committeewoman

CLUBS AND CAUCUS

Democratic Club
Douglas Beaven President Aynne McAvoy 1st Vice President Merrill Shapiro 2nd Vice President Roxanne Convery Recording Secretary Konnie Rea Correspondence Secretary Young Dems Veterans Caucus Ivory Johnson Treasurer

Democratic Women s Club

Courtney Chaplin President Connie Parham Secretary

NEWSLETTER STAFF
Mamie Godfrey, Editor Andrea Levy, Associate Editor Connie Parham, Associate Editor

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DONATE DONATE VOLUNTEER

DONATE
VOLUNTEER

The office located at One Hargrove Grade is for Fellow Democrats to keep abreast of all the political happenings within the County, State, and Federal Government. It is the intent of the Democratic Executive Committee to ensure that all information regarding the Flagler County Democratic Party is enlightening and useful to voters. We will need your help to continue advocating for all voters in Flagler County. Below are ways you can be a part of the GET OUT THE VOTE process here in Flagler County.

Yes : I will Donate :

$25.00 Per Mo.

$35.00 Per Mo.

$45.00 Per Mo.

Other_______________

Yes: I will Volunteer: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Office hours are 11am to 2 pm daily. Contact the office to indicate the hours you are available. Other:______________________________________________

We are grateful for your support. Contact : Andrea, Mamie, or Connie to discuss your participation. ( 386) 283-4904 or flaglercntydem@gmail.com

OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY FRIDAY, 11AM. TO 2PM. Print this page and submit to Flagler County Democratic Party ( DEC )
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AMBASSADOR CLUB: In addition to the volunteer and contribution schedule mentioned on page 12, the Ambassador Club have remain a popular means of support for a lot of our members. The Ambassador Club membership is made annually by contributing $ 120.00 full payment or using our payment plan listed Below.
How to Join

The Membership fee is $120.00 per person annually. Payment may be made to the Flagler County Democratic Party ( DEC ) by check. This amount may be paid in full or in monthly installments of $10.00 for 12 month, and should be directed to the address below .

Flagler County Democratic Party (DEC.) P.O. Box 350928, Palm Coast, FL.32135 ATTENTION: George Jones or Andrea Levy

For more details regarding the AMBASSADOR CLUB, contact George or Andrea at : (386) 283-4904 or flaglercntydem@gmail.com

We welcome your views and comments. All stories/ comments will be posted at the discretion of the Chairman and / or Staff 13

APPY BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR OCTOBER MEMBERS

ALL THE WORLD IS A BIRTHDAY CAKE, SO TAKE A PIECE, BUT NOT TO MUCH.

ENJOY YOUR SPECIAL DAY

GET WELL SOON

GET WELL SOON

Heres the most fitting Thing to say____ Have a perfectly Wonderful day !

Flagler County Democratic

Party ( DEC)

Paid for and authorized by Flagler County Democratic Party

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