CommentWell, it’s official now. Manistee County has flipped from being a fairly solid Democratic county to a solid Republican county. Interestingly enough, the breakdown fairly mirrors the breakdown nationally with the more rural areas being Republican and the towns more Democratic.
If we look at it, the demographic details look a lot like typical Trump voters. Our area is older, whiter, less educated and lower income than average. And although I don’t have figures on this, I would suspect that the “town dwellers” in Manistee County are younger, more diverse, better educated and higher income than the county averages. Also, we can surmise that the Trump voters are more susceptible to the fear, uncertainty and doubt message that the Republicans so adroitly used. They, for the most part, are not overtly racist, and can vote for a tamed John James but the idea of an uppity Maxine Waters is scary. They can be resentful of “them” but the systemic racism of the Republicans falls outside of their purview. LGBYQ issues are overblown and don’t apply to them unless they have a close relative who is gay. The idea of an invasion of “aliens” is real and is seen in terms of what would 10,000 “strangers” look like in their small community not that 10,000 aliens represents .00028% of the US population. The idea of urban interests overwhelming the rural interests certainly trumps the idea of 1 person 1 vote. (The reapportionment proposal got a surprising number of no votes.) We know this feeling first hand. There has always been the idea that SE Michigan ruled the state and outstate and UP interests got lost in the shuffle. What does all this mean? It means that election of representatives looks bleak in the near future. The best that we can do is to work in our communities to make sure that our values are represented and that our issues are dealt with. The fact that the election is mainly a cultural affair still leaves a lot of room for progress in specific issues. The most hateful people still need health care, their kids need to be educated, their water needs to be drinkable and the road drivable. Let’s keep working on that. Lee Trucks 2018
It’s going to be a very big year!! Mark your calendar, grab your hat, bring a friend…….Here we go!! Nov 17: County Convention 10 AM - Campaign Office Dec 7: Holiday Pot Luck @ Manistee Inn & Marina IndivisibleDonald Trump is the biggest popular-vote loser in history to ever call himself President. In spite of the fact that he has no mandate, he will attempt to use his congressional majority to reshape America in his own racist, authoritarian, and corrupt image. If progressives are going to stop this, we must stand indivisibly opposed to Trump and the Members of Congress (MoCs) who would do his bidding. Together, we have the power to resist — and we have the power to win.
We know this because we’ve seen it before. The authors of this guide are former congressional staffers who witnessed the rise of the Tea Party. We saw these activists take on a popular president with a mandate for change and a supermajority in Congress. We saw them organize locally and convince their own MoCs to reject President Obama’s agenda. Their ideas were wrong, cruel, and tinged with racism— and they won. We believe that protecting our values, our neighbors, and ourselves will require mounting a similar resistance to the Trump agenda — but a resistance built on the values of inclusion, tolerance, and fairness. Trump is not popular. He does not have a mandate. He does not have large congressional majorities. If a small minority in the Tea Party could stop President Obama, then we the majority can stop a petty tyrant named Trump. To this end, the following chapters offer a step-by-step guide for individuals, groups, and organizations looking to replicate the Tea Party’s success in getting Congress to listen to a small, vocal, dedicated group of constituents. The guide is intended to be equally useful for stiffening Democratic spines and weakening pro-Trump Republican resolve. We believe that the next four years depend on Americans across the country standing indivisible against the Trump agenda. We believe that buying into false promises or accepting partial concessions will only further empower Trump to victimize us and our neighbors. We hope that this guide will provide those who share that belief with useful tools to make Congress listen. 
Kathy Wiejaczka Candidate 101st District My advocacy for people began 39 years ago. That’s when I became a registered nurse. My evolution as a professional nurse progressed through many specialty areas such as pediatrics, obstetrics, home care, hospital supervisor, mental health nurse, school nurse, and nursing instructor. The bottom line is I care about people. I care about our environment. I care about children and their education; our future lies in the well-rounded education of our youth. I know that I can offer much to the 101st constituency by way of transparent, honest, ethical problem solving. Throughout my entire career, my focus incorporates my energetic, passionate, commitment to people and their needs.
After attending the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2017, my desire to run for the 101st seat solidified. Marching with my beautiful 33-year old daughter, Adele, surrounded by incredibly loving and diverse people brought such clarity to my next role. This role involves running for office, not waiting for someone else, but to gather my courage and strength and use it for a different kind of good for humanity, for the 101st District. My Dad, as a WWII veteran on the front lines in Germany and France, infused in me the importance of faith, family, country, and our fellow human beings. He was a union steward, and strong Catholic, and many times while growing up I heard his words, “If someone needs your help, you help them”. Paramount to my work as a nurse involves patient/family advocacy. Always putting their needs before my own, tirelessly under stressful times, helping them to achieve independence or health. This is what I do. So, now I look forward to advocating on a different level, on a legislative level for this district in Lansing. Whatever the challenges, I am ready to meet them head on with total commitment. It is with love for my fellow man, woman, and child that I go forth. A quote by Representative Cummings exemplifies my focus: “I have my own definition of successful and that is lifting up the lives of ALL American people. In other words making their lives better.” Thank you. Kathy Wiejaczka RN, MSN |
Breaking NewsCounty Convention
Saturday, November 17 10 AM Election of County Officer Election Discussion Christmas PotluckYou are cordially invited to attend the Democratic Party’s
Christmas Potluck December 15 6:00 pm Manistee Inn and Marina – Basement Reception Hall 378 River Street Ham, Wine and Punch will be served Bring a dish to pass and your own table service Bring a donation for the local food pantry Don Jennings Awardee
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Richard Bernstein
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