Princess of Manistee Evening Cruise
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Date: August 13, 2021
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
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Dress Warm for the Lake Breezes.
Limited Attendance so -
RSVP to Peggy Raddatz at 231-510-3726 or email peg.raddatz@gmail.com on or before August 10. |
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Mason/Manistee US-31 Billboard
Comments from the Chair
We are “Homegrown Democrats”!
In 2004 Garrison Keillor wrote a relatively short book that utilizes his renowned wit and a dash of anger in describing the democratic values of the hard-working people who populate the rural Midwest. Here is a quote from Homegrown Democrat that I found especially meaningful even 17 years later: “We Democrats are deeply flawed people, we can be earnestly boring and awfully righteous about moral issues in faraway places. We can be weenies, capable of doing dumb things in the name of the common good. But we do stick to our guns. We believe in decency and public spiritedness and have refused to hitch our wagon to yahooism and have supported government as a necessary force for good. And we are passionate. This is a time for passion!” Certainly, the record voter turnout for the November 2020 election during the height of a deadly pandemic was an indication of the passion felt by Americans to participate in our democratic form of government. That passion is obviously carrying over into 2021 as we experience extreme polarization caused by the Big Lie that this free and fair election process was fraudulent. So many of our elected leaders have lacked the courage to tell their disappointed vocal constituents the truth about the election and move on to more important issues like aiding the post-pandemic economic recovery. We see this in Lansing where time, resources, and tax dollars have been wasted on 39 separate bills that are focused on solving problems that do not exist while literally billions of dollars in recovery aid funding go undistributed to those most in need. These bills serve only one real purpose, to make it more difficult for the poor, handicapped, aged, and people of color to vote. The politicians backing these bills realize that when lots of people are able and willing to legally vote that their chances of getting elected are diminished. It is inevitable that these bills will pass through the Michigan Legislature, and most will be vetoed by the Governor because they are laws that restrict the right to vote for those who are least able to comply with these additional restrictions. The politicians in Lansing are already plotting a means to overcome the veto process by starting a so-called grass roots petition campaign that puts the burden back on the people who elected them and pay them to operate our representative form of democratic government. (Continued next column) |
Officers for Local Executive BoardAt the county Democratic party convention on Saturday, a new slate of county officers and executive ommittee was chosen. Lets welcome them and work support our democratic values.
Mandatory Members of the Manistee County Committee
Slate of Remaining Members of the Manistee County Committee
2021
It’s going to be a great year!! Do you realize that if this petition drive succeeds, that they will then be able to abdicate their responsibility for this obvious voter suppression? If the petition drive fails to obtain the required number of verifiable signatures, then these politicians will then state that the people have spoken, and they will be able to wash their hands of any responsibility! This petition drive will be another waste of time, resources, and effort! We hope every adult in Manistee County will simply DECLINE to SIGN when confronted with this ill-advised petition.
Yes, we Homegrown Democrats are also passionate about issues like job creation that also pays a livable wage. Much of our passion may be incorrectly labeled as “socialism” or even “communism”, but this passion is deeply seated in the basic economic principles of free market capitalism. Right now, many businesses in Manistee County are having trouble finding employees as they participate in the economic recovery from the pandemic. Help wanted signs are touting starting wages of $15/hour which indicates that the demand for workers is higher than the supply which is indicative of free market capitalistic economic principles. The supply of workers will increase when the wages increase enough to stimulate more workers to enter the workforce. Will this increase in wages then cause an increase in the goods and services these Manistee County businesses provide? Following the same free market capitalistic economic principles there may be an increase in costs to the consumer, but they will eventually be limited by changes in supply caused by competition and innovation in the marketplace. All this can be accomplished if we can be patient and avoid the temptation to enact regulations that restrict the right of workers to organize and negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Our passion also extends to protecting our environment, especially right here in Northern Michigan. This Great Lakes Region contains the world’s largest reservoir of fresh water. We are literally inhabiting ground zero of potential conflicts that may arise out of unchecked climate change. The inhabitants of the Western US are currently experiencing a long-term drought complicated by a persistent record-setting heat wave. We also did not experience the devastating flooding that recently occurred due to unusually heavy rains in Southeast Michigan. It is just too easy for us in Manistee County to dismiss their misery when we are surrounded by lush temperate lakes, fields, and forests. This idyllic situation could all come crashing down with a leak from an aging pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. American oil refineries do not need or desire to process the heavy Canadian Oil Sands crude that is transported by Enbridge Line 5. As our Michigan-based automotive companies like Ford and GM publicly commit to transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles, the need for Line 5 oil will also diminish. I hope you have not found this column to be “earnestly boring and awfully righteous” to coin the phrase from Keillor’s book. We Manistee County Democrats are remaining passionate about supporting a government that works for the greater good of all the people. We hope you will be willing join us in this never-ending journey. 
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How to Run for Local Office Guide
So, you’re considering a run for local office? That’s so exciting. Local officials have the power to transform their communities for the better. In this guide, we’ll go over the basics that you need to know in order to field a successful campaign. When you’re ready to dive deeper on a topic, we’ve linked to resources that can give you a more robust understanding. We’ve also created a Campaign HQ page that has upto-date resources. We’re here for you. Let’s get started!