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Economic and Social Justice

"Somehow we have to convince people w;ho vote in the presidential election to vote in the midterm elections.  If they don't they have no reason to complain." Bill Clinton

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CONGRATULATIONS!
Our New Pres and Veep!

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All donations are used for support of local campaign activities only.  Click the Donate button to the right.

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Absentee Ballot Applications
​Local Party By-Laws

Comments from the Chair

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​Labels are useful in our lives.  Labels inform us quickly what to expect.  When we open a can with a tomato on the label, we do not expect to see green beans.  Labels are short-cuts that facilitate communication, but they can also be problematic when purposely used to generalize and mislead. Over the past few years, labels such as “socialist”, “communist”, “radical leftist”, “Antifa” and “baby killer” have been weaponized by political campaigns to describe American citizens who have identified with or supported Democratic candidates for elected office. 

We clearly understand it will be difficult to overcome the simplistic labels referenced above.  It is unfortunate that these labels have been purposefully designed to appeal to the most basic human tendency of fear.  When confronted with something we fear our brains are hard-wired to respond by either avoiding it or by confronting it in an aggressive manner.  Fear of things unknown or misunderstood is best overcome through experience or the acquisition of knowledge.  

Let’s start this knowledge process with a definition.  The dictionary definition of democrat is: “An advocate of democracy, or a person who believes in the political and social equality of all people.”  While that is good information, we also need to know more about what Democratic Party members believe in.  Here is what we found when we asked that question of Google: “The Democratic Party is generally associated with more progressive policies. It supports social and economic equality, favoring greater government intervention in the economy but opposing government involvement in the private noneconomic affairs of citizens. Democrats advocate for the civil rights of minorities, and they support a safety net for individuals, backing various social welfare programs, including Medicaid and food stamps. To fund these programs and other initiatives, Democrats often endorse a progressive tax. In addition, Democrats notably support environmental protection programs, less-strict immigration laws, and worker rights.”

That is a lot to cover and we acknowledge that there are controversial issues in the statement above that we must be willing to clarify.  The members and leaders of the Manistee County Democratic Party are grateful to the Manistee News Advocate for providing this opportunity for you to experience and learn “What We Democrats Believe!

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Monthly Meeting

​The Manistee County Democratic Party will meet Thursday, April 15, 2021  at 7:00 pm by ZOOM. Program will presentation on MAPS Bond Issue.
Just click this link at the appropriate tim
e:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86839512940?pwd=VWdDMEs0aW1PTmptUjJLVlQ4d2ErQT09

Officers for Local Executive Board

At 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.
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 John Helge, Chair
 johnmhelge@gmail.com
 616-915-2403  

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Vacant

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Rebecca Amidon, Secretary
rebeccalamidon@gmail.com
765-702-9003

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Judy Cunningham, Treasurer (Incumbent)
jpc4466@gmail.com
231-794-0005

Mandatory Members of the Manistee County Committee
 
  • Dana Ferguson
  • Beth McGill-Rizer
  • MaryLynn Wrzesinski
  • Ken Falk
  • Allan O’Shea
  • Gene Lagerquist
  • Rolf Wucherer
  • Karen Goodman
  • Margaret Batzer
Slate of Remaining Members of the Manistee County Committee
  • Gary Madden 
  • Laurel Mason
  • Peggy Raddatz
  • David Berns    
  • Shirley Madden
  • Lee Trucks         
  • Susan Mencarelli
  • John Mencarelli  
  • Eric Lampinen    
  • Al Frye
  • Jeanne Butterfield
  • Rick Schrock
  • Steve Rogers
  • Lynda Beaton
  • Jim Goodwin
  • Ellen Somsel
  • Joel Raddatz
  • Judy Cunningham​

2021
It’s going to be a
​great year!!
Click for Current Newsletter
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As Democrats we believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot call itself civilized when its children, disabled, military veterans, sick, and elderly are neglected. We are all basically just one strand of DNA or one health crisis away from a situation where we will need help to survive.  Help to keep a roof over our head or food on the table.  We believe robust, fairly administered social safety nets must be in place to serve the needs of those who have not been as fortunate or had the same opportunities for success as most people in this country.

This does not mean that Democrats believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who do not want to work. There is a massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess most of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they cannot afford to go to the doctor. Fair wages, lower housing costs, affordable healthcare, properly funded public education, and the wealthy paying their share would go a long way toward alleviating this. Believing in those things does NOT make anyone a socialist or a communist.

Democrats believe that our elected officials should do the difficult work of communicating, collaborating, and compromising with members of the opposing parties to develop win/win outcomes.  When faced with arbitrary refusal to negotiate in good faith, we support leaders who courageously move by changing the rules to bring forward legislation that benefits the greater good for all the people. We want to elect candidates that will strive to make our representative form of government work for the people instead of working to dismantle it. All elected officials should be more focused on representing their constituents than worrying about getting re-elected or building a personal seat of power and wealth.

Democrats also believe that our elected officials should not be afraid to tell the truth even when the truth is not exactly aligned with what we desire to hear from them.  The United States of America and all its citizens would be in a much better situation today if we had been told the truth from the beginning about the Covid-19 virus and not been lied to about the 2020 Presidential election by the candidate who lost.

Finally, Democrats believe in leadership that is based in compliance with moral and ethical standards.  We hold our leaders accountable to these basic tenets.  We are a party of ideas and ideals, not a personality cult that requires absolute loyalty to one individual who instills fear by focusing on revenge and destruction of those who have the courage to disagree with him.
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We look forward to continuing to provide you with more information on what Democrats believe in our future submittals.  Thanks again for the privilege of this opportunity to connect with you.  ​

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!
How to Run Guide
How to Run for Local Office
Prospective Candidate Survey

Democratic Headquarter
​342 River Streeet
P. O. Box 65
Manistee, MI  49660

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social and economic justice.


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