Democratic Party of Racine County

Newsletter December 2013 Seasons Greetings!

DPRC 2013-2014 Officers
EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jane Witt, Chair Julie Krautkramer, 1st Vice Chair Jeff Coe, 2nd Vice Chair Beth Pramme, 3rd Vice Chair Heather Geyer, Secretary Joe Cushing, Treasurer Meg Andrietsch, Trustee Greg Bach, Trustee Pastor Melvin Hargrove, Trustee Pat Mc Manaway, Sgt. At Arms John Scott, Sgt. At Arms At DPRCs regular November meeting, the following slate of officers was approved by acclamation . 2nd Vice ChairBeth Pramme 3rd Vice Chair Kathy Laru Secretary Heather Geyer Treasurer Joe Cushing Trustee John Scott Trustee Jean Smith Trustee James Poplawski At large candidates: Cecelia Anguiano, Linda Boyle, Chris Flynn, Ethel Gates, Lynn Holtdorf, Mary Land, Melissa Lemke, Samuel Peete, Gloria Rogers, Diane Small, Sue Spicer, Mary Totero, Zachary Tracy, Jane Witt. Before the elections, chair nominee Ron Thomas announced he was withdrawing his nomination, in consideration of the wishes of his employer, a non -profit entity. After consulting with Jason Rae, the State Partys constitution authority, nominations were re opened. Meg Andrietsch was elected chair and Ron was elected 1 st vice chair. Many thanks to the Nominations and Elections Committee: Rachel Trobaugh, chair; Sharon Cushing, Ray DeHahn, Marcel Dandeneau and Bob Henzl.

Senator Lehman announces Lt. Gov. Run

Heather Geyer
Senator John Lehman announced his candidacy to run for Lt. Governor of Wisconsin. Of course, all of us who know and love the Senator are thrilled with this news. We know from working on his previous campaigns (especially the recall and subsequent painful recount) and from watching his votes and work in Madison just how deserving he is of this position. We also know how hard he will work not just to gain the seat but to see that the job is done right. And let us not forget - he is the ONLY Democrat who won in the 2012 Recall Election. The dude is a winner. I think the move is brilliant. He is well known and well respected. He is truly a Progressive and amazingly accessible to his constituents. (And let's not forget...the mustache of integrity!) Also, because his positions and views are already public knowledge, he does not have to hold back for the sake of strategy. He would complement the administration of any of the Democratic candidates for Governor. And while we will ALL miss him in the Senate, those of us Progressives down here in Racine County are very much and very sadly aware of the gerrymandering realities. His district was re-drawn specifically for Van Wanggaard (who announced his candidacy for that seat pretty much the day after he lost the recall). Lehmans concern and compassion for all the citizens of Wisconsin contrasts clearly with those of the present incumbent Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. She continues to support policies so that those citizens cant have access to the healthcare coverage that helped save her own life. Perhaps she thinks some lives are simply worth more than others. So, it probably goes without saying...Sen. Lehmans news has me doing the happy dance!

AT-LARGE MEMBERS:
Heather Coe Chris Flynn Mike Frontier Ethel Gates Melissa Lemke Tony Martinez Marilyn Nemeth Wally Rendon Jean Smith Bob Trobaugh

From The Chair:

Its been great

My last from the chair, and its certainly been an interesting ride. Our 2012-13 DPRC team accomplished some great, unprecedented things! We started out determined to make our county party a unified, functional entity. The team quickly stepped up, with ideas and plans to make that a reality. We sure had some fun -- there were parties and celebrations. And then there was the not so fun part-- there were campaigns almost too many to count. There was the intense work of gathering recall signatures. We got tremendous satisfaction from working together as a huge team in a righteous cause. When I think of 2012, I think first of the halls at the Labor Center. Every morning there was fresh coffee, bakery, people coming in and out with clipboards, assignments, completed petitions. There was a sense of urgency that was at once frustrating and rewarding. The place was a beehive of activity and purpose. By June we realized that wed won parts of the recall fight; we lost some. We had another battle during the beastly hot days of July, when the Lehman/Wanggaard recount was going on. Bizarre charges of voter fraud were laughed out of existence; we returned Sen. Lehman to the Wisconsin State Senate. We worked hard to elect Ed Fallone. In the midst of all that, there were the congressional and presidential campaigns. Our new offices on Sixth Street were as busy as any offices Ive ever worked with. Staffers by the dozen worked there; volunteers by the hundreds came in and out. If youve never been intimately involved in a political campaign, I highly recommend you gear yourself up for the 2014 races. Youll never be the same; youll never do more rewarding work. (And, speaking of 2014, weve never had such a crisis in our State. With all our wins and losses, we cant give up. We must continue to put forth our best efforts to take back Wisconsin! We can do it; we are the best. We have the best.) In closing, I want to express my never -ending thanks to the devoted members of the team who worked and dedicated themselves to making the DPRC successful: Julie Krautkramer, Beth Pramme, Heather Geyer, Joe Cushing, Meg Andrietsch, John Scott, Pat McManaway, Rachel Trobaugh, Jean Smith, Ethel Gates, Rich Hinderholtz, Melissa Lemke, Bonnie Greasby and Marilyn Nemeth. These team members are the real heroes. And there were dozens of other members who were always willing to say, Ill do that; Ill help. I cant begin to name them all. I cant begin to thank them all. Its been fun. You are great! Im going to take a nap. Love, Jane

office. Clearly, he is desperate now that he officially has a viable Democratic challenger for 2014. On October 20, Walker signed into law a bill providing $100 million in property tax relief. This decrease is over a two - year period, with the majority of the savings due to come into play AFTER the 2014 election. $100 million sure does sound pretty, doesnt it? Lets see how that helps Racine County homeowners. According to The Journal Times, if a home in Racine is worth $148,000 the savings would be at the most $17.38 or at the least 2 cents. Yes, TWO cents. So on average, that would be a savings of around 44 cents per month. Gee, maybe if you save up you can buy a cup of coffee at the end of the year. Senator John Lehman and Representative Peter Barca both see this for what it is a gimmick. The right wing media would love you to believe that the Democrats who voted against this so called bi-partisan effort simply want to deny their constituents tax savings. This bill is a vain political ploy, plain and simple. According to the Associated Press, even with this tax cut, property taxes are still projected to increase in the next two years. So not only is this not going to make any significant difference to citizens, it will hurt the very budget the Republicans are seemingly so frantic to fix. Why not give the money to the municipalities that have been treading water since Walkers arrival in Madison? Why not give it to the schools that are seriously hurting? Why?? Because cities and villages dont vote. Because schools dont get a ballot. Walker and pals are hoping voters will be fooled by the words tax cut and ignore the details. Please, in 2014, prove them wrong and show them that we are PAYING ATTENTION!

Special Assembly Elections November 19 A Disappointing GOP Sweep

In southeastern Wisconsin's 21st Assembly District, Democrat Elizabeth Coppola faced Republican Jessie Rodriguez to replace former Republican Representative Mark Honadel of South Milwaukee, who resigned for a job in the private sector. In north central Wisconsin's 69th, Republican Bob Kulp faced Democrat Ken Slezak to replace former Republican Representative Scott Suder of Abbotsford, who now works for the Wisconsin Paper Council. Tim Swiggum, who challenged Suder as a Democrat in past elections, ran for the seat under the Putting People Ahead of Politics banner. Primary: The Republican primary in the Milwaukee area's Wisconsin's 82nd Assembly District featured Shari Hanneman, Stephanie Mares and Ken Skowronski. Skowronski will face Democrat John Hermes December 17 to replace former Republican Representative Jeff Stone of Greendale, who resigned his seat to go to the Public Service Commission. Results were: Assembly district 21 (South Milwaukee, Franklin, Oak Creek) Elizabeth Coppola (D) -- 3520 *Jessie Rodriguez (R) -- 4546 The 21 district race drew more than $100,000 in spending by special-interest groups. The voucher -supporting American Federation for Freedom spent $45,647 for Rodriguez. Jobs First

Property Tax Cut: A Desperate Ploy

Heather Geyer When I was a kid, I was taught to never make a promise I couldnt keep. Because of that, I very rarely make promises, But I have a feeling Governor Walker wasnt raised with the same teaching. He sure likes to make promises. During his candidacy, he promised to create 250,000 jobs by 2015 (even though the GOP is always reminding us that government doesnt create jobs). He has since backed away from that promise as Wisconsin is still lagging behind most states in job growth. Walkers new promise was made recently in Burlington. He promised that property taxes would decrease every year he is in

Coalition, a pro-business entity, spent $25,000 opposing Coppola. The Greater Wisconsin Fund spent $$30,815 supporting Coppola. She raised $25,000 on her own; Rodriguez raised $48,000. A special thanks to those DPRC members who worked for Elizabeth during her campaign. More heroes who realized that the GOP-controlled assembly is dangerous for Wisconsin! Assembly District 69 (Clark, Marathon, Wood Counties) Kenneth Slezak (D) -- 1677 *Bob Kulp (R) -- 4697 Tim Swiggum (Putting People Ahead of Politics) -- 607 Assembly District 82 (Primary) (Greendale, Franklin) *Ken Skowronski 1844 Stephanie Mares 1437 Shari Hanneman 295 Steven Becker -- 91

End-of-Year Reading A List For Curious Minds

I AM MALALA, by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb. The experience of the Pakistani girl who advocated for womens education and was shot by the Taliban. DOUBLE DOWN, by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. Insider reporting on the election of 2012 from the authors of Game Change. THIS TOWN: Two Parties and a Funeral Plus Plenty of Valet Parking! in Americas Gilded Capital By Mark Leibovich. New York Times Review of Books: Leibovich, perhaps alone among capital insiders, has realized that Washington, once an inside joke, now looks more and more like a bad joke. Speaking of bad jokes UNINTIMIDATED: A GOVERNORS STORY AND A NATIONS CHALLENGE by Scott Walker and Mark Thiessen. (Orig. $28.95; already on sale for $18.11) Today, we can sound like conservatives and act like conservatives and still win elections. Those who say we cant dont see what I see in Wisconsin and what my fellow governors in states all across America see. We dont need to change our principles. What we need is more courage. Walker SKIPPING CHRISTMAS: CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS by John Grisham. BEING BOTH: EMBRACING TWO RELIGIONS IN ONE INTERFAITH FAMILY by Susan Katz Miller BEYOND TOLERANCE: HOW PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA ARE BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN FAITHS by Gustav Niebuhr

Merely An Observation
Is it not hypocritical that Republicans support legislation mandating voters to show I.D. to cast a ballot in an election and also support legislation that does not require the donor to be identified when contributing huge sums of money to influence an election?
Democratic Party of Racine County Monthly Newsletter Monthly Publication of the Democratic Party of Racine County P.O. Box 081825 Racine, Wisconsin 53408 Newsletter Contributors: Kelly Gallaher, Sen. Chris Larson, Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, Jane Witt Rich Hinderholtz - Editor

Democratic Party of Racine County; Membership Application

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* Democratic Party of Racine County: Meetings & Events *

December 9 DPRC Executive Board, 6 p.m. and General Meeting, 7 p.m. Racine Labor Center 25 Christmas Day January 1 New Years Day 11 New Years Hawaiian Party and Installation of Officers Speaker: Scott Ross, One Wisconsin Now Infusinos Banquet Hall, 5 p.m.
This is a casual event! (Free to members.) Replaces January regular meetings. Please RSVP to: cheers44hotmail.com or by calling 262-497-3806

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THERE WILL BE NO DPRC Executive Board, OR General Meeting

Democratic Party of Racine County Newsletter

December 2013
Democratic Party of Racine County P.O. Box 081825 Racine, Wis. 53408 racinecountydems.org

PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID RACINE, WI PERMIT 1261

Authorized and paid for by the Democratic Party of Racine County, Jane Witt, Chair This communication not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.