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THE VOICE
Volume 28 . Issue 3 . March 2026
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SUSAN DOLLAR
President
Well, it’s been several weeks of highs and lows! Highs that come from having a Democratic candidate in every single race in Texas – the first time in modern state history! Highs from seeing the largest turnout of Democratic Primary voters in years and from seeing that Texas is now a serious battleground state. Highs from seeing the firing of Kristi Noem and Cory Lewandowski, from seeing the American Olympians take the gold medals, from experiencing the San Antonio Spurs becoming second in the NBA Western Conference! Small and large victories!
But there have also been the lows, some of them very low…a new war in Iran, service members dying, ICE raids, a terrible jobs report last week, missing Epstein files, higher gas prices and higher interest rates…the list could go on. This inconsistency…the constant ups-and-downs, highs-and-lows of this administration leaves me feeling very unsettled and anxious.
When I was 22 years old, I accepted a job at a children’s residential psychiatric hospital. Although I had an undergraduate degree in psychology, I couldn’t understand why the kids who had been so abused would, on visitation day, rush to the parent that was the worst abuser. These were the parents who had pulled the child’s hair out by the handfuls, who had burned them repeatedly with cigarettes, who had fractured their bones. I saw this time and time again. Then I had a friend who was emotional and physically abused by her husband and yet she would repeatedly go back to him, month after month.
I learned that inconsistent behavior, like that of abusive parents and spouses, would make a person feel crazy but also hopeful. There was always the hope of all hopes that “this time, things will be better”.
When someone’s behavior is as inconsistent and unpredictable as Trump’s, it leaves us feeling confused and anxious. It’s a storm of mixed signals. His inconsistency heightens our anxiety and makes us feel like we’re constantly waiting for something else to happen. This significantly impacts our ability to trust and feel secure. We live on an emotional rollercoaster with Trump and that leads to heightened stress levels.
To cope with this inconsistency, some people adopt a “wait and see” attitude to protect themselves from disappointment or pain. Some people begin to overanalyze the situation and try to decipher motives and intentions. This mental strain further inhibits one’s ability to think and leads to an overthinking spiral, where your mind races faster than a hamster on a wheel! These mental gymnastics are exhausting.
It’s important for us to remember to protect our emotional state and prioritize our well-being. If you’re feeling anxious and disillusioned, try these ideas:
- Engage in mindfulness exercises to stay grounded in the present moment - this can help quiet the overthinking spiral and reduce anxiety.
- Communicate openly and honestly, express your feelings and concerns, and seek support - don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Trusted friends or family can help you manage your emotions. Engage with other like-minded people who understand where you are coming from and are experiencing the same emotions.
- Focus on self-care by engaging in activities that nourish your mind and body. Whether it’s journaling, exercising, being outdoors with nature, or indulging in a favorite hobby, prioritize what makes you feel good, then dedicate some time to it.
- Take action. Do something that, even if in a very small way, will make a difference. Write those postcards, make the phone calls, attend meetings or join a protest – any kind of action that will help you realize that collectively, we will make a difference.
- And finally, avoid the negative thoughts. When doubts about the future creep in, challenge them and replace “What if it goes wrong?” with “What if it goes right?” “What can I do to make things better?”
Dealing with inconsistency is hard but we just have to remember that we have the power to manage our emotions and behavior through these trying times. So take a deep breath and have hope!
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MARCH BAD MEETING
Thursday, March 12
6:00 P.M.
Note the time change
Longhorn Cafe (upstairs)
Our speaker:
KENDALL SCUDDER
TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR
Kendall is one of the youngest people leading a major political party in America. Raised by public servants, he learned early that if you're not fighting for something bigger than yourself, you're fighting for the wrong thing. From slinging Blizzards at Dairy Queen as a teenager to taking on Ken Paxton and Greg Abbott in court, Kendall doesn't just complain about problems - he fixes them. As Chairman, he has brought financial transparency/stability and strategic thinking to the Texas Democratic Party. His mission is simple: make Texas work for the people who actually do the work.
Note: If you plan to eat, please arrive early. You can order food beginning at 11:00 a.m. and eat downstairs or bring your meal upstairs.
If you arrive at or after 5:30 p.m., you can place an order at the counter and let the cafe staff know that you will be upstairs; they may bring your food to you - otherwise you will need to go downstairs to pick it up. You can also phone in an order ahead of time by calling 830-331-4011. Note that the counter line to order can get long, so please arrive early, as the meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m.
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HELP US FILL THE COMFORT FOOD PANTRY!
Peanut butter Jam and Jelly
Coffee Vegetable Oil
Tomato and Pasta Sauce
Mac and Cheese
Canned Chicken and Tuna
Canned Vegetables
Please bring your donations of any of these items to our BAD meeting.
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Trump is dragging our country into collapse
by Heather Delaney Reese
Initially you may think that this article is a real downer...but read the entire essay to learn more (link at the bottom of the excerpt). It will inspire you to have hope, do more and work even harder.
Excerpts from the article:
Today, March 6, 2026, was the day the full economic picture finally came into focus. The United States lost 92,000 jobs in February. Economists had expected a gain of at least 50,000. Instead, we went backward. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4 percent. December’s jobs number, which had been reported as a gain of 48,000, was quietly revised to a loss of 17,000. January was revised down by another 4,000. Add it up, and we’ve been told 69,000 more jobs existed than actually did. And this isn’t a fluke. 2025 marked the first year since the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse that saw five separate months of labor market contraction. Since Trump took office, the U.S. economy has averaged fewer than 5,000 new jobs per month. He has slashed the federal workforce by over 330,000 positions, an 11 percent cut. Long-term unemployment is now up to 25.7 weeks, the highest since 2021. Manufacturing just lost another 12,000 jobs. Healthcare lost 28,000. Transportation and warehousing are collapsing, down 157,000 jobs in a single year. And his war is making every single one of those numbers worse.
Oil broke $90 a barrel today, the highest in years. U.S. crude surged nearly 35 percent in a single week, the largest weekly spike in the history of oil futures trading, dating all the way back to 1983. Gas prices jumped 34 cents in just one week to $3.32 a gallon, the steepest weekly increase since the early days of the Ukraine invasion. Experts are warning oil could hit $100 by next week, and Qatar’s energy minister is saying it could top $150 if the war escalates further. And the President told the country this morning that prices aren’t high.
The Dow dropped 453 points. The S&P 500 fell 1.3 percent. The Nasdaq dropped 1.6 percent. All three indexes are now negative for the year. Mortgage rates jumped back to 6 percent, slamming the door on any hope of a housing recovery. Retail sales dropped again in January. And nearly everything we buy is still going up in price.
And it will come as no surprise that there are still industries making money. The oil companies. The weapons manufacturers. The people whose business model depends on permanent conflict. The people who profit every time he pushes another country into crisis. That is who is winning in Trump’s economy. Not us or our families.
The complete article:
https://heatherdelaneyreese.substack.com/p/trump-is-dragging-our-country-into
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Song of the Month:
MARCH, MARCH
by The Chicks
March, march to my own drum
March, march to my own drum
Hey, hey, I'm an army of one
Oh, I'm an army of one
March, march to my own drum
March, march to my own drum
Hey, hey, I'm an army of one
Oh, I'm an army of one
Brenda's packin' heat 'cause she don't like Mondays
Underpaid teacher policin' the hallways
Print yourself a weapon and take it to the gun range
(Ah, cut the shit, you ain't goin' to the gun range)
Standin' with Emma and our sons and daughters
Watchin' our youth have to solve our problems
I'll follow them, so who's comin' with me?
(Half of you love me, half already hate me)
March, march to my own drum
March, march to my own drum
Hey, hey, I'm an army of one
Oh, I'm an army of one
March, march to my own drum
March, march to my own drum
Hey, hey, I'm an army of one
Oh, I'm an army of one
Tell the ol' boys in the white bread lobby
What they can and can't do with their bodies
Temperatures are risin', cities are sinkin'
(Ah, cut the shit, you know your city is sinkin')
Lies are truth and truth is fiction
Everybody's talkin', who's gonna listen?
What the hell happened in Helsinki?
March, march to my own drum
March, march to my own drum
Hey, hey, I'm an army of one
Oh, I'm an army of one
March, march to my own drum
March, march to my own drum
Hey, hey, I'm an army of one
Oh, I'm an army of one
https://youtu.be/xwBjF_VVFvE
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Mark your calendar for the next
NO KINGS PROTEST
March 28
1:00 p.m.
We'll meet in front of Boerne City Hall. Sign up here:
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LET'S SHOW OUR SUPPORT
for these businesses that exemplify the values of Democrats
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BEAR MOON BAKERY is located in historic downtown Boerne. Housed in the 1912 Joe Vogt Building, it has been in business since 1995.
Visit the bakery at 401 S. Main Street or bearmoonbakery.com
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Every Life is Good purchase has a purpose: more than 10% of their annual net profits go to the Playmaker Project, which helps over one million kids in need each year. The Playmaker Project teaches early childhood professionals how to use the power of play to build healing, life-changing relationships with the most vulnerable kids in their care.
Learn more about them here:
https://lifeisgood.com/pages/about-us
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SUPPORT CARITAS LEGAL SERVICES
They offer comprehensive, low-cost legal aid to help immigrants and refugees secure their legal immigration status. Every person has a unique situation. At Caritas Legal Services, they try their best to find immigration relief that will allow a person to stay in USA and work legally. Caritas Legal Services also has grants that can help reduce or waive the fee.
https://ccaosa.org/caritas-legal-services/
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Trump calls on divided GOP to pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT
‘at the expense of everything else’
The so-called SAVE Act (H.R. 7296 introduced by Chip Roy) is in the news again. Please contact Cornyn and Cruz's offices to voice your strong objection to this bill's passage. It's the bill (already passed in the House) that would require proof of citizenship (e.g., passport or birth certificate) to both register to vote and vote. It's difficult to think of a more obstructive voting rights effort than this - even though, as this article notes, the bill will likely restrict more Republicans than Democrats. Read the article here:
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-calls-on-divided-gop-to-pass-save-america-act-at-the-expense-of-everything-else/
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COMFORT AREA DEMOCRATS, INDEPENDENTS & OTHERS (CADIO)
will meet on Tuesday, March 10 at the Comfort Library beginning at noon. Our guest speaker will be the coordinator of the Hill Country Resistance group based out of Kerrville. They will be collecting items for the Comfort Food Bank.
Contact Peg Layton for more information: layton.peg@gmail.com
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CIBOLO CREEK INDIVISIBLE
Please join Cibolo Creek Indivisible for our monthly meeting:
March 11 at 6:00 pm
7783 Fair Oaks Parkway, FOR
Guest Speaker - Tomas Osuna,
Immigration Attorney
Please RSVP - CCITX2025@gmail.com
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Come out and visit our Democratic booth at BOERNE MARKET DAYS
on March 14-15! Let's show Boerne that There Are More Of Us Than You Think!
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BAD BOOK CLUB
will meet on Wednesday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Dem office. The book selection for March is Here Comes the Sun by Bill McKibben Contact Janice Bloodworth for more information:
lfjan74@gmail.com
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FINALLY FRIDAY SOCIAL
MARCH 27
5:00 p.m.
Paid BAD members -
stay tuned for updates about the event location.
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KENDALL COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONVENTION
Saturday, March 21
1:15 p.m.
Patrick Heath Public Library
Note: if you want to attend the State Democratic Convention in Coprus Christi in June, you must attend the County Convention. Contact Suanne Pyle for more information: pyle.kendallcountytx@outlook.com
| | | | | | We had a very full house at our February 12 BAD meeting! Over 80 people came to hear our four guest speakers: Adrianne Wolfe (candidate for JP 1), JT Tipton (candidate for JP 3), Kristin Hook (candidate for Dist 21), and Toni Arteaga (candidate for Chief Justice). | | | Thanks to our very own school marm, Peg Layton, for her efforts in organizing the event, along with Norbert Schulze and others for their hard work on the restoration of the building. | | |
Several BAD members attended the Historic Welfare Schoolhouse Open House and Ribbon-Cutting on Saturday, February 14.
Built as a one-teacher school about 1878 to serve the rural Welfare community in Kendall County, this building was originally located on the west side of Joshua Creek. It was moved to this site around 1902. A porch was added to the structure about 1912. The largest enrollment was in 1916 when there were 25 students in attendance.
This building served as a school until 1952 when schools across the state were consolidated. These families sent their children to the Comfort School.
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WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY
was a huge success! We had 51 BAD members show up at Inferno's Pizza on February 25. A good time was had by all!
| | | | | | | A heartfelt THANK YOU to Laura Bray who served as our Kendall County Democratic Chair for over five years. Her time, energy, and selfless dedication has put Kendall County on the national map. Thanks to her devotion and tireless efforts, our Democratic Party is strong and unstoppable! Thank you, Laura! | |
New 2026 T-shirts Available!
You're going to want one of these special edition 250th anniversary Democratic t-shirts! Bring your $20 to the BAD meeting this week or purchase one at the Dem office!
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BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS BOARD
President: Susan Dollar
Vice President: Rachel Kilgore
Secretary: Shawn Bonner
Treasurer: Melinda Huff
Membership: Robin Prescott
Publicity: Kelly Skovbjerg
Webmaster: Andy Wine
At Large: Martha Barker
At Large: Lynn Bellow
At Large: Richard Caldwell
Past President: Whitney White
Ex Officio member: Laura Bray, KCDP
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Connect with us!
JOIN THE BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS
Membership Form
Email: BAD@boerne-area-democrats.com
Web: boerne-area-democrats.org
Facebook: facebook.com/boerne.area.democrats
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