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December 2024
NEWSLETTER
Democratic
Women's Club
of Worcester County
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A Message From DWC President Debra Fisher-Reynolds | |
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Moving Forward and Being Thankful!
We are still reeling from the election and watching with horror at the cabinet picks from the incoming administration. At the same time, we are celebrating our wins on the Worcester County School Board and in keeping both our U.S. Senators Democrats.
We are the resistance -- Gear Up! We have work to do. We will need to in 2025. In the meantime, prioritize your well-being and self care. Turn off the news!
We need to follow Thanksgiving with several DWC Thank You's:
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Thank you to Joan Roache for Action Alerts and Upcoming Events
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Thank you to Joan, Gail Jankowski and Susan Buyer for political actions we took this year
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Thank you to ALL the board members for their great teamwork -- jumping in to help with every need in every way!
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Thank you to Maggie Miller for managing finances and paying our bills.
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A very special thank you to Sue Challis, our Newsletter editor for the past several years -- for her writing and knowledge she has shared and for giving us such a professional looking new format. She has kept us informed, active and uplifted. Gail Jankowski will be taking over as newsletter editor. Sue has agreed to help with editing and will continue to do the layout of the newsletter each month.
In January, our new Co-Presidents Kathy Hardy and Carol Pauley will take the helm of the DWC. While we had hoped that the national election would have us optimistic, enthusiastic and energized, instead we will be re-energized with ways we can MAKE DIFFERENCE LOCALLY -- AND YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS ARE NEEDED!
See you at the following events (there are more -- check the calendar section)
- Holiday Luncheon, Monday, December 16, 11:30 a.m., Worcester Tech HS Banquet Room (remember to bring cash for the 50/50 and the basket raffles!)
- DWC Fundraiser January 22 at Poncho & Lefty's, 5 to 8 p.m.
- DWC General Meeting --NEW DAY AND LOCATION: MONDAY, JANUARY 27, BERLIN LIBRARY (see notice below)
I have so enjoyed being your DWC president for the past two years. I look forward to working with the new Board and welcoming new members in the new year! And remember, practice self-care and prioritize your wellbeing in 2025 as we continue our work. Happy Holidays to everyone!
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Who Says Postcards Don't Bring in Votes! | |
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Postcard Pizza Party
After the November 18 meeting we held a Pizza Party to thank all those who wrote postcards this year.
It was a fun and tasty event, headlined by the attendance of both Dr. Jon Andes and Ms. Elena McComas, winners in the County School Board race. They both made clear that OUR POSTCARDS HELPED THEM WIN!!
Dr. Andes mentioned several of his constituents told him they were voting him because of the postcard they received. One specifically complimented him on having "such good grassroots supporters."
We had a large salad tray left over from the party and donated it to Daikonia -- completing a day that made our hearts proud.
Thank you again to everyone who participated.
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As we said, we were able to donate an extra salad tray from the pizza party to Diakonia. In addition, we sent a $50 to the group under our Holiday Giving program. Diakonia sent us a thank you letter we thought you'd like to see. Just shows what a donation can do.
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DWC Breakfast Club is Going Strong!
Just a reminder that the DWC Breakfast Club meets at various restaurants around the area on the second Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m. (Here's a photo from December's gathering)
If you would like to be included in the next monthly email breakfast club notice, email Candi Daniele at cad6090@gmail.com
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DECEMBER CALENDAR
Monday, December 16, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
DWC Holiday Luncheon
Worcester Technical High School
This will be a buffet luncheon. Remember to bring cash for the basket raffles and the 50/50!
JANUARY EVENTS
Thursday, January 2, 5 to 7 p.m.
Drinking Liberally
Marriott Residence Inn
300 Seabay Lane, Ocean City
Wednesday, January 8, 2 p.m.
DWC Board Meeting
Snow Hill Library
Thursday, January 9, 8:30 a.m.
DWC Breakfast Club (location varies) meets
the second Thursday of the month
email Candi Daniele at cad6090@gmail.com
to join the group
Monday, January 13, 2 p.m.
Political Action Committee Meeting
via Zoom
We will be ready to hear from attendees where we
should focus our efforts in 2025 - Join the PAC!
email Joan Roache at beachyogi.me for information
Saturday, January 18
People's March
Washington, D.C.
go to PeoplesMarch.com for details
Wednesday, January 22, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
DWC Fundraiser at Poncho and Lefty's, West Ocean City
Bring your friends and raise a glass (and have some great food) and
raise some $$ for the DWC!
Monday, January 27, 10 a.m. (coffee and conversation, 9:30 a.m.)
DWC General Meeting
Berlin Library (NOTE LOCATION CHANGE!)
"Protecting the Environment Over the Next Four Years," a presentation by members of the Lower Eastern Shore Sierra Club
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Maryland Needs a Bottle Bill!
Our program for the January 27, 2025 DWC meeting will include a presentation by the Lower Eastern Shore Sierra Club, whose members will discuss the future of the environment, including information on growing support for a proposed Maryland bottle bill.
Why is this important?
Marylanders buy more than 5.5 million beverage containers annually, but only about a quarter of them are recycled. More than 4 billion containers end up in the environment -- in the landfill, incinerated, or littering the landscape and waterways. This is not just just a waste of resources; it results in more greenhouse gas emissions and energy use for new products, reduces water quality, and perpetuates plastic pollution.
Beverage containers are half of the trash by volume in the Anacostia River watershed and are pervasive in the Baltimore Harbor. Plastic bottles are the third most frequently littered plastic in beach cleanups. They break into microplastics, are consumed by wildlife, and move up the food chain. In fact, humans are ingesting up to a credit card's worth of plastic a week.
The Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program, aka the Maryland Bottle Bill, would reduce beverage container and plastic pollution, and more than triple Maryland's recycling rate for beverage containers -- to 90 percent. It would add a small deposit to the cost of beverage containers -- a deposit refunded to customers when the containers are returned for recycling. Think of it as buying the beverage, but borrowing the container. The deposit is an incentive to return used beverage containers and even collect those that are littered for their refund value.
Ten states (covering 90 million people) have longstanding, successful beverage container recycling refund programs that have reduced beverage container litter as much as 84 percent. Michigan and Oregon have achieved beverage container recycling rates of 90 percent with their 10-cent a container deposit.
We will certainly talk much more about this at the January meeting. Support for this bill is growing with advocacy groups around the state. If you would like to know more, or how you can support the bill, go to:
https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/support-the-maryland-bottle-bill-to-reduce-litter-and-plastic-pollution-and-increase-recycling
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Perspectives from the November 2
Get Out the Vote/Women's March
by Linda Powers
On November 2, a few days before the election, I went to Washington, D.C. with my son Shane and daughter Kathleen to attend the Get Out the Vote Rally and Women's March. There were some 15,000 people there on a gorgeous fall day. There were grandparents like me who lived through the 50s and 60s. There were young women and men and boys of all ages. There were feminists for Palestine.
There were even two lovely women from Bulgaria, election officials, who asked us questions about the upcoming election. They were here for a week observing the U.S. during our democratic process because they hoped to learn something from us. As we shared information about our differences we also shared our concerns. It turns out they were worried about our election because what happens in the U.S. doesn't affect only us. The world is watching. It was an unexpected reminder of the importance of the election.
All those thousands in attendance were there making their voices heard for human rights. Those rights included health care, gun control and climate care.
As always when I visit DC, I found the event to be a very moving experience. Maybe it's because of all the history there and the monuments that remind us of that history. And of our democracy.
We gathered at Freedom Plaza and then we marched that day. As we left the Plaza, we could hear the unmistakable sound of drums. Led by an amazing group of female drummers from the Afro-Brazilian band called Batala Washington, this incredible group performs to empower women. That was felt that Saturday as thousands marched to their drum beats. It took my breath away as we walked past the Washington Monument to the White House.
There was anxiety in the air, but there was also resilience.
It was America in Motion with care and concern for each other.
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Poll Watching - Think About Doing It in 2026!
by Nancy Reynolds
Now that retirement is my profession, I am able to commit more time to my political beliefs and responsibility. I'm now a proud member of the Democratic Women's Club of Worcester County. Also, I always thought that working at the polls during elections would be a good way to contribute - but I knew nothing about how to get involved. In order to become familiar with the process, I signed up to be a poll watcher at the Ocean Pines Library from 7 to 10 a.m. on Election Day.
In order to be a poll watcher, there are forms that need to be signed and presented to the chief judge at the polling site. The signed forms were sent to me by Joan Roache, who had researched the necessary steps to take. To observe the setting up of the poll location, I needed to be present by 6:30 a.m. I was shown to a seat in a corner of the room. The role of a poll watcher is to observe and report to the chief judge any suspicious and/or inconsistent behavior, such as a voter reporting a different name that was known to me, or observing the same person trying to come in twice to vote. None of that happened.
What I did observe was how efficiently and energetically the people running the polling place worked. They signed up with the Board of Elections to work that day from 6 a.m. until the last person in line to vote at 8 p.m. had voted. They helped the voters through the process. First-time voters were applauded. Voters were respectful of one another. They proudly picked up their "I Voted" stickers as they left. Many voters brought their children along. Many came in on their canes and walkers; others pushing infants in strollers.
It felt like the citizens who came to vote were proud to be a part of the great democratic process of our country. We aren't happy with the all election results, but we need to continue to be a part of the process, stay involved, and stand up for our rights and values. I will continue to work at the polls and fight our good fight! I hope you will, too.
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Opening the Communications Door
Guest Commentary by Tish Michel
November's DWC meeting with Speaker Justin Butler was wonderful and just what our fellow Dems needed! Much of the discussion after his excellent presentation concerned how do we get the folks who only tune into FOX to hear us when we rightly react to things the next administration will no doubt do -- that won't get reported by FOX.
Here are two small ways I have found to help open doors. The Democratic Central Committee held a pancake breakfast in October. It was attended by mostly Dems but we also had Republicans and Independents both attending and speaking. It was a wonderful experience and how we hope to have future political events where we all respect one another and listen with an open mind.
The other way is that many of our FOX friends will read the local papers published in our area. We need to be in there. I had a letter to the editor in the OCToday/Dispatch 11/15 edition. I had four staunch Republican friends come up to me at a Lauren Glick (music) event shortly after that (and some of my Republican bridge mates) to say how much they enjoyed the letter and agreed with many points. Yeah -- I had really good discussions with these friends and was grateful that they read the letter, which I am sharing below:
Concerning Our Election
Oh my, what a long election period. Tuesday afternoon, November 5th, I felt so proud to be an American Democrat from the Eastern Shore. I had just finished being a poll watcher and was so moved to see our democracy in action. Wednesday morning (11/6) I confess to being totally shocked and devastated with the election results. It is heartbreaking to me to see that my fellow citizens prefer a convicted felon to a woman of color who has vast experience and ran a stellar campaign in just over 3 months.
However, I totally respect that the voters have spoken. Millions of good, honest and decent Americans chose Mr. Trump. We need to listen to one another and share our concerns. I agree there is much more that unites us than divides us. However, I have no respect for those who chose not to vote and feel they must have nothing to add to the conversation. I will try to keep an open mind and loving heart as Mr. Trump again becomes our president. As an American citizen, I have the right and duty to make my voice heard and peacefully protest if his future actions are detrimental to our country and the world.
I would venture to guess that every American citizen, whether they voted or not, would agree that the election period was way too long. Who isn't sick of all the political ads, texts, blogs, emails, letters, etc. Surely there are better ways to spend approximately $1,400,000,000!
President-elect Trump declared his candidacy November 15, 2022; his campaign ran 10 days shy of two years. The Kamala Harris campaign was 107 days and raised over $1 billion in three months. In contrast, Canada elects a new Prime Minister in two weeks. The French election period is three weeks. The UK has a 25-working day period for elections and the Prime Minister moves into 10 Downing Street the same day he/she is elected. President-elect Trump will not be inaugurated until two and a half months after the election.
I doubt that in the near future Congress will get rid of the Electoral College system and allow for a plurality electoral system where the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide wins the election. I feel the Electoral College system made total sense when our country was founded. Times have changed and it is wrong that selecting a president depends primarily on how seven states vote.
Perhaps we can convince Congress to agree to shorten our election period. Really folks, our elections are too long and costly. I would strongly support that after greatly shortened primary elections conclude, each candidate receives a limited and equal amount of money from the government and no private fundraising be allowed after the primary. I suggest that the government election pot be split three ways with one third going to Dems, one third to Republicans and the remaining third be split among Independent and third-party candidates. This could be partially funded by the $2 donations we choose to make by checking the box on our federal tax return.
I share these thoughts and would like to hear comments from my fellow Americans. Please accept these ramblings from a senior citizen who loves her country. We have a democracy in progress -- can we keep it and make it better?
Tish Michel is a DWC Member and alternate Representative, District 7 ,
Worcester Democratic Central Committee
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More Dems are Finding Us!
Our membership is growing each month! We topped 200!
Welcome new members and thank you, long-time members for your enthusiasm, participation and dedication!
Dues for 2025 are being collected now! Still just $15. Bring your checkbook to the Holiday Luncheon or the January 27 meeting -- or send your membership check by mail to Democratic Women's Club of Worcester County, P.O. Box 1242, Ocean Pines, Md. 21811
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As reported last month, DWC encouraged members to contact President Biden and Senators VanHollen and Cardin urging them to take action on the ERA before the new administration takes control.
On November 22, 48 Senators signed a letter to President Biden urging him to direct the Archivist of the United States to publish the ERA as the 28th Amendment without further delay. To see that letter and the list of Senators, click on the button below. DWC has sent a letter of appreciation to our Senators for their help.
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The DWC newsletter is normally published the week prior to the regular monthly DWC meeting. Please submit articles, photos and other items by the 12th of the month to Editor Gail Jankowski, janfam83@gmail.com
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Summary of DWC Meeting November 18, 2024
From the Official Minutes submitted by Dana Barney
DWC President Debra Fisher-Reynolds welcomed attendees and new members. Vice President Susan Buyer introduced our speaker, Justin Butler, Regional Organizing Director, Maryland Democratic Party. According to Justin, Alsobrooks and Delaney were elected due to the "margin of effort" by volunteers. He discussed the way forward and said we need to recognize that American politics swings on a pendulum and there will be a backlash. He outlined key points that applied to the elections in Maryland and elsewhere and reiterated the need to keep pushing back against disinformation.
Business Meeting - Reminders that minutes are posted on the G:Drive and summarized in the monthly DWC newsletter, and to please get newsletter items in by the 12th of the month.
Announcements - Linda Linzey told members that an exhibit at the Art League of Ocean City features the work of DWC member Susan Eisenmann.
The nominating committee introduced the slate of officers for 2025 (published in the November newsletter). Kathy Emmert moved to accept, seconded by Nancy Howard, to vote the new officers in by affirmation. There were no nays.
Members were reminded that the Board has voted to change our monthly meetings to the 4th Monday of the month at our new location, the Berlin Library.
Committee Reports were given by Joan Roache (PAC), Joan Esworthy (Membership), Book Club (Debbie Koczen-Doyle) and Cherie McNett (Central Committee).
Joan Roache and Debra Fisher-Reynolds went over a number of upcoming events, and reminded members to sign up for the Holiday Luncheon by December 6.
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