- All You Can Do Is Enough
- Candidate News
- Three Big Lies about Immigrants
- Good Trouble at Alligator Auschwitz
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Your Opportunity for Local Good Trouble Tomorrow!
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- Blueprints for Change Sparks Volunteer Surge
- Why I’m a Democrat
- Club of the Month
- Volunteers of the Month
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All You Can Do Is Enough
I am often approached by people who are upset and frustrated and angered by the state of our nation and the direction we are heading but who say, “What can I do? It’s all too much. What can one person do?”
My answer is, “Do what you can. Whatever it is, no matter whether you think it is too small or insignificant or not, it is enough.”
Everyone has heard of Paul Revere. (It helps when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is your PR guy.) But what did Revere actually do? Yes, he was a member of various patriot committees. And yes, he participated in the Boston Tea Party protest. But what was his contribution to the war effort?
One horse ride. Which was never completed because he was caught by the British outside Concord. And yet...Read more
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Mark Your Calendars
Democratic Candidates Announce Kick-off Events
Two outstanding Democratic candidates have announced official kickoff events in October for their campaigns.
Reverend Howard Sapp, running for US House of Representatives Florida 19, will hold his campaign openers in Fort Myers on Friday, October 3, and in Naples on Saturday, October 4, both events from 6:00-8:00 PM.
Dr. Cindy Banyai will kick off her Florida State House 78 campaign at an event on Friday, October 11, from 6:00-8:00 PM. Mark your calendars now and watch for more information in next month’s Informed Democrat.
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Sapp: Ready to Fight for Our Community in Washington, DC
Community leader Reverend Howard Sapp wants to fill the open seat left by Byron Donalds’ decision to run for governor. Sapp knows we can do better. He says,“It’s time for a change. The change people thought they were gonna get just didn’t pan out. We need honesty and integrity in Congress, and I’m ready to serve.”
He continues, “I see a great opportunity to help Southwest Florida through strong, compassionate, and unyielding leadership. Folks in our community have real concerns, and we need someone who is going to be present and work for them.”.Read more
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Banyai: Running to Solve Real Problems in Florida
Cindy Banyai is a candidate for Florida State House 78, serving Fort Myers. She is seeking to replace Jenna Persons-Mulicka who currently holds the seat.
“I’m stepping up to run for Florida House 78 because Tallahassee is nothing but a mess of political infighting and ridiculous political posturing while the people in our state are struggling.” Banyai says. “Rather than solving real issues like the insurance crisis, Jenna has been sealing her far-right credentials by sponsoring bills that strip women of their healthcare freedom, make voting more difficult, and make citizen initiatives nearly impossible. Read more
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The Three Big Lies About Immigrants
By Sig Hernandez
The Trump 2024 campaign was full of misinformation about immigrants. Based on his 3 big lies Trump promised the deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Big Lie #1: Immigrants are Criminals
Nothing further from the truth. Immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. Not only that, when they move into a community, crime decreases in that community.
Arrest and Incarceration Data Studies
- The arrest rate for illegal immigrants was 40 percent below that of native-born Americans and the homicide arrest rate was 46 percent lower than the one for native-born Americans (Nowrasteh 2018).
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As a group, immigrants have had lower incarceration rates than the US-born for 150 years. Moreover, relative to the US-born, immigrants’ incarceration rates have declined since 1960: immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated (Abramitzky, et al. 2023). Read more
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Good Trouble at Alligator Auschwitz!
By Chris Proia
Last week, I joined fellow advocates at a press conference demanding the immediate shutdown of Florida’s newest shame: the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz.” This facility, built hastily in a fragile section of the Everglades, is nothing short of a concentration camp. The human rights violations occurring behind its barbed wire are matched only by the environmental devastation it inflicts on one of our nation’s most critical ecosystems.
As a native resident of Lee County, Florida, and a former candidate for State Senate District 33, I am appalled and embarrassed that our state government—rather than standing up for justice—has chosen to appease a tyrannical president by opening this sham facility. The people held here are not violent criminals, but hotel and farm workers—many arrested improperly—just trying to survive. This is not law enforcement; this is performative cruelty. Read more
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Your Opportunity for Local Good Trouble is TOMORROW!!!
RAGE AGAINST THE REGIME
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Help Us Make Good Trouble
By Margi Vincent
We are rally goers, protestors.
We stand on the streets waving our heartfelt homemade signs.
We are Democrats, NPAs, and some Republicans.
We are local Progressive groups, working together.
We reach thousands with our combined email lists and social media posts.
We are peaceful, but we are warriors.
We face Florida’s brutal summer heat at least once every once every month to stand up against this fascist administration.
Help Us Make Good Trouble
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Blueprints for Change
Sparks Volunteer Surge
in Lehigh Acres
The Lee County Democratic Party held its first Blueprints for Change volunteer fair on July 12
at the East County Library in Lehigh Acres. The event drew over 100 attendees and resulted in over 157 volunteer and club/caucus sign-ups. “It was a tremendous success,” says the Party’s Deputy Treasurer, Brad Smith. “We need more volunteers if we’re going to get people registered and out to vote in ‘26.” Watch for the next Blueprints for Change event on September 6 at the Fort Myers Regional Library from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
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Why I Am a Democrat
By Denise Flaherty
In thinking about the many reasons that I am a Democrat, I have realized that I became a Democrat when I was so young that I didn’t even know what that meant.
When I was in kindergarten, in an all-white neighborhood, there was one black child in my school. She was in my class. I remember how upset I became that kids wouldn’t be her friend. I became Theresa’s only friend. When I saw another child trying to bully her and call her names, I stepped in. Read more
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Club of the Month
Burnt Store Blue: A Grassroots Organization
By Vicky Welsch
Burnt Store Blue is a grassroots organization formed in 2018. It meets monthly at venues in the Burnt Store Marina neighborhood and strives to cover topics of concern to residents along the Burnt Store Road corridor from Charlotte County to Lee County.
Burnt Store Blue began as small house parties. These get togethers were later formalized and organized as a Steering Committee. The initial focus was on helping to elect Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections. They have provided a platform for candidates in each election since. Read more
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Volunteers of the Month
Mr. Inside/Ms. Outside
This month our spotlight is on two outstanding volunteers. One, Renard Biltgen, works largely behind the scenes with data, while the other, Liz Matt, a talented organizer, enjoys being out front.
Dave Waks, DEC Executive Secretary, writes that “Renard Biltgen has brought many years of professional software development to the task of electing Democrats. For more than five years, he has been developing data-driven tools to help elect Democrats - first in Lee County and then more broadly in Florida. He comes up with great ideas, creates pilot projects, and then scales them so then can work anywhere in Florida. His Voter Analysis Tool (VAT) is used by DECs in many counties to contact new voters and was used last year to send customized slate cards to Democrats throughout the state. Read more
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The Informed Democrat is published monthly and posted on the LeeCountyDems.org website.
Do you have something you’d like to share with your fellow Democrats in Lee County, or do you have comments, questions, or ideas about features you'd like to see?
Contact us at InformedDemocrat@gmail.com.
Editor: Melissa Butler
The Democratic Party of Lee County is an all-volunteer organization. We do not receive any funding
from the Florida Democratic Party nor the National Democratic Party.
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