- From the County Chair
- Meet David Jolly
- Immigrants Not an Economic Burden
- Graduating into Uncertainty
- Volunteer of the Month: John Simon
- No Kings Rally
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- Ask the Candidates: Debbie Jordan
- Keeping Up with Candidates
- Club of the Month: DWC
- Vaccine Debate: Politicians Endangering Lives
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From the County Chair
How Do You Want History
to Remember You?
By Jim Rosinus
We have probably all heard of the legendary Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” We live in interesting times. And the question is: When this is all over (and someday it will be) and historians look back on our interesting time, how will you be remembered?
Conventional wisdom is that during the Revolutionary War only about a third of the American population was inclined to support the rebels. Another third were outright Tories and backed the king. The remaining third just wanted to keep their heads down and not be noticed. Who do we remember today? Which group do we celebrate?
The Nazis were never an outright majority in Germany, but very few Germans actively resisted. Most of them just wanted to keep their heads down and hope not to be noticed. It didn’t work, and they suffered along with everyone else as Germany collapsed. Their “I didn’t know” excuse didn’t help them.
Our situation is not that dire…yet. But our interesting time demands that we take sides.
Read more
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Time's Running Out: Register for our Luncheon with Gubernatorial Candidate David Jolly
David Jolly, who is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for Governor, will be here in Lee County on October 12. Jolly, a former (Republican) Congressman and current MSNBC contributor, will be here as part of a five-county tour.
Known for his independent approach and willingness to challenge partisan divides, Jolly remains a strong advocate for bipartisan problem-solving, government accountability, and practical solutions that put people over politics.
In declaring his candidacy, he has been outspoken about his plans to undo the damage caused by the DeSantis administration. Read more and register Register now
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The Big Lie:
Immigrants Are an Economic Burden
to the Country
By Sig Hernandez
Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election in large part by scapegoating immigrants and telling some big lies about them. One big lie is that immigrants are an economic burden to the country. Nothing further from the truth. This lie is being used to justify the massive immigrant deportations taking place in our country right now.
Although a city like NYC can in the short term get overwhelmed by a large influx of immigrants (Governors DeSantis & Abbot dumped thousands of migrants in NYC to create chaos), in the longer-term immigrants tend to migrate where labor is needed.
JD Vance accused immigrants during the campaign of being responsible for the high price of housing. Read more
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Graduating Into Uncertainty:
The Double Burden Facing Lee County’s
College Grads
By Jayne Berkaw
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Graduating into a tough job market has always been part of the rite of passage for some, but recent college classes (2024-2026) are facing a confluence of forces that many did not expect. Macroeconomic headwinds, automation, and inflation all combine with new federal policies that have disrupted key pipelines for employment. If you're in Lee County, Florida, or anywhere similar, the pressure is undeniable.
National Policy Shifts That Matter
One of the most consequential moves came on January 20, 2025, when the Trump administration put in a federal hiring freeze for most executive branch agencies. No new civilian positions. Vacancies go unfilled. Even after the freeze ends, agencies are restricted in how many new staff they can hire relative to departures, often only one new hire for every four who leave.
For students and recent graduates, the impact has been personal. Internships supported by federal agencies or grants have been pulled back. Job offers rescinded. Applications might be accepted in theory, but it’s unclear whether any of them will lead to an offer.
These policy shifts don’t happen in a vacuum; they amplify the existing difficulties: Read more
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Job seeker, Michaela O'Brien, President of the Lee County Young Democrats, shared her thoughts with us: "As a recent graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University with a BA in Communication Studies and a 3.9 GPA, I expected challenges, but the federal hiring freeze and rescinded internships made the market and my chances of getting into graduate school harder than I imagined.
It’s disheartening to see almost every entry-level job requiring years of experience, and many of my friends settling for roles outside their fields just to stay alive." Read more from Michaela.
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Ask The Candidates:
Debbie Jordan, Lee County School Board Incumbent Candidate, District 4
Debbie Jordan has been a dedicated leader in Lee County for more than 40 years. She currently serves as the District 4 School Board Member for the Lee County School District and is the owner of Nina Rose Events. A longtime Fort Myers resident, Debbie is deeply rooted in the community as a mother of four, grandmother of 17, and great-grandmother of two-several of whom attend Lee County schools.
Her professional background includes 20 years as a State Board Member and Past-President of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association of Lee and Charlotte Counties, as well as serving as Legislative Liaison for the Florida Chapter of the Country Club of America Association.
We sat down with Debbie to talk with her about her ideas:
On Why the School Boards Matter to Everyone
LeeDems: Why do school boards matter to everyone, even those in our community who do not have children in school?
Debbie: It is important to have a strong school board that will prioritize our children and that will be good stewards of taxpayers' money. Remember, the students of tomorrow will be the ones running the country, taking care of us. It is in the best interest of everyone to have an educated society.
On School Safety & Start Times
LeeDems: What is your position on the proposed 'Safe Start Initiative'? Read more
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Keeping Up with Our Candidates
On Sept. 20, the National Organization of Women (NOW) and the Women’s March partnered for an Open Mic Rally, and March in Downtown Ft. Myers. The event was well attended, and some great speakers excited the crowd with inspiring words. Local candidates who spoke included Howard Sapp (photos at right), candidate for US Congress, Dist. 19, Dr. Cindy Banyai, candidate for Fla. State House Dist. 78, and Kara Brooke Rogers, candidate Mayor Cape Coral as well as others committed to continue the fight for our democracy.
This week, (October 3), Howard Sapp will officially kickoff his campaign in downtown Ft. Myers at the Standard Restaurant at 1520 Broadway in what promises to be an exciting time for all. The event will start at 6pm with free valet parking.
Can’t make that? Then why not join Howard at his Collier County Kickoff on Oct 18th from 2-5pm at the Villages of Monterey Clubhouse, 1725 Mission Dr., Naples FL, 34109
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JOIN THE LOCAL RALLY
8:30-11:30, 4 corners at US 41 & Daniels
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Volunteer of the Month: John Simon
You’ve seen him if you’ve been to any of the recent anti-Trump protests. He’s there reliably—in his cheesehead, passing out information, flags and other goodies to marchers. He’s our volunteer of the month: John Simon.
He says, “Thanx to all of you that voted me in as MR. OCTOBER volunteer of the month.” He tells our readers to look for him at the Daniel's site behind LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE on October 18th from 8:30 to 11am. He hopes to see you all there. As he says, “BE THERE OR BE SQUARE. CHEESEHEAD FOREVER IN THE PEACEFUL RESISTANCE.”
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Club of the Month
Democratic Women’s Club of Lee County
By Sandra McClinton
The Democratic Women’s Club of Lee County started meeting on September 1958 and was chartered on October 5, 1968. The club offers excellent speakers at the monthly meetings and has several activities to keep members engaged such as a quarterly book club, monthly Blue Skies Breakfast and a quarterly Diversity Committee.
The next book club meeting will be held on November 8, 2025, at 12:30 PM. The book is Marta Elva’s American Tumbleweeds, the bittersweet story of a Mexican-American family's struggle to stay together. The author will be Mexican American, which is held at the home of Choon Dho Olmsted. Contact her if you want to attend at phleghmingo@comcast.net. Read more
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Vaccine Debate:
Politicians Endangering the Lives of Floridians
By Tracy Rippon
The recent announcement concerning the removal of vaccine requirements in Florida will endanger the lives of Floridians, especially children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. The Florida surgeon general has confirmed the decision to recommend removal of vaccine mandates was not based on any scientific data. This is alarming since vaccine rates are dropping and diseases like measles, varicella (chicken pox), and pertussis (whooping cough) are staging comebacks. This article will review what harms occur when vaccine rates fall by highlighting a vaccine-preventable disease with current data for Florida.
According to the Florida Department of Health, vaccine-preventable diseases in Florida are at the highest point in decades. Pertussis (whooping cough) is one of these. Pertussis bacteria are highly contagious and release toxins that damage the airways. The symptoms are more severe in children under 5 due to the smaller size of children’s airways. Children can experience a “whooping” cough, difficulty breathing, seizures, brain damage, and/or death. 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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