Starting the week of August 9th, the office will be going back to limited hours due to Covid and the risk of exposure. The office will be open on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Olympic Medal Count - Top Ten
FEDERAL
Top 10 Programs of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment Fact Sheet
The White House has released a fact sheet with details about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. You can read it here:
Advocacy for Home Rule and Why State Preemption is Hurting Florida
Join us to hear from Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, Ben Wilcox with Integrity Florida, Ida Eskamani with Florida Rising, and Representative Dan Daley to learn more about advocacy for home rule and why some state preemption is hurting Florida.
We will break down home rule and preemption and why do they matter?
Statement from Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz as Florida Shatters All-Time Record for Covid-19 Hospitalizations
Today the State of Florida broke its record for COVID-19 hospitalizations for the third day in a row, with 11,515 now being treated for the disease in hospitals across the state. That means the number of Floridians hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased by a factor of 11 since mid June, with 2,400 of them currently in intensive care.
Last Friday the state reported more than 21,000 new coronavirus infections, the highest figure since the beginning of the pandemic.
In response to these dangerous developments, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Manny Diaz released the following statement:
“Governor DeSantis’s utter lack of leadership during the current health crisis in Florida is as stunning as it is infuriating. While he traveled across the country to Texas and Utah over the last few weeks attempting to bolster his personal brand in advance of a possible presidential run, the state saw the numbers of new infections and hospitalizations soar without any concrete action on the part of the Governor. Worse yet, he has doubled down on his opposition to allowing local governments and school boards to implement the public health measures they deem necessary to contain this burgeoning disaster.
“Today Governor DeSantis even had the audacity to declare that this major health crisis, one we are all seeing unfold in real time, represents nothing more than ‘hysteria’ whipped up by the media. I wonder if the families and friends of the over 11 thousand Floridians being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals across our state right now believe the attention rightfully being placed on their plight constitutes unwarranted ‘hysteria.’
“Much like his mentor, ex-president Donald Trump, Governor DeSantis appears far more interested in downplaying the threat of this pandemic and appealing to a radical constituency within his own party than in acting decisively to prevent further human suffering and death. His absent management of this entire situation is, without a doubt, one of the most shameful displays of political cravenness I have ever seen. I plead with him to reconsider his stance and do what he was elected to do: lead our state in a moment of crisis.”
LOCAL
Masks in Schools – ACTION NEEDED
As cases rise in IRC and our children head back to school, Governor DeSantis is petulating about masks in our schools. He is demanding parents get the right to choose and threatening to take away funding for school districts if they make masks required. Some school boards have defied his threats and are making masks required. But our school board hasn't. It's time to let them hear from every single one of us.
PLEASE, for the safety and health of our students, staff and community, copy and paste the email below and send to all the school board members at this email:
Duval, Alachua, Leon and Broward counties school boards have all made a decision that is in the best interests of students and staff – requiring masks. Why is Indian River not following suit? Covid cases are spiking daily (jumping nearly 80% in one week) in IRC. It’s time to call an emergency meeting and require masks again. Cases are not falling, they are increasing. Hospitalizations are up and hospital rooms are full. People are dying. We are in worse shape now, then we were in January.
Governor DeSantis is acting irresponsibly and using his personal politics to threaten the lives of those in our schools by bullying them into following his desires. Be smarter than him. Be brave for our students. Call the emergency meeting and make masks required.
Thank you for your prompt action on this matter.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
Help Matthew McGary
Matthew McGary’s mom was a librarian assistant at Olso Middle School when she contracted Covid 19 last year. As a staff member at one of our schools, she put her life on the line, before the vaccine was available, for our students. She passed away from her symptoms in January. 3 months later Matthew came home to find his father had a heart attack and was also gone. As a senior in high school, who has Asperger’s, Matthew could still use some support navigating college and life on his own. If you are able, please consider donating to Matthew’s Go Fund Me account. You can access it here:
Stacey and Jackson Klim Featured in the Latest Moonshot Moment Reading Video
Jackson Klim and his mom Stacey (our Operations Coordinator) were delighted to participate in the letter “L for Loving” to promote reading in our community. The Moonshot Moment aims to get all 3rd graders on reading level before they leave for 4th grade.
The Indian River County Historical Society is hosting a Women’s Suffrage Video Premier. See the flyer for more details.
GET INVOLVED
If we are going to be successful in 2022, we need to ensure that our organization is strong.
If you are not interested in being a Precinct Captain, but still want to be involved, the following volunteer positions are available.
Associate Precinct Captain
A Special Category of Volunteers who wish to help in a substantial way but are not willing to take on the responsibilities of Precinct Captain can be Associate PC’s. Associates might take on designated tasks such as forming a street team or a condominium building team. They may help the Precinct Captain on projects or tasks.
These tasks can be done without making in person contact.
Precinct Data Captain
• Collect and manage all precinct data for the team: precinct voter lists, unregistered voters and voter contact data
• Help create call and canvassing lists for team activities in collaboration with the Data Team
• Collect precinct data regularly
Volunteer Recruitment Captain
• Recruit precinct volunteers
• Match and connect volunteers with roles that fit their skills
These tasks can be done without making in person contact.
Neighborhood Captain, Gated Community Captain & Building Captain
Residents of restricted access communities can contact voters from the inside, where the Precinct Team cannot go. Neighborhood Captains contact voters in a particular neighborhood, condo, gated community, directed by their Precinct Captains.
These tasks can be done without making in person contact.
Other Opportunities
Volunteers are an essential part of the IRC DEC grassroots efforts to get-out-the vote and help in a number of ways including, but not limited to:
• Phone Calling: Calling Democratic to inform them about upcoming elections, help them change their voter registration, if needed, let them know how they can request vote by mail ballots, information about volunteer opportunities, etc.
• Writing letters and/or Postcards: Reminding voters about upcoming elections, that they can vote by mail, need to register, etc.
• Involved in Community Outreach: Introducing the IRC DEC to possible community partners/volunteers. (This can be done without making in person contact.)
• Assisting with Communications: Helping with social media, website, newsletter and other communications needs.
• Fundraising: Helping the IRC DEC raise funds to support electing Democrats. (This can be done without making in person contact.)
If you are interested, and want to learn more about these positions, please email Stacey at [email protected]
DEMOCRATS OF INDIAN RIVER
School Supply Donations!
A HUGE thank you to all of you who dropped off school supply donations. Freddie Wolfork at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center could barely get everything in his wagon! Thank you for supporting our local students!
Democratic Club of Indian River
Due to an abundance of caution, the Board of the Democratic Club has decided to CANCEL the Tuesday, August 10th Members meeting that was to be held at the Irish American Society. We have made that decision due to the radical increase of the COVID-19 Delta variant in IRC, the State and Nationally. We will continue to monitor the spread of this “pandemic of the unvaccinated” for future planning and will keep you fully informed of those plans as this fluid outbreak continues to spread and wreak havoc on our community, hospitals and their dedicated staff.
We suggest, if you do not already, follow the recently reactivated Facebook Group “Mask IRC”, particularly posts by Paul Seldes, who works as an Emergency Responder for the State of Florida on the COVID-19 Taskforce. Paul posts accurate data directly from the CDC and Johns Hopkins to call out our Governor when he is not telling the truth about the statical data related to the rapid spread of the Delta variant. Ironically, Paul was slated to be the speaker at our meeting, but had to cancel for family reasons, and advised us that having a large in-door in-person meeting at this point may not be wise.
Stay tuned, mask up in public (again) and stay safe. We plan for the worst and hope for the best, so we can again continue our work to remove our failed, dishonest representatives and win big in 2022.
Al Griffiths, President
Democratic Club of Indian River
Democratic Women’s Club
We See It All: Liberty and Justice in an Age of Perpetual Serveillance by Jon Fasman is the next Book Group selection. The virtual meeting will start at 2:00 pm on August 27th. If you are not a Book Group member and would like to attend please contact Rita Milelli at [email protected].
10:00 a.m. - Democratic Women's Club Board Meeting. If you are not a DWC member and would like to attend, please contact Pat O'Hara at [email protected]
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
5:00 p.m. - Democrats of Indian River, DEC Steering Committee Meeting via Zoom. Contact Stacey at [email protected] for meeting link.
As you know, the Delta variant is spiking cases throughout the country. Indian River County has over a 18% positivity rate. Please continue to wear your mask and take necessary precautions.
The CDC has advised that even if you are vaccinated, you should wear a mask indoors.
Vaccinations
You can search for vaccination locations and details by clicking here:
