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TOMORROW @ 6:00PM! Join Us for a Town Hall Celebrating our Frontline Heroes! |
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Last year, when we faced an unprecedented health crisis in our country, people were encouraged to stay home and to work from home. But, what about those folks who didn't have the option to be able to work from home? What about the folks who put their lives on the line to ensure people could still receive their medication in the mail? Who ensured we could still buy groceries? Who ensured our children could still get educated? Who ensured that our most vulnerable and those who got sick could recover?
In this edition of Colorado Conversations, we focus on the frontline heroes who kept our country going during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we check-in with elected officials to see how they're working to ensure frontline heroes have the support, and get the support, they so desperately need!
Click here or the button below to sign up and join us for this virtual town hall on THIS THURSDAY, September 2 (next Thursday) at 6:00PM MT! |
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Meet Our Tech Team! |
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CDP's Tech Team (from left to right), TMo, Noma, and Bruce! |
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Did you know the Colorado Democratic Party has a tech team?
It's true! Led by CDP's data and technology director Noma Thayer, former data director + data extraordinaire Bruce Norikane, and super volunteer and data guru Thomas Morrisey (TMo to his friends), the CDP's tech team is ready to serve YOU with all of your needs technology and data related!
Amazing! How do I get in touch with the CDP Tech Team? It's very simple! You can either click the button below, or go to the Colorado Democratic Party's website (Go to the "Resources" drop-down menu, and click on "VoteBuilder/VAN Request"). There, you'll find all sorts of ways you can ask for help.
Whether you want to schedule a training, ask a general technology question, or ask our team about VAN, the link in the button below is the place for you! |
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The American Rescue Plan How is it helping folks? |
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Child tax credit lifted 3 million kids from poverty in July CNBC
The first installment of the child tax credit lifted 3 million kids out of poverty in July, according to a Columbia University study.
That reduction represented a 25% cut in the monthly child poverty rate to 11.9% from 15.8%, according to the analysis published Friday.
“This is huge for low-income families,” said Zachary Parolin, a researcher at the university’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy and a report co-author. ... The American Rescue Plan raised the maximum child tax credit to $3,000 or $3,600 per kid, depending on age. That’s up from $2,000.
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Remember -- Colorado Republicans like Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, and Doug Lamborn all voted 'No' to helping Colorado families.
Meanwhile, all of Colorado's Democratic members of the Congressional delegation voted 'Yes'!
But how else does the American Rescue Plan specifically help Coloradans, you ask? Click the link to find out! |
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Local Candidates Corner! |
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Like the late, great Democratic speaker of the house Tip O'Neill famously said, "All Politics is Local". We couldn't agree more -- down ballot races are often where the most local and impactful offices are elected, and we want *you* to be aware of which Democrats are running for your local races! To help us help elect Democrats to every local seat possible, click here to get your very own Vote Local swag!
All proceeds go towards our efforts to elect Democrats up AND down the ticket!
Meet Candidates Running this November! |
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Democrats Running for Lamar City Council! |
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Gerald "Oscar" Riley is a Democrat running for Ward 2 on the Lamar City Council! Be sure to check out his candidacy and see how you can help him out! |
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Democrats Running for School Board in Rio Blanco County! |
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Sarah Grimes is a Democrat who is running for school board on Meeker RE-1! Be sure to check out her candidacy and see if you can help her out! |
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Opportunities with Colorado Dems! |
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SAVE THE DATE: Grassroots Reunion + Fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 9 |
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We are excited to announce that we will be back together in person for a grassroots reunion and fundraiser on Thursday, September 9th at ReelWorks (formerly EXDO) in Denver!
This event will be a great way to see people from across the state that you have not seen in a while. Click here to RSVP!
We ask that only those who have been vaccinated attend, in accordance with the most recent CDC guidelines. The event will be indoors and outdoors, so come join us for some food, drink and lots of fun! |
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County Parties and Initiatives! |
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Way to go Teller County Dems! |
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Teller County Dems participate every year in a community wide cleanup in Woodland Park. The Teller County Dems adopted this 2 mile stretch of Rampart Range Road approximately 10 years ago! They are proud Democrats giving back to the community and they are happy to do it!!
Let’s put the “unity” back into community! |
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Join the Arapahoe Dems for their Annual Fundraiser! (Tuesday, September 14) |
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Join the Arapahoe County Democratic Party for the Pat Schroeder Event, their largest fundraiser of the year! Click here or the graphic to buy your tickets! |
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Join the Pitkin Dems for their Annual Fundraiser! (Wednesday, September 29) |
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RSVP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/pitcodems21 |
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ICYMI: Pitkin Dems' David Wallach Awarded by County! |
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David Wallach with his parents Betty and Howie when he was recognized as an Aspen Hero! |
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Theatre Aspen’s Heroes Program shines spotlight on valley’s frontline workers, community supporters The Aspen Times
The honorees stretch up and down the valley and include people like David Wallach, who works at Clark’s grocery store in Aspen and caught the virus but returned to work after three weeks of being ill.
Wallach, who worked at the store for three summers in his teen years, returned in June 2016 and has been there since.
Wallach, 39, said Friday after he got off work that he was sick at the end of March and when he got back on April 13, things had changed. But it wasn’t too hard to learn the new rules. The toughest part of the ordeal was being away from the market for that long.
“Knowing I couldn’t go there and knowing they needed me and I couldn’t do anything about it, that was really hard,” Wallach said. “When I got back they greeted me with open arms, and it was easy once they told me the new rules.”
Click here to read the whole article. Congratulations, David! |
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Join the JeffCo Democratic Latino Initiative for their 7th Annual Legacy Celebration Brunch! (Saturday, September 18) |
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Sock Drop/Sock Hop Benefit: Help for Colorado Homeless LGBTQIA+ Youth
Hello Democrats!
The Stonewall Democrats of Colorado is sponsoring their 7th Annual Sock Drop/Sock Hop to raise funds for Homeless LGBTQIA+ Youth who use the services provided by Urban Peak in Denver and Colorado Springs starting tomorrow September 1st, 2021.
Our partner, Urban Peak, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving our homeless youth by providing an overnight shelter, a daytime Drop-In Center, Street Outreach, Education & Employment programming, and Supportive housing. A frightening statistic is that nearly 40% of homeless youth in Colorado self-identify as LGBTQ+.
With the surge in the Delta Variant, we will not be having an in-person event but ask that you donate online. Any donation helps Urban Peak provide clothing to keep these kids from freezing in the winter!
All funds donated from September 1st to September 30th will be given to Urban Peak as part of the Sock Drop/Sock Hop Benefit. Visit the Stonewall Democrats of Colorado Facebook page for more details.
https://www.facebook.com/stonewallcolorado
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#DemsDeliver |
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Former Governor Dick Lamm honored with memorial service Fox21
Former Colorado state Governor Dick Lamm’s memorial service was held on Tuesday, Aug. 31, with such speakers as Governor Jared Polis, Lamm’s wife Dottie, his students, former Mayor of Denver Wellington Webb and others.
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Hickenlooper wants carbon pricing in Democrats’ budget bill Colorado Newsline
As negotiations over a high-stakes budget bill begin in Washington, D.C., Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper told constituents in a virtual town hall on Monday that a carbon-pricing mechanism to combat climate change tops his wish list for the legislation.
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Friednash: Jason Crow’s mission to save American allies in Afghanistan The Denver Post
Congressman Jason Crow is the kind of person you want in your foxhole when things get rough.
Crow, a Democrat from Colorado, was on the House of Representatives floor when an angry, politically charged mob of insurrectionists broke through the security perimeter and stormed into the Capitol on January 6th, disrupting the electoral college certification. Crow observed the Capitol Police closing and locking doors and then stacking furniture against the doors.
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Colorado secretary of state sues to stop Mesa County clerk from overseeing elections The Denver Post
Colorado’s secretary of state filed a lawsuit Monday to remove the clerk of Mesa County from her role overseeing elections because the clerk is under criminal investigation for allegedly allowing a security breach of election equipment.
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Neguse pushes to complete Continental Divide Trail Sky-Hi News
Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse has unveiled legislation that would direct public land managers to finish the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail. The Continental Divide Trail Completion Act would direct the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to work together to finish the trail by its 50th anniversary.
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Phil Weiser: A transformative opportunity to combat the opioid epidemic The Greeley Tribune
In 2020, we lost 93,000 Americans to drug overdoses. That’s more deaths than all of those who died in the Vietnam War and Iraq Wars combined. It’s also the highest number of overdose deaths recorded in a one-year period — an increase driven mostly by opioids.
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Almost half of kids in the US lived in poverty for at least 2 full months between 2013 and 2016 Business Insider
Given the high rates of child poverty, in 2017, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown introduced the American Family Act to triple the Child Tax Credit and give families a $300 check for children ages 5 and under, and $250 for each child between 6 and 17.
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Ed Perlmutter Has Support for Marijuana Banking Bill, but Will It Get to the Floor? Westword
If anyone seemed poised to push marijuana legislation over the hill after the 2020 election, it was U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter. The Colorado congressman had been pushing his Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act since 2013 and was making progress within the U.S. House of Representatives.
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GOP Watch |
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Colorado Sun
Kristi Burton Brown, chairwoman of the Colorado GOP, appeared at a gathering of Republicans in Jefferson County this summer where she talked about how the party can attract unaffiliated voters and finally win again in 2022. ... But when Burton Brown opened the hotel-conference-room gathering up for questions, the crowd didn’t want to discuss her talking points. They jerked the focus back to the past.
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Volunteer of the Week |
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Meet Art! This week's Volunteer of the Week!
I am a former environmental engineering consultant who changed my career toward activism and the Democratic Party two years ago. I live part time in Boulder Colorado and my summers in Pentwater, Michigan where I support several environmental causes related to climate change and Great Lakes water quality. I got involved with supporting the Democratic party because of climate change impacts and the critical need to protect the environment. I am very concerned about the climate and it is my generation that significantly impacted the current and future environmental condition. I needed to do something about it.
I knew that the Democratic Party needed to gain the presidency and senate to make real change in climate change policy. I started this climate change action by doing an environmental voting and policy analysis for all Republican House Representatives for the 2020 election (at the request of Karin Asensio); in addition I was asked to do a climate change policy analysis of Cory Gardner for the Senator Hickenlooper Campaign. I wrote several newspaper editorials and recommended position papers to the Hickenlooper Campaign. For the Colorado Democratic Party, I currently monitor Republican environmental issues in Colorado especially in District 3. I am supporting Democrat House Representative Judy Amabile on environmental issues facing Colorado and the nation. I have learned a lot about politics and the legislative mechanism on how to get things done. I am currently an environmental advocate and leader to the Climate Reality Project started by former Vice President Al Gore.
I encourage people to volunteer their time, especially experienced professionals, that have a lot of expertise to give the Democratic Party to make the planet better. It is not enough to complain about our current environmental and social challenges but it is important to actually do something about them. Retired people (such as myself) need to move onto another career phase or promote actions that actually help people and the environment. This action keeps us active, sharp and effective. I encourage anyone, especially those over 60, to get involved with the Democratic Party and process to make a real positive impact. We are running out of time to solve our climate problems. |
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Want to volunteer and help elect Democrats across Colorado like Art is doing? Click the button below to join our talent bank, and we'll get you plugged in! |
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Dems On the Road! |
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Party Chair Morgan Carroll hit the road hard this weekend! She visited Kevin Kuns (Montrose Dems Chair and CDP Regional Field Organizer) for the Montrose Dems' BBQ! Congrats to Kevin, Bobbie, and the entire Montrose Dems teams for holding such a fantastic event! Morgan also stopped in San Miguel (2nd row) to visit with the San Miguel Democrats and Joan May and Seth Cagin for their dinner. Finally, Morgan and data director Noma Thayer popped into La Plata County to visit Herb Bowman and the La Plata Dems for their event that featured local elected officials and Dems running for CD3! Morgan also stopped by Pueblo and saw Maria, Delaney, and the Pueblo Dems for the annual State Fair in Pueblo!
Special thanks to CD3 chair James Iacino for visiting the CD3 counties of Montrose, San Miguel, and La Plata, meeting with and firing up fellow Democrats to fund our CD3 project and defeat Lauren Boebert! Want to help? Click here to donate to the CD3 project and fund our field program! |
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The Funnies |
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Share the Dispatch |
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If you know someone interested in receiving our weekly newsletter, they can sign up here or they can visit our website at https://coloradodems.org/newsletters. |
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Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Party of Colorado are not tax deductible |
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