Happy one-year anniversary of your swearing in President Biden and Vice President Harris!
Thank you for your leadership, Mr. President and Madame Vice President! You are role models who value democracy, decency, fairness and honesty. You believe in an America for ALL Americans and we will support you at the local and state levels to make sure that happens! We pledge to fight for voting rights in Florida. We’re looking forward to the next three years under your leadership and your policies crafted for a better America and a better world!
Office Hours
Our regular office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Our address is 2345 14th Ave., Suite 7, Downtown Vero Beach.
Newsletter Highlights
Education Group starting! See the Get Involved Section
TEXTERS Needed! See the Get Involved Section
Precinct Captains Needed! See the Democrats of Indian River Section
MLK Parade See the Get Involved Section
MLK PARADE
What a wonderful way to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.! All arms of the Democrats of Indian River participated in the parade on Monday. A HUGE shoutout to Wendy McDaniel, Club President, for organizing the float and providing the trailer. Thank you Wendy!
GET INVOLVED
Roe v. Wade Anniversary
Saturday, January 22nd is the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the ruling that legalized abortion access in the United States. For nearly 50 years, anti-abortion extremists have been chipping away at those protections, and this year they are trying to repeal Roe entirely. Representative Erin Grall, from Vero Beach, just filed a 15-week abortion ban that, if passed, will heavily restrict access in our state.
Come out and show her that we will not stand idly by while she works to strip away our right to reproductive healthcare! Sign up for the Protest HERE: https://bit.ly/3fvyEyN
Please keep in mind that during this time we need to wear masks, social distance, and stay home if sick in order to keep each other safe.
Date: Saturday, January 22nd
Time: 11am-12:30pm
Location: Vero Beach, FL (RSVP in the above link for location)
Education Group
If you watched or read the news lately, you know our public education system is under attack. All over the country “Moms for Liberty” and “Parental Rights” groups are jamming up school board meetings demanding books be removed, masks be removed, CRT stop being taught (it isn’t), and school districts bow down to their every whim. In opposition, groups are starting to form to counter these attacks on our public education system.
Locally, a group of parents and concerned community members have been speaking at our school board meetings and writing letters to provide an alternate voice of reason. We are beginning to organize and need more help. If you are interested in joining a team working to preserve our public education system, please email [email protected] for more information.
Texters Needed
We have purchased a new texting program to reach out to voters in Indian River County. We are looking for volunteers who can send texts. It’s very easy and can be done from your couch or dining room table. All you need is a computer, no phones needed! If you are interested, email Stacey at [email protected] and she can send you more information about how the program works.
DEMOCRATS OF INDIAN RIVER
Democratic Executive Committee
Do you want to be part of the team that votes DeSantis out? Do you want to meet your like-minded neighbors? Are you tired of sitting by while Republicans get elected over and over?
Consider signing up to be a precinct captain for your local area. Precinct captains create relationships with their neighbors, help lead up Get Out the Vote efforts, and work with a fun team.
If you live in the following Precincts, we could use your help:
The next DWC Book Group meeting will be at 2:00 p.m. on January 28th on Zoom. Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost our Democracy and Still Could by Representative Adam Schiff will be discussed. If you are not a Book Group member and would like to attend please contact Rita Milelli at [email protected]
Democratic Club of Indian River
The Democratic Club will hold its annual election at the March meeting. Below is the slate of candidates:
President Wendy McDaniel
Vice president Betty Morrow
Secretary Caryl Zook
Treasurer Yolonda Anderson
Director Kelly Miller
Director Jadie Barringer
Director Clay Wild
Please contact Claudia Martino [email protected] if you have any questions.
FEDERAL
Joanne Terry Announces Run Against Posey
STATE
DeSantis Intervenes in Redistricting
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ surprise move this week to submit his own aggressively partisan proposal for redrawing congressional district lines in Florida, one that goes farther to protect GOP interests than any map the Legislature was considering, is an indication of just how far he’ll go to tighten his grip on the state’s Republicans and secure a possible White House bid.
Erin Grall’s Mississippi Abortion Bill Gets Early OK
Much like her “Parental Rights” bill, Erin Grall didn’t do much work to research the abortion bill being fast tracked in the state legislature.
When state Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, asked Grall if she consulted with medical experts to select 15 weeks as the mark for a ban, Grall replied, “that’s what’s in the Mississippi law.”
The Indian River County MPO will be hosting another “Land Use Visioning” workshop on February 03, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Intergenerational Center. This will build on the activities from the first workshop held back in October. It is a wonderful opportunity to see what the future has in store!
If you are interested in becoming an election worker, the Supervisor of Elections will be conducting orientation classes on:
Wednesday, January 26th - 10-12 a.m.
Wednesday, January 26th – 2-4 p.m.
Thursday, January 27th - 10-12 a.m.
Thursday, January 27th – 2-4 p.m.
The Election Worker Orientation classes is at the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections (4375 43rd Avenue, Vero Beach). Please call Jenny Davis at 772-226-4720 to RSVP for this class. This class is only for new Election Workers and you are only required to attend one orientation class.
Faces of Eve – Fundraiser for Gifford Cultural Center
The fundraiser for the new Gifford Cultural Center is called the Faces of Eve Collaboration. To raise money for the Center, you can purchase the Faces of Eve coffee table art book. Please order your copy today in the link below! They also welcome sponsorships, the various levels are listed on the Rally-Up fundraising page.
This week we are highlighting a couple of great letters to the editor printed in the TC Palm.
Biden's significant accomplishments are there for all to see
The Jan. 9 letter from Anthony Napolitano referred to President Biden as “this sorry excuse we have for a president …."
To him I say, here are some of Biden's accomplishments:
$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package approved.
Approximately 70% of Americans are fully vaccinated.
Over 6 million jobs added.
A record-high stock market (The Dow was near 30,000 in January 2021; now at 36,000-plus).
40 Biden-nominated judges confirmed.
4.2% unemployment (was 6.3% in January 2021).
New jobless claims at a 50-year low in December 2021.
Child poverty cut in half.
Napolitano complains about the Jan. 6 committee investigation regarding an outright assault on our democratic process. Has he forgotten the millions spent by the Republicans a few years ago on the Benghazi investigation, which revealed no wrongdoing by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?
Carmen Gintoli, Port St. Lucie
It's hard to imagine some still believe that Donald Trump won in 2020
It amazes me that people still believe the Big Lie that the election was stolen.
Some claim that the number of votes cast for Joe Biden is proof. There are two reasons that the vote count was so high. Donald Trump is very good at bringing out the racist vote; unfortunately for him, he is also very good at bringing out the anti-racist vote.
Secondly, one of the major political strategies of the GOP has been to make it difficult for folks who live in Democratic precincts to vote. This is usually accomplished by restricting polling locations and limiting voting booths. A single parent working two jobs cannot practically devote hours to record her single ballot. With COVID-19, concessions were made to allow for a safer election process. This meant many were able to cast mail-in ballots that did not require missing work or arranging child care.
Otherwise the evidence is quite strong that there was no significant fraud in the 2020 election. Every serious study has confirmed this, as have numerous courts. Voters must be registered and submissions of ballots are recorded in connection with the respective registration. The number of votes matched the record of votes cast by registered voters. If there were rampant voting fraud there would have to be tens of thousands of arrests.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick offered up to $1,000,000 for evidence leading to the conviction of someone perpetrating voter fraud. His only payment was $25,000 to Eric Frank, a poll worker who discovered a 72-year-old Republican who voted in his son's name. The scant cases discovered have mostly involved Trump supporters including four in The Villages in Florida.
Republicans are currently passing laws that will allow them to once again inhibit Democrats from exercising their franchise.
John Tierney, Fort Pierce
CALENDAR
Thursday, January 20, 2022
6:00 p.m. – Democrats of Indian River, DEC Meeting
Meeting via Zoom. Contact Stacey at [email protected] for meeting link.
Monday, January 24, 2022
12:00 p.m. – School Board Discussion Session, School District of Indian River County, 6500 57th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32967
6:00 – 8:30 p.m. – School Board Business Meeting, School District of Indian River County, 6500 57th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32967
For agenda and meeting information go to https://go.boarddocs.com/fl/ircs/Board.nsf/Public
