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YARD SIGNS are now available for

Joanne Terry, candidate for US House District 08,

and for School Board Candidate Cindy Gibbs.

You can pick yours up M-F 10-3pm at the

Democrats of Indian River office

2345 14th Ave, suite 7
Vero Beach 32960


ASKS OF THE WEEK

School Board Candidate Cynthia Gibbs invites you to join TEAM GIBBS Saturday morning in South County to knock on doors and distribute literature to help get out the vote for the November 8th election!

For more information use this link

[link removed]


PLEASE DONATE to OUR CANDIDATES!

You can donate to Charlie Crist's campaign and purchase Crist for Governor merchandise at

charliecrist.com

or you can mail donations to

PO Box 1547
St. Petersburg, FL 33731

Make checks payable to Charlie Crist for Governor.

For donations larger than $3000 please go to

FriendsofCharlieCrist.com

You can donate to the campaign of Val Demings at

valdemings.com/home or by mail at

PO Box 536926
Orlando, FL 32853

Make checks payable to
Val Demings for U.S. Senate

Donate to Joanne Terry's Campaign at

JoanneTerry.com or by mail at

PO Box 37267
Satellite Beach, FL 32937

Make checks payable to
Joanne Terry for Congress

You can donate to Karen Greb's campaign via Zelle to

[email protected]

or make checks payable to
Karen Greb for FL District 34
PO Box 781156
Sebastian, FL 32978

Donate to the campaign of School Board Candidate Cindy Gibbs at
[link removed]

Cindy’s campaign can accept donations of up to $1,000 for both the primary election (up to August 23^rd) and then again before the November 8^th general election.
Checks can be written to Cynthia Gibbs Campaign Account for up to $1,000.

Please share this information with your friends, family and neighbors.

VOTE BLUE in 2022!

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DEMOCRATS OF INDIAN RIVER


Training for the Democrats of Indian River

Voter Protection Team

The Democrats of Indian River 2022 Voter Protection Team needs poll watchers for the November Midterm election. Poll watchers are needed for early voting Oct. 24 - Nov. 5 from 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and for the general election Nov. 8 from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Training is conducted by the Florida Democratic Party. Various days and times are offered. If you are interested in helping ensure that every legitimate vote counts, please click on this link to sign up for the Zoom training:

** [link removed] ([link removed])

For more information contact Claudia Martino at ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Democratic Women’s Club


DWC Luncheons will resume on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 11:30 am at the Bent Pine Clubhouse. Our speaker will be Dr Juliette Lomax-Homier, Ob-Gyn and Regional Dean of the of the Florida State University College of Medicine. Her topic is “The Changes in Medicine-The Doctor Might Not Be In.”


The DWC Book Group will meet at the Indian River County Main Library in the first-floor meeting room on Friday, September 23rd from 2:30-4:30pm. The book "American Dirt" will be discussed. Any questions about the book group can be addressed to Maryann and Rita at ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Democratic Club of Indian River

The next Club meeting will be September 15^th at 6 p.m. at the Heritage Center, 2140 14^th Ave., in Downtown Vero Beach. Please join us! We will be organizing committees to support Cynthia Gibbs for School Board Phase 2 - Gibbs vs Rosario.
We will also be focusing on reaching out to NPA's (aka Independents). We welcome your comments.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


It's no wonder teachers are leaving the profession: We must wake up to why


In February 2022, 182,000 teachers left the profession nationwide. The Florida Department of Education reported 4,500 teacher vacancies as the 2021-22 school year ended. In July, the Florida Education Association reported a deficit of 9,500 teaching and support staff positions in the state.

Why the shortage? Consider the four “P’s”: pay, pandemic, pressure and politics.

Florida ranks 47th in average annual teacher pay at just over $41,000, while New York and Massachusetts, which rank first and second in average teacher salary, pay $90,000 annually.

Then there’s the lingering effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the enormous burdens it placed on teachers: learning to teach virtually on the fly (including learning new applications and how to incorporate them into existing curricula), regularly talking to students virtually to see how they were holding up emotionally and academically and, in many districts, alternating between virtual and in-person teaching as schools shut down or reopened as infection rates rose and fell.

And let’s not overlook the shameless politicization of education by overly ambitious conservative activists who’ve weaponized cultural issues into cudgels they use to beat up teachers, administrators and school board members already under tremendous stress.

Unfortunately, far-right conservatives are at war with education as well as alternative ideas, issues and personal beliefs and behavior. This divisive, combative behavior has turned us into warring factions over cultural issues — some of which are fabricated by political opportunists — a situation our clever, deceptive international adversaries use to intensify our internal strife. If we don’t wake up from our corrosive partisan delirium soon we're doomed: a once-great democracy reduced to dysfunctional infighting, hateful reprisals, and uncivil accusations.

Blind partisanship is the sword we’ll eventually fall on. We've met our most dangerous enemy and it's us.

Cray Little, Vero Beach



DWCF Training Webinar:

How to Submit Letters to the Editor and OP-EDs
with Speaker
Steve Bousquet!



Steve Bousquet, Editor of the Sun Sentinel’s OP-ED and Letters to the Editor page will speak to DWCF Members on how to write and submit an OP-ED or Letter to the Editor. This should not be missed, as this is the best chance we have to engage, educate, and influence the public-at-large by telling the truth without spin!

Date: September 18th
Time: 7-8 PM ET
** Register for Webinar Here ([link removed])

"To remain silent is to be complicit in the face of increasing injustice, racism, xenophobia and intolerance we are currently witnessing today."

- Roberto Mukaro Borrero


To submit letters to the TCPalm use this link:
** [link removed] ([link removed])



FEDERAL

Official Obama Portraits Are Finally Unveiled at the White House



In a break with tradition, there was no ceremony while former President Donald J. Trump held office. President Biden unveiled the Obama portraits: his by Robert McCurdy, hers by Sharon Sprung.

In recent decades former presidents and first ladies have had their official White House portraits unveiled by their successors. But that did not happen for the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama while Donald J. Trump was in power.

The official portraits of the Obamas were finally unveiled in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday by Mr. Trump’s successor, President Biden.
The official portrait of former President Barack Obama, by Robert McCurdy, was unveiled Wednesday.
The official portrait of former President Barack Obama, by Robert McCurdy, was unveiled Wednesday.

The portrait of Michelle Obama, by Sharon Sprung.
The portrait of Michelle Obama, by Sharon Sprung.

Robin Pogrebin
The New York Times



STATE



DeSantis targeted LGBTQ Floridians like no previous governor. Now they’re working to defeat him.



Zander Moricz started his freshman year at Harvard last month, but he's still keeping an eye on Florida after clashing with Gov. Ron DeSantis throughout the last year. The first gay student body president at Pine View School in Sarasota County, Moricz ** led a student walkout at the school to protest HB 1557 ([link removed])
, which was derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. He later ** sued to overturn the law signed by DeSantis. ([link removed])

Now Moricz is working to derail DeSantis’ reelection bid from his Harvard dormitory room in Cambridge, Mass. He plans to rally the 2,000 members of an activist group he organized in Florida and nationwide in opposition to DeSantis’ reelection campaign.

“As November approaches the 2,000 of us will be doing everything in our collective power to ensure Charlie Crist is our governor and DeSantis is not put in a position of power in any way ever again,” Moricz said, referencing DeSantis' Democratic opponent.

That type of commitment to unseating DeSantis highlights the intense emotions the governor has stirred up over the last year with a steady stream of policies impacting Florida’s LGBTQ community. No governor in recent decades has centered his political agenda on LGBTQ issues more than DeSantis.

When Florida students headed back to school last month, DeSantis took to Twitter to tout his efforts to rid classrooms of alleged “transgender ideology.” The governor then repeated one of his favorite refrains over the last year, saying schools will “educate children. Not indoctrinate them.” A few weeks later, DeSantis’ Lt Gov. Jeanette Núñez told a crowd in Miami that “Our students should go to school to learn their ABC’s, not their LGBT’s,”
** according to the New York Times. ([link removed])

DeSantis has drawn national attention for actions on everything from transgender sports and health care to what school officials can say about sexual orientation and gender identity. He is leaning into that record in the final months of his reelection campaign against Crist. While DeSantis is being hailed as a “hero” by social conservatives, who say he is protecting the rights of parents to control what their children are exposed to, he is a villain to many in the LGBTQ community. DeSantis has antagonized LGBTQ Floridians like no other governor since Republicans seized control of the state a quarter century ago, say critics, who argue his approach to the LGBTQ community harkens back to a much less tolerant era.

“We haven’t seen these kinds of attacks since the days of Anita Bryant,” said Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith, referring to the former beauty queen known for her anti-gay “Save Our Children” campaign in Florida in the 1970s. “We’ve seen neglect and we’ve seen ignorance and we’ve seen some pandering, but DeSantis has taken it to a whole new level.”

DeSantis is seizing on a new wave of GOP pushback nationwide against LGBTQ activism, emerging as one of the most prominent critics of transgender rights. The governor’s approach has energized his supporters. A recent University of North Florida/USA TODAY Network – Florida survey found that 81% of Florida Republicans “strongly support” DeSantis’ focus on cultural issues, including those touching on LGBTQ issues.

But it has left many LGBTQ Floridians and their allies feeling like DeSantis is engaging in a toxic form of politics that scapegoats and demonizes marginalized people. Florida’s 2022 election is not simply a matchup of DeSantis versus Crist. It also pits DeSantis against Florida’s sizeable, increasingly influential and highly visible LGBTQ community, which is mobilizing to take him on.

Ugly history

Florida has a long history of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals that DeSantis critics point to in complaining that his policies invoke another era.

In the 1950s and 1960s, a state Senate committee known as the Johns Committee investigated homosexuality in schools, resulting in roughly 200 teachers and students being fired or expelled.

In the 1970s Bryant, who was known nationwide for her TV commercials promoting Florida citrus industry, led a highly-publicized campaign that overturned a Miami-Dade County ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In recent decades, Florida GOP leaders have fought against gay marriage and gay adoptions, both of which Crist opposed when he was still a Republican. Crist later left the GOP and became a Democrat and said he “matured” on LGBTQ rights.

Equality Florida Action PAC has since supported Crist’s campaigns. The group endorsed his bid for governor last week and is likely to devote significant funding and other resources to his campaign. Equality Florida is the state's largest LGBTQ rights group with about 300,000 members.

Crist’s reversal on these issues was particularly stark, but many leading Democrats — including former President Barack Obama —also opposed gay marriage until public opinion began to shift.

The U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide in 2015. Since then, LGBTQ advocates seemed to be on a roll in Florida. Many Florida cities and counties adopted ordinances prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in workplaces, housing and public accommodations.

A statewide ban on discrimination against LGBTQ individuals never passed, but it attracted strong bipartisan backing. The current Florida GOP chair even co-sponsored it. Florida leaders increasingly seemed to embrace the LGBTQ community, which is among the largest in the nation both by sheer numbers and by percentage of the total population. About 4.6% of Florida’s population, or 1 million individuals, self-identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to a Gallup survey data aggregated by the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute.

Yet even as attitudes on LGBTQ rights shifted, new policy battles arose and LGBTQ advocates again find themselves on the defensive.

Transgender issues flare up

Much of the recent pushback against LGBTQ advocacy has centered around transgender individuals.

In 2015, the Florida Legislature debated a bill that would have outlawed people from using public bathrooms that don’t match their birth sex. The bill failed, but DeSantis has aggressively delved into transgender issues over the last two years.

Since 2021, DeSantis has:
* Signed a bill prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports at the middle school, high school and college level.
* Signed a proclamation declaring a female Sarasota swimmer who lost the NCAA championship in the women's 500-yard freestyle event to a transgender swimmer the “rightful winner.”
* Signed HB 1557, legislation officially known as the Parental Rights in Education Act but dubbed by critics the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. It outlaws “classroom instruction… on sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade, and says instruction on these topics in higher grade levels must be “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.”
* Prohibited the state’s Medicaid program from paying for certain transgender health care services.
* Urged the Florida Board of Medicine — which is controlled by DeSantis appointees — to ban certain transgender health care services for minors. The medical board is moving forward with such a plan.
* Filed a complaint aimed at shuttering a Miami restaurant and bar that hosted “sexually explicit” drag shows attended by children.
* Worked to elect school board members who share his concerns about how schools approach issues of gender and sexual orientation.

The governor’s actions are most notable in the education realm, where he has led a wave of conservative pushback to how schools approach certain LGBTQ issues. In the face of new laws and public pressure, school districts have ** changed their LGBTQ policies ([link removed])
and** removed books from libraries ([link removed])
. Teachers have ** removed LGBTQ imagery from their classrooms. ([link removed])
Many of those actions are fallout from HB 1557, which became a national spectacle. It blew up even further ** when Disney opposed the bill and DeSantis sought to punish the company. ([link removed])


Equality Florida led the effort to brand HB 1557 as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, angering DeSantis, who repeatedly insisted that characterization of the legislation — which specifically mentions sexual orientation — was misleading. Regardless, the "Parental Rights in Education" bill became toxic enough that nine Republicans voted against it. A poll released last week by LGBTQ advocacy group GLADD of "LGBTQ and ally voters" in Florida found that 71% believed HB 1557 was "designed to attack LGBTQ people," 77% view DeSantis unfavorably and 67% are "extremely motivated" to vote.

DeSantis has targeted many of his policies at transgender individuals rather than the gay community as a whole, seizing on areas where conservatives believe that advocacy for LGBTQ rights — which are now broadly popular — have outstripped public opinion. The UNF/USA TODAY Network – Florida polled ** showed that 52% of Florida voters support the governor’s focus on cultural issues ([link removed])
, including where he has ventured into gender identity issues.

Florida GOP Vice Chair Christian Ziegler said DeSantis is bringing "common sense" and "sanity" to issues where "the left is overextending their hand. "The left is just jamming their stuff through and if anybody speaks up, these groups come out of the woodwork and all a sudden they start calling you a bigot… and frankly all we are doing is bringing common sense to the equation," Ziegler said. Christian Family Coalition Florida Executive Director Anthony Verdugo said DeSantis has taken positions on transgender issues that have broad appeal, citing his push to keep transgender individuals from playing women’s sports. “It’s not misogyny. It’s not sexism. It's common sense,” Verdugo said.

In the process, the governor has become the darling of social conservatives. “He’s viewed as a hero,” Verdugo said. “He’s viewed as a leader. He’s viewed as a courageous man, as a statesman. He is willing to say what others are thinking but either will not say or don’t have the platform. He has gotten so much support from cultural conservatives because he’s speaking their language, He’s fighting back.” DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin said the governor is "devoted to protecting children and empowering parents."


Zac Anderson


LOCAL

CONSTITUENT SERVICE DAY


Thursday, September 15

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bill Posey's district staff will be available to discuss any problems you might be having with federal agencies: Social Security, Medicare, VA, IRS... Gifford Community Center 4855 43rd Avenue

For more information call Patrick Gavin 321.632.1776 or email to [email protected]

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

Thursday, September 15

5:45 - 7:00 p.m. What are your dreams for Gifford? How do you want to see Gifford grow over the next 5 years? Gifford Community Center 4855 43rd Avenue

COMMUNITY FUN DAY

Saturday September 17

10:00 a,m. - 2:00 p.m. Gifford Historical Museum & Cultural Center 2880 45th Street

BOUNCE HOUSE and GAMES, FREE FOOD:
Hot Fish, Burgers, Hot Dogs and more!

RAFFLE
Highwaymen Painting and art by Terry Hunter and Angela Corbett. Raffle Tickets are $10 each or 3/$25

For more information about these events call
Jonnie Perry 772.985.7573
Valerie Brant-Wilson 321.794.8437




CALENDAR

Friday, September 9, 2022

8-9:00 a.m. - Coffee with the Mayor at the Vero Heritage Museum 2140 14th Ave Vero Beach 32967

Saturday, September 10, 2022

11:30 a.m. - DWC Luncheon at the Bent Pine Clubhouse 6001 Clubhouse Dr Vero Beach 32967
[email protected]

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

** 9:00 a.m. – Indian River County Commission, County Administration Offices – Council Chambers, 1801 27th Street, Building A, Vero Beach 32960-3388 ()


** For agenda and meeting information go to ()

** [link removed] ([link removed])

Wednesday, September 14, 2022
** ()
** 6:00 p.m. - Sebastian City Council, 1225 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958 ()

For agenda and meeting information go to ** [link removed] ([link removed])

Thursday, September 15, 2022

6:00 p.m. – Democratic Club of Indian River Monthly Meeting. Heritage Center, 2140 14^th Ave., Downtown Vero Beach

** 7:00 p.m. - Fellsmere City Council, 22 S. Orange Street, Fellsmere, FL 32948 ()


** For agenda and meeting information go to ()
** www.cityoffellsmere.org/citycouncil ([link removed])

Friday, September 23, 2022

2:30-4:30 p.m. - DWC Book Group in the first-floor meeting room at the Indian River County Main Library

For information contact Maryann and Rita at
** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])



TIDBITS

Enjoy this peaceful float along the Turner River into the Everglades with Florida's own Captain Planet, Garrett Stuart.

** [link removed] ([link removed])



Office Hours

Our regular office hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 3pm

Our address is 2345 14^th Ave. Suite 7
Vero Beach 32960

Our phone number is 772-226-5267.


STAY SAFE OUT THERE!


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