Coconino County Democratic Party Newsletter

Newsletter
June 22, 2023

• Coco Dems in the Community
• Seeking Volunteers
• You’re Invited, RSVP today
• Media Matters: Paul Krugman, Economist 
• June Monthly Meeting Highlights
• Upcoming Events of Coconino County Democratic Party

Coco Dems in the Community

June has been a busy month!  We’ve engaged voters at fairs and festivals across the County with our fun and informative booth. Stop by and visit us at the Community Farmer’s Market every Sunday; our table is in front of City Hall,      to the left of the Market entrance on Aspen Ave.

• Our next big event is Flagstaff’s 4th of July Celebration.  Decorate our parade float and/or march with us.  Sign up here.  After the parade, gather at the Ice House for an Ice Cream Social.  Meet county & city and  candidates running for office in 2024!
• Register voters and chat with the community at the Sunday Farmer’s Market.  We’re there every weekend!  Sign up for a shift here. 
• Join us in Tuba City for the weekly Outdoor Market.  Email Deydrek Scott for more information. 
• We’ll be back at the Coconino County Fair September 1-4, 2023.  Click here to volunteer for a shift. 

Tuesday’s happy hour with AZ Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes had a fantastic turnout.  Thank you to everyone who attended, signed up for the newsletter and to volunteer.  

ADP Director of Party Affairs Mary Darling and Committee Members

Arizona Democratic Party Director of Party Affairs Mary Darling met with members of the Executive Committee and Chair Laura Carter on Wednesday, June 22. We discussed several state and local Democratic Party issues, and APP structure. We talked about voter outreach and communication, including the potential for a paid Latino Organizers, and shared some ideas for pursuing and partnering with neighboring counties. The ADP encourages us to continue developing our partnerships with local table partners, such as NA Indivisible and Northeast Arizona Native Democrats. Yavapai County has reached out about sharing booth space with us, and we have already invited Navajo County to join our table events in Tuba City.
Mary Darling is working tirelessly to professionalize the ADP, improve the State Committee Meeting, and work closely with all County Parties. We appreciate the time and effort she took to meet with the Coconino County Democratic Party Executive Committee and her ongoing support of our Chair.
Director Darling and the ExCom met with Elections Director Eslir Musta and Assistant Director Whitney Uzvchek to gain deeper understanding of the Coconino County election process. We are fortunate that our local elections are completely non-partisan, secure, and efficient. Hurrah for Democracy, where every voter matters, and every vote counts. 

Seeking Volunteers

A fond farewell to our long-time, treasured Volunteer Coordinator, Vickey Finger. Her positivity and dedication leave a powerful legacy for the Coconino County Democratic Party. Best wishes to Vickey and Steve as they travel on to the next adventure.
We are looking for someone to fill her vital role.  The Volunteer Coordinator calls new prospective volunteers, reaches out to inactive PCs or voters and encourages engagement.  
Recruiting new and energizing existing volunteers is essential in reaching our goal to elect more Democrats in 2024.  Dawn Schackner will train and work with the new Coordinator until they are ready to work independently. Dawn can tell you first hand how exciting it is to connect with a new volunteer who shares our values.

Please contact Dawn if you’re excited about helping Democrats get involved in the work of electing more Democrats by clicking here or calling her @ (602) 206-7616.

• We’re resuming our volunteer trainings starting this month.  Are you interested in how you can get involved, but aren’t quite sure where to start?  We’ve got you covered.  Trainings will be held the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:30PM and Noon (respectively) and last one hour.  Email the office here at least two days prior to the training that you’d like to attend.  

You’re Invited, RSVP today

Media Matters: Paul Krugman, Economist

In today’s digital world we are surrounded by a barrage of voices and media sources. The benefit is that it is easier than ever before to hear (and see) what is happening, in real time, all around the globe – and to find answers to your questions from a diversity of sources. The hazard is that we are also being bombarded by false information – either erroneous or purposively twisted. How does one filter out the noise and take advantage of learning from authentic voices elsewhere?
We continue with our series of short pieces in this newsletter, sharing links to media sources that some of our leaders and volunteers find useful in filtering the noise. Some of us are interested in historical context, others are looking for expert interpretation of the strategy behind the latest moves, and still others seek opportunities for direct action. None of us can track all possible sources of information – but we hope that hearing from your friends and colleagues about the sources they follow may give you some new windows on this complex political world.

Harriet Young, Ph.D., former Chair of the Coconino County Democrats and a long-time student of political science, recommends books and New York Times columns by Paul Krugman.  

Paul Robin Krugman is an American economist who is the Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a columnist for The New York Times. Wikipedia

It’s difficult to parse the various terms that both politicians and economists throw around to impeach each other.  Paul Krugman is meticulous in explaining the differences between a Liberal (someone who embraces equal rights for humans) and a Libertarian ( someone who wants no restrictions on economic players).

A liberal wants to see a more even distribution of rights and financial resources; the libertarian wants the government out of regulation of the economy so that “the Market” can work its magic.   

Krugman’s recent work displays clearly the results of the last 30 years of a libertarian world economy: increased poverty around the world, American farming, manufacturing and public goods captured by corporations for profit, and the desolation of the small farmer and labor in the U.S.  

His mockery of “the Market” and those who worship it make for delightful and insightful reading. Every person trying to figure out why we have so much division in the U.S. should begin by reading Paul Krugman.  His books are easy to understand and his columns in the NYTimes always shine light on bull hockey. “Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future” (2020) takes on today’s major policy debates and also addresses the impact of former President Trump. And his recent column in the times on climate change impacts was written with insight and empathy.  Click here for a gift link to this column. Krugman can also be found on Twitter (@paulkrugman).

June Monthly Meeting Highlights

Democrats once again filled the Murdoch Center and connected via Zoom on June 10, 2023, as Chair Laura Carter convened our monthly action meeting and Collin Gunn provided a land acknowledgment.
The meeting began with the great news that we netted a total of $44,300 from the Roosevelt – Kennedy fundraising efforts – by far an all-time high. And the chair noted that the annual Monsoon Picnic will take place on August 12 this year at Fort Tuthill (at the large Navajo Ramada) – this will take the place of our August action meeting.
The day’s first guest speaker was Thomas Collins, the Executive Director of the Arizona Citizens’ Clean Elections Commission. This non-partisan state program promotes participation in elections. Collins reviewed some of the current and near-term issues faced by the Commission, including:

• Vulnerability of the Commission’s public financing and of the candidates supported through it. Public financing aims at weakening corruption and the influence of special interests. Only a handful of states finance similar work, and these programs are vulnerable to political pressure for elimination. 
• The Commission has very limited dollars (though he noted that candidates can use these dollars very efficiently), and only about 20 % of candidates across the state participate. 
• He noted that self-interested campaign consultants can be the source of corrupt pressures on candidates, just as much as donors.
• Implementation of Prop 211, the anti-dark money proposition, is logistically quite difficult. There are several lawsuits pending to halt its implementation; both some progressive and right-wing organizations object to the full transparency required, but Collins noted that our state constitution demands this transparency.

Other activities of the Commission include: voter education (through the voter information booklets, including multiple languages and modes of access), hosting of candidate debates, and collaboration on voter education efforts with counties. He reminded us that the period for collecting $5 donations for candidates to jump-start funding begins August 1. There are several different mechanisms for funding, funding levels, and a seed money process. The Commission provides training for candidates on the intricacies of campaign finance laws. Prospective candidates can approach either the Commission or the Secretary of State office to get started with a campaign.

The next guest speaker (via Zoom) was Derek Feraldo, a candidate for the Arizona Corporate Commission (AZCC), who is running as a Clean Elections candidate. Feraldo talked about his strong environmental focus, and highlighted that energy is a key issue for homeowners, municipalities, small business owners, etc. He is a former teacher, an attorney, and an Army Reservist. He is one of two Democrats currently running for seats on the AZCC. Competition in our energy supply, electrification and infrastructure, liveability and affordability, and prosperity for small businesses are among the major themes of the upcoming campaign. Feraldo will be in Flagstaff for several upcoming festivals and events.  Continue reading the full recap here.