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How are you holding up? A note from the Chair.
This is a tough time to be an activist for democracy, isn’t it? The dark forces that seem determined to tear us apart are powerful and relentless. It takes energy to resist them, and sometimes I feel exhausted and frightened. I cope (most of the time) by gardening, walking in the woods, talking with friends and colleagues, relaxing with my family, and reading some balanced, thoughtful writers, like Heather Cox Richardson, Robert Hubbell, and Simon Rosenberg. I’d love to hear how you are holding up – what resources do you turn to when you’re discouraged? Please let me know (chair@washtenawdems.org), and I’ll share them here in weeks to come. We need to hold each other up in every way we can between now and November 5.
One piece that buoyed me this week was historian Ken Burns’s commencement address to Brandeis University graduates. (Read it here, view it here.) Among his wise words:
There is no real choice this November. There is only the perpetuation, however flawed and feeble you might perceive it, of our fragile 249-year-old experiment or the entropy that will engulf and destroy us if we take the other route. . . . The presumptive Republican nominee is the opioid of all opioids, an easy cure for what some believe is the solution to our myriad pains and problems. When in fact with him, you end up re-enslaved with an even bigger problem, a worse affliction and addiction . . . . Do not be seduced by easy equalization. There is nothing equal about this equation. We are at an existential crossroads in our political and civic lives. This is a choice that could not be clearer.
Onward we must go, together, to protect the precious gift of democracy we’ve inherited and enjoyed. Please let me know how you’re managing.
CD6 Picnic Sunday, June 23, 11 – 2
Join our Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson for a district-wide picnic on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024. 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, at the UAW Local 898, 8975 Textile Rd, Ypsilanti Charter Twp., MI 48197. Build solidarity with Democratic allies and enjoy food and non-alcoholic beverages for all!
Actions
Letter-writing with allies!
Swing Left/A2D2, Tuesday, 6/11, 3-5 PM
We’ll be using letters and addresses provided by Vote Forward to send letters to Michigan residents who are likely Democrats but who don’t vote consistently. Letters to voters are a fun, easy, and highly effective way to strengthen our democracy by encouraging inconsistent Michigan voters to use their power!
We want to make this as stress-free as possible so will be providing letters, voter addresses, pens, envelopes, and stamps. (Of course, if the spirit moves you, you’re more than welcome to bring your own supplies!) Let your friends know about the event or just bring them along. Looking forward to seeing you!
Register here: https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/630819/
Chuck Newman/Distill Social – anytime!
Turn 2022 RFFA petition signers into 2024 pro-choice voters! You’re invited to help ensure that the hundreds of thousands of Reproductive Freedom For All ballot petition signers come out again in 2024 and vote for pro-choice candidates. Commit to writing and sending 50 postcards (you can get your friends and family to help out) by clicking here and fillingl out your details. Our friends at Distill Social, Michigan’s social media organizers par excellence, will be in touch with next steps.
Volunteers Needed
VOLUNTEERS needed to staff our WCDP tables and march in parades at local events across the county. Be visible in the community where people live and help us remind them that Dems are here, we’re friendly, and we’re important to democracy. Shifts are two-three hours long, and you don’t need to be a policy expert! Information and optional training provided. Look at your calendar and sign up for a shift today!
WCDP Tabling and Parade Calendar
- Ann Arbor Juneteenth Celebration. Saturday, June 15
- Ypsilanti Juneteenth Celebration. Saturday, June 22 – Sunday, June 23
- Dexter Bicentennial Parade. Saturday, June 22
- Ann Arbor July 4th Parade. Thursday, July 4
- Ypsilanti July 4th Parade. Thursday, July 4
- Ann Arbor Art Fair. Thursday, July 18 – Saturday, July 20
- Ypsilanti Jazz in the Parking Lot. Saturday, July 20
- Manchester Fair Parade. Tuesday, August 6
- Dexter Summer Festival. Friday, August 9 – Saturday, August 10
WordPress Skills Needed
We are looking for volunteers who know how to use WordPress for website development and upkeep for a variety of interesting and important projects. Could this be you? We’d love to have you join our team! Please contact our WCDP volunteer coordinator at: volunteer@washtenawdems.org.
What have Dems done for you lately?
President Biden has installed the most non-White judges of any president, ever
With 200 federal judicial appointments under his belt – lifetime appointments – President Biden has broken all records for the percentage of non-white and female judges nominated and confirmed. In a Febraury announcement, after 175 confirmations, President Biden said, “I’m particularly proud that these judges reflect the diversity that is our country’s strength. They come from every corner of the legal profession – they were prosecutors, defense attorneys, civil rights lawyers, and advocates for women’s reproductive freedoms. They were labor lawyers, municipal law experts, and academics.” More than 65% of those appointees are women, and 65% are people of color. This record is unprecedented, and makes us proud. Here’s a great full analysis by the Washington Post (gift article).
Shining a light on dark money with the BRITE Act
State Reps. Carrie Rheingans, Jason Morgan, Jimmie Wilson, and Demoratic colleagues have introduced the Bringing Reforms for Integrity, Transparency, and Ethics (BRITE) bill package, a further step after last year’s bill package to implement Proposal 1’s requirement for a more open government. The BRITE Act will require state officials to disclose dark money affiliations, enact a one-year ban on state elected officials serving as lobbyists following their terms, tighten gift rules for legislators and staff, require the disclosure of tickets and travel provided to state officials, and provide real-time campaign finance enforcement. “Michigan has the opportunity to become a leader in government ethics and transparency,” says Quentin Turner, executive director of Common Cause. “We adopted a good proposal last year to bring Michigan voters out of the dark on the financial interests of our elected officials. The BRITE Act will be a continued step in the right direction.” Thank you, Reps. Morgan, Rheingans, and Wilson!
AG Dana Nessel defends the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA).
In 2022 Congress passed, and President Biden signed into law, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to ensure that employees experiencing pregnancy-related “limitations” can get adequate accommodations from employers, making it illegal to discriminate or deny time off due to pregnancy care. It went into effect on June 27, 2023. But final EEOC implementation guidance, released on April 18, 2024, clarified that employers could face legal action if they do not permit employees to take time off to have an abortion or recover from one. That sparked ire from the Tennessee and Arkansas attorneys general, who filed a lawsuit to block the entire law from being enacted as scheduled on June 18, 2024. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined an amicus brief with 22 other states and the District of Columbia to defend the PWFA. “My department will continue to not only protect abortion rights but also the rights of Michigan women in the workforce,” Nessel said. We know we can always count on Nessel! Be sure to thank her at the WCDP Garden Party on June 27! (See below.)
WCDP 2024 Endorsements
Candidates endorsed by the WCDP appear in our Voter Guide (both the paper and the electronic version, MIvoter.org), informing voters all across the county.
Every WCDP member can participate in the process, and every candidate can request the WCDP’s endorsement. Find the instructions here, and mark your calendars!
Become a social ambassador 🌊
A message isn’t a message if it isn’t repeated
The Democratic National Committee is coming on strong with great social messaging tools. Learn how to be an effective social ambassador for Dems. Sign up for an online training to get started. The organizing is national, but the strategy is effective locally – and we need you! You’ll get onboarded to the Reach App and get access to tons of images, videos, and messages you can adapt to your voice.
Trainings are free, virtual, under an hour, and available every couple of days, so give it a whirl.
You are the most trusted messenger in your community, so why not sign up to spread the word!
2024 WCDP Garden Party
Save the date: July 27, 3 to 6pm
Help support the WCDP by attending or sponsoring someone else to attend our 2024 Annual Garden Party hosted by Anne and Chris Savage. Come see their beautiful organic garden, eat scrumptious, homemade food, and connect with fellow Democrats. Rain date is July 28.
With featured speaker Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel
Every dollar raised will be used to reach voters and increase turnout throughout Washtenaw County including: outreach activities, voter guides, poll greeting cards, keeping the office open, and much more.
Get tickets today! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/gardenparty-2024
Save the Date! Dems Dance, Friday 9/13
Food, drink, friendship, renewal, and dance with the band One Foot in the Groove! Save the date – more details to come! At the Fellowship Hall of the Unitarian Congregation, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, 7:00 – 11:00 pm.
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