The Voice of Douglas County Democrats MARCH - APRIL 2018 Blue Notes Blue Stars Rising Dinner 2018

An overflow crowd of enthusiastic Democrats from every corner of attended the Blue Stars Rising Dinner at the Carson Valley Inn February 17.

It was a full house for our Blue Stars Rising Dinner Feb. 17 at the Carson Valley Inn. A theme of unity and a “blue wave” in the upcoming midterm elections was shared by keynote speakers and Chris Giunchigliani, Democratic candidates for Governor. That theme was shared by all other speakers: Aaron Ford (running for Attorney General), Andrew Martin (candidate for State Treasurer), Catherine Byrne (State Controller hopeful), (candidate for Lt. Governor), Nelson Araujo (running for Secretary of State), Patricia Ackerman (candidate for Assembly District 39), and District 2 Congressional candidates Clint Koble, Rick Shepherd and Vance Alm.

More photos from the Blue Stars Rising dinner on pages 2 - 4

This is a confidential newsletter, but please share it with your Democratic friends! The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 2 More photos of our Blue Stars Rising Dinner

TOP: In true Nevada style, Gubernatorial candidates Chris Giunchigliani and Steve Sisolak cut cards to determine who speaks first. LOWER LEFT: Chris G. LOWER RIGHT: Steve Sisolak The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 3 Even more photos of our Blue Stars Rising

Aaron Ford (Candidate for Attorney General) Andrew Martin (Candidate for State Treasurer)

Catherine Byrne (Candidate for State Controller) Clint Koble (Candidate for Congress, District 2)

Kate Marshall (Candidate for Lt. Governor) Nelson Araujo (Candidate for Secretary of State) The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 4

Patricia Ackerman (Candidate for Assembly District 39) Rick Shepherd (Candidate for Congress, District 2)

Vance Alm (Candidate for Congress, District 2)

LEFT: Paul Belt displays an original artwork by the late “Van Bo” that was auctioned for $400. The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 5 ‘13th’ to screen at Dem HQ March 31

Academy-award nominated “13th,” a documentary on racial injustice in America, will be screened at Douglas Dems headquarters at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 31. The presentation will be hosted by Nnedi Stephens, president of the Washoe Democrats’ Black Caucus. “13th” was nominated in 2017 for best documentary feature. Its title stems from the 13th Amendment, which was ratified to officially end slavery in the United States. The documentary, however, contends slavery was simply altered since then, citing how the prison “industry” has profited by overincarceration of Black Americans since the end of the Civil War. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. Our new headquarters is located in the Ironwood Shopping Center, 1758 Hwy 395 N Suite K, Minden.

LEFT: DCDCC Chair Kimi Cole’s “selfie” at at the 2018 Caucus and Convention, held at Douglas High School February 24.

Douglas County Caucus, Convention proves to be both fun and productive The Douglas County Democratic Caucus and Party Convention held February 24 at Douglas High School was not only a great opportunity to meet fellow Democrats from your neighborhood, but a lot was accomplished. Dozens of planks were submitted for the county’s platform. Some were debated at great length. Some were slam dunks for adoption. Although most were adopted, some were not. The day also resulted in 51 county Democrats signing up to be members of the Central Committee. And representatives were selected to attend the State Convention June 23 in Reno. A comment repeated often: “I’m proud to be a Democrat in Douglas County.” The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 6

Profile Dr. Peggy McKee Meet Peggy McKee, a retired traveling physician and a Democrat’s Democrat. She’s been a Democrat all her adult life, but her interest began when she was a freshman in college in Ohio. “Most of the protest then was over civil rights,” she recalled. As a freshman, she wasn’t too active. Then along came the Vietnam War, and she got more disenchanted with the state of the world. Today she is active, currently by helping update voter registration lists. Peggy earned her medical degree at Stony Brook University in New York. She calls it “the Berkeley of the East.” Medicine was not her first career choice…but it was the best. She also studied and worked in the field of city planning at Cornell. The Democratic doctor had been thinking about retiring for several years but realized it was time after an accident in which she’d cut her hand with a scalpel. She hung up her stethoscope two years ago and hasn’t looked back. Although her medical career was largely on the road, she has now settled in her home at Zephyr Cove, Lake Tahoe. “After Trump was elected I spent the next two months crying every time I watched the news,” she said. “By the following February I met some people who had similar attitudes. We got involved.” “I don’t hear anyone extolling his virtues,” she said of the Chief Executive. It is “absolutely essential” that we stop worrying about “fine PEGGY MCKEE distinctions among Democrats, or even between Democrats and Independents,” she said. “What’s really important is that we don’t elect any more Republicans, because they are always going to side with Trump, and he’s a disaster.

On the current Administration’s tax cuts, McKee has a dire warning: “They are going to lead to more and more disasters,” she predicted. “His tax cuts really will make income inequality even worse than it is already and eventually will lead to either a severe recession or possibly even a civil war, neither of which I want to see.” On Trump’s proposed tariffs, she said he is now leaving the door open so he can make deals. “It’s a bargaining chip. He’s using it to be a bully.” She draws on her medical background to oppose today’s lax gun controls, especially on automatic weapons. “They are made to kill people. That’s all they are for,” she said of the high-powered rapid-fire guns. “There’s just so much rhetoric about the Second Amendment that makes no sense.” She praised the young people’s efforts to raise the age to buy weapons and to ban assault weapons, noting, “When the kids were attacked (in Florida) by an assault rifle, they saw what it did…it destroyed human flesh.” She added that it makes “no sense for people to be on the no-fly list and not allowed to get on a plane, but they are allowed to have a gun.” On another topic, she noted, “We are a nation of immigrants” and said it is wrong for Trump to label all Mexicans as rapists and criminals. “If you really want to solve undocumented workers coming in from Mexico,” she said, “you don’t do it by building a wall. You do it by requiring employers to verify who they are hiring.” She added many undocumented workers are desperately needed and urged Congress to find a way to get those people hired legally. Closer to home, Peggy urged people to stay informed and to get Democrats elected at all levels. The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 7 From the Chair ... Making a difference KIMI COLE

My life took a major turn just over nine with people I’d never met before years ago—it took on a different sounded daunting at first—definitely not perspective when I realized so many things convenient. But, with a bit more thought, I that I had counted on, and even taken for figured if I didn’t change something about granted the first 50 plus years of life, were my life, how could I possibly expect to no longer readily available as they had change anything else or anybody else’s been. mind? I got involved with every group I However, rather than feeling intimidated possibly could and discovered I was learning when viewed, and sometimes treated, as a lot and making many new friends. It wasn’t “being different,” it struck a passionate scary, but fun! chord in my being. I pondered, how do Phone bank, you say? My first thoughts others who are deemed “different” contend ranged through a self-debate on whether I’d with the challenges life throws their way? rather make phone calls or spend a couple In too many cases, there are no readily hours in the dentist’s chair. As I was getting available answers and life can appear ready to dial my dentist’s number…just overwhelming, if not downright hopeless. kidding—I knew the only way to break out Giving up was not in my DNA, though, so I of an old, convenient rut, was to use the decided to get involved politically, to see if phone to dial Democrats, not my dentist. I could possibly “make a difference.” At And canvassing? I’d certainly had time to this stage in my life, rather than being make up plenty of scary stories in my mind scared to try new things, I was more scared —that presented ever-so-tempting excuses to not to. avoid what sounded like a daytime There are things in this world that are nightmare—complete with special effects in just messed up—I figured let’s unmess as the form of people who would surely not many as we can! want to support my ideas or candidates. One of the first major shifts in A few said, “no, thanks” and closed their perspective involved reevaluating doors; more either told me they would convenience. certainly support the candidates I was A friend in high school argued that we promoting, asked me for more information, never do anything we don’t want to do. or downright appreciated having someone When I argued that I went to school, even willing to talk to them in person! when I didn’t feel like it, he countered with I personally believe in overcoming the question, “Why?” My response was that excuses with action, and avoid wasting I didn’t want to fail. He said I’d made his energy merely complaining, rather than point—since I did not want to fail, I DID investing that energy working toward want to go to school, since it was more resolution. desirable than failing! Regardless of the What will YOU be doing between now merit of the argument, or lack thereof, I’ve and the elections in November? Let’s do never forgotten that and now look at many something, together! situations more relatively than absolutely. The thought of volunteering my time The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 8

Leaning a bit to the left It’s been a great ride !

By Pat Stanley PAT STANLEY

Since this marks my final Blue Notes edition as wore a T-shirt proclaiming “It’s OK to be a editor, I thought it would be fun to review some of the Democrat in Douglas County.” Some people past issues. remarked that I was quite brave. Later I We started Blue Notes in August of 2013. Wow, time found out why when I got a “red reception.” sure flies by! Douglas Dems chair Kimi Cole penned a January 2013’s edition celebrated the column and hasn’t missed an issue in all these years. election of Barack Obama to his second term One of my favorites was the one she titled “Let’s Talk as Commander-in-Chief. About Toothpaste for a Minute” (January 2015). It was fun to report on our monthly Kimi was also the first Democrat to be “profiled.” programs, including one that featured all Over the years Blue Notes has profiled past chairs, three 2014 candidates for Douglas County prominent community leaders such as JoEtta Brown Sheriff. (then a member of the county planning commission), Other visitors to our DCDCC meetings Nevada State Young Democrats president Hawah covered in Blue Notes included Kim Wallin, Ahmad (May 2015), and even Santa Claus and our the Nevada State Controller at the time, and donkey mascot. I had to get an interpreter for the many other prominent Democrats. donkey’s many “hee-haws.” If the Douglas Dems did it, you read about We’ve run several hundred photos to accompany it in Blue Notes. articles, including many of our summer barbecues. This marks my 51st edition of Blue Notes. Camera in hand, my shaky old legs trekked the route Who’da thunk it! Due to a personal issue, of all Carson Valley Days and Nevada Day parades it’s time to step aside and let somebody else since I joined the Douglas Dems. We then ran photos. I have as much fun as I have. Thank you, got brave for my first Nevada Day Parade and Douglas Democrats! The voice of Douglas County, Nevada Democrats MARCH-APRIL 2018 Page 9 Your DCDCC Officers …

Officers DCDCC Chair: [email protected] First Vice Chair: Joan Neuffer Second Vice Chair: Susan Minor Secretary: Melanie Meehan-Crossley Treasurer: Jan Walls Member-at-large: John Novak Member-at-large: Open

Chairs of Standing Committees Administration: Katherine Winans Programs/Policy: Kimi Cole Membership: Katherine Winans Candidate Recruitment: Open Publicity/Public Relations: Open Fundraising/Finance: Paul Belt

Timely Ticklers

March 22—Thursday, 7:00 p.m. April 7—Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Central Committee Churchill Democrats Sawyer-Bryan Dinner Welcome new CC members (Fallon) Precinct-level outreach primer- Rachel Okrent June 23-24 New Dem HQ 1758 Hwy 395 N (Suite K) Nevada State Democratic Party Convention (South end of Ironwood Center) (Reno)

March 24—Saturday, 11:30 a.m. July 28- Douglas Democrats’ BBQ, 1:00 p.m “March for Our Lives”- Reno Mormon Station State Park, Genoa

March 31—Saturday 11:00 a.m. November 6—Tuesday “13th” Documentary. Dem HQ Election Day: Go Dems!