“Proud to be a Democrat”

Democratic Party of Door County February, 2012 Monthly Newsletter Executive Board: Allin Walker, Chair Upcoming Events Digest of Contents (920) 493-2912 MARCH Bill Perloff, Vice-Chair Mar 8 Open Discussion Forum, Page 2: (920) 839-9282 Sturgeon Bay Library, 107 ● Review of the January 26th Recall Terry Bobbe, Secretary S. 4 th Ave., lower level, Celebration and Jamie Wall (920) 825-1369 4:30-6:00 PM. fundraiser. John Franz, Treasurer Mar 8 DPDC Executive Board ● Preview of 4/12 Candidate Forum. (920) 854-9312 meeting, Sturgeon Bay Page 3: Francha Barnard Library, 6:00-7:30 PM. (920) 839-2829 ● Message from the Chair: Chair Allin Current (2012) DPDC Walker previews the busy coming Rod Bohn members are welcome. (920) 743-5510 months. Mar 17 St. Patrick’s Day Parade ● County Caucus Announcement. Garrett Cohn i n S t u r g e o n B a y . ● 8th CD Convention Announcement. (920) 559-2557 Assemble at Sawyer Park Page 4: John Harris (west end of Oregon St. (920) 743-2482 Bridge) 10:30 rain or ● Past Co-Chair Lauter Calls This a Dean Hoegger shine. Marchers/riders Great Year to be a Democrat: She (920) 824-5127 needed. Call Allin Walker looks optimistically at Democratic Mary Horn, Past Co-Chair to sign up (920-493-2912) prospects in the Gubernatorial race, (920) 743-0009 Mar 17 Pat Veeser 1 st Assembly while calling for more intense efforts to Estella Lauter, Past Co-Chair D i s t r i c t C a m p a i g n counter Republican money. (920) 839-2741 Kickoff, American Legion Page 5: rd Ron Maclean Hall, 94 Clark St. Algoma. ● Preview of 3 Annual Thomas (920) 743-4089 5:30-?. For info call Paine Dinner and Silent Auction Olson 920-362-VOTE. Featuring Speaker , (920) 854-2806 Mar 21 Initial Meeting Jamie U.S. Senate Candidate. Peter Sigmann Wall Door/Kewaunee ● Nancy Rafal: Dollars and Sense in (920) 824-5193 Campaign Committee, poetry. Dennis Skahen Algoma Public Library, 406 Page 6: (920) 743-3496 Fremont, 6:00 PM. For ● Membership Matters: Reasons to Committee Chairs: more info call Paula join or renew membership in the Advocacy: Zellner at 715-340-6567. DPDC, to encourage friends and Dean Hoegger Mar 22 D P D C M e m b e r s h i p family to join, and to contribute to our Elections: Meeting, Sturgeon Bay County Party. Rod Bohn Library, upper level, 7:00 Environmental PM. See adjacent article. Dean Hoegger APRIL Environmental Committee Membership: Apr 12 C a n d i d a t e F o r u m , Francha Barnard Sturgeon Bay Library, 107 Reports at March Meeting Officers: S. 4 th Ave., lower level, Allin Walker 4:30-6:00 PM. See article The March 22 nd membership page 2. meeting will feature a report from the Apr 15 County Caucus , location newly formed Environmental Committee TBA., See article page 3. under the leadership of Dean Hoegger. Apr 29 8th CD Democratic Party They will address the reasons that Convention, Sturgeon Democrats should be upset about the Bay Yacht Club. See environment, and update statewide article page 3. environmental issues. MAY The meeting will be at the Sturgeon May 24 Thomas Paine Dinner Bay Library, upper level, starting at 7:00 and Silent Auction. See PM. article page 5.

Authorized and paid for by the Democratic Party of Door County To reach us: [email protected], on the web at www.DoorCountyDems.org, or PO Box 863, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 DPDC, February, 2012 Monthly Newsletter, page 2 Recall Celebration and Wall Fundraiser a Great Event The Draft Haus was the place to be on January ideological logjam. 26th as more than 60 Door Dems celebrated the Also attending were Arnie Johnsrud and Patrick stunning success of the recall petition drive, raised Veeser, candidates for the Democratic nomination funds for Jamie Wall’s campaign to retake the 8th for the first Assembly District seat. Both Congressional seat, and shared food, fun and are lifelong Kewaunee County residents with strong fellowship. union ties. The petition phase of the recall was a huge Arnie served in the Vietnam success, not only for the number of Recall Walker War and worked at Bay Ship petition signers (nearly 5,000 in Door County; more for 14 years as a member of than 50% above our “target” number), but because the Boilermakers Union more than 400 volunteers came “out of the before graduating from UW- woodwork” to work on the campaign. They phoned, River Falls. He is now a circulated petitions, worked in the office, and sat in teacher at Kewaunee High front of computers hour-after-hour entering data. School and a farmer. He feels The enthusiasm of the crowd at the celebration that Unions and Schools are was a reflection of their commitment to getting rid of under attack by the Governor Scott Walker and how hard they had worked toward and Republican legislature, that end. Arnie Johnsrud and wants to work to reorder Music was provided by a guitar duo headed by the current political priorities. Ryan Moreno, Iraq veteran, who has played for P a t i s o n e o f 1 0 several of our events and parade floats. A selection siblings, and a graduate of of snack foods courtesy Casco High School. He of the Draft Haus added has worked as a machinist to the festive air. for Paper Converting Jamie Wall’s bio Machine Company for the i n f o r m a t i o n w a s past 35 years, and is described in the January president of the local newsletter. He spoke of Union, which he helped to the inadequacy of our organize. He is also present representation committed to work toward i n C o n g r e s s . H e a progressive agenda, p l e d g e d t o r u n a rather than the currently vigorous campaign on regressive political environment. the issues (and there Pat Veeser are plenty of them), and The event lasted long when elected, will work enough that everyone had an opportunity to have to find constructive ways some face time with all of the candidates. It was a to break the current Jamie Wall swell evening indeed.

Candidate Forum Scheduled for April 12th This April, the usual monthly schedule has been revised to accommodate a variety of special activities. So, mark your calendars. We have invited all of the announced candidates for the Democratic nomination for Governor to a “Candidate Forum”On Thursday, April 12th to be held at the Sturgeon Bay Public Library, lower level, 107 S. 4th Ave., at 4:30 PM. Candidates invited to date are Kathleen Falk, former Dane County Executive, Douglas LaFollette, Kathleen Falk Wisconsin Secretary of State, and Kathleen Vinehout, State Senator from the 31st Senate Doug LaFollette district in Southwest Wisconsin. Candidates who are unable to attend the forum will be invited for another date. Kathleen Vinehout DPDC, February, 2012 Monthly Newsletter, page 3

Message from the Chair: What Lies Ahead?

T h e S t a t e ’ s petitions, so that we can encourage them to e x p e r i e n c e d o e s register to vote at least 28 days before the indeed mirror that of RECALL election takes place. They need help D o o r C o u n t y … . finishing up the data entry work but they are over fraudulent RECALL 2/3 of the way completed and we owe them a huge petition signatures are THANK YOU! minimal. At the State As you’ll read elsewhere in this newsletter, we level you can count on also need people to walk and ride in the Sturgeon it that if any significant Bay, St. Patrick’s Day parade; to plan to attend the number of fraudulent Thomas Paine Dinner event with Senator-to-be signatures were found Chair Allin Walker Tammy Baldwin; and to help in the office leading up in the first couple of to the RECALL election. 100,000s that were checked, the word would have The November elections begin now. Many of gone out to every Republican to come to Madison you have been contacted by Arnie Johnsrud and to help go over the petitions. Pat Veeser who are running for the privilege of So, about 1,000,000 Wisconsin eligible voters replacing Scott Walker clone Garey Bies in the are disgusted or disappointed or angry or feeling State Assembly (see article on page 2). They are lied to by Gov. Walker and his out-of-state advisors both outstanding candidates, so we are hopeful that and financiers. Those financiers are absolutely in the near future one candidate will make the committed to making sure Gov. Walker defeats the decision to support the other and not force an RECALL election no matter how much it costs. August primary. If that happened we could save In Door County 16 volunteers have been resources for the November elections and have a working to identify the unregistered voters, about 15 coordinated campaign with Tammy Baldwin for US to 20 percent of those who signed our RECALL Senate, Jamie Wall for Congress and Arnie or Pat for Assembly.

8th CD Convention in Door County County Caucus April 15th

The Door Dems are privileged to be the hosts As required for all Wisconsin County Democratic for the 2012 convention of the 8th Congressional Parties, the Democratic Party of Door County will District Democratic Party on Sunday, April 29, 2012. hold our County Caucus on April 15, 2012. The convention will be held at the beautiful The caucus is held every four years to select Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club, 600 Nautical Drive, delegates to the Democratic National Convention, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. to be held this year in Charlotte, NC during the Registration opens at 9:00 AM; the convention week of September 3rd. opens at 10:00. Features include speeches by Wisconsin has 111 delegate slots, of which 66 elected officials and candidates, election of 8th CD are elected by a two-tier process. The County Second Vice-Chair and Secretary, resolutions Caucus is the first of these. The Door Dems can debate and selection, and a fun silent auction. elect up to 13 delegates and 13 alternates at the An excellent hot lunch will be served, and will County Caucus. Those elected then must compete include vegetarian and gluten-free options. for slots allocated to the 8th CD at the second tier th Admission for delegates, alternates and guests caucus to be held on May 6 (location TBD). is $30 (same as last year) if preregistration is Registration for the Door County Party Caucus received by April 21, and $35 after April 21 or at the will be held at 12:00 - 2:00 PM, with voting for door. delegates starting at 2:00. The location is TBD, but Delegates are selected by the County Chair will be announced in the March Newsletter and in from members applying. County Party membership “Allin’s Notes”. must be current in the State Party office by April 13. All those who wish to compete for delegate slots Guests do not need to be members. MUST file a Statement of Intent and Pledge of Come and hear the latest political “scoop” from Support Form with the State Party by Friday, our Democratic elected officials and candidates. April 6, 2012. The form is available electronically by clicking here, or by going to the DPW website, www.wisdems.org. For those without email, call Bill Perloff at 920-839-9282 to receive a form. DPDC, February, 2012 Monthly Newsletter, page 4 My take on it, by Estella Lauter: A Great Year to be a Democrat On February 27th, Mike The most likely date for the General Election is Tate, Democratic Party of June 5th, less than a month after the Primary. We Wisconsin Chair, released will need to be very well-prepared, so we cannot our first ad for the wait until May to begin our work. upcoming gubernatorial Look for messages in Allin’s Notes and in this campaign. It is a hard- newsletter for ways you can be involved. Better yet, hitting comparison of the propose an activity of your own! Watergate scandal and As to the candidates for Governor: Democratic findings-to-date in the polling in recent days has indicated that if the “John Doe” investigation of election were to be held now, any of our candidates Scott Walker and his could win over Scott Walker. associates in the months Estella Lauter At this writing, candidates include Kathleen Falk leading up to his election as (former Dane County Executive); Kathleen Governor. Vinehout (State Senator from western WI and The term “John Doe” simply means that the veteran of progressive health care legislation investigation is secret until indictments are made passed in 2008-2010); and Doug LaFollette and the facts become part of a court record. (longtime Secretary of State). At this point, six of Walker’s close associates When you are thinking about these candidates, while he was County Executive of Milwaukee please consider this: women are the likely voters to County and during his campaign for Governor have swing this election in favor of Dems! Women been charged with a total of fifteen felonies and normally poll 11 points higher for Dems; currently three misdemeanors for a range of activities they are polling 20 points higher. including embezzlement, shredding official records Republican legislation throughout the nation is and soliciting boys! taking draconian positions concerning women. WI Never has a sitting been has never had a woman Governor. The time has so closely associated with criminal activity! come. When Georgia Thompson, a Republican The candidates have pledged not to tear each appointee who continued to serve under Gov. other apart in the runup to the Primary, so we will Doyle, was charged with something far less have a viable candidate in the last 28 days before serious, Walker himself called for Doyle to resign the election. Republican money is pouring into the from office before she was cleared of any state like an avalanche, so we will have to work wrongdoing. very hard to maintain the advantage that Walker’s But of course Walker has not offered to resign behavior has given us. now, even though two of his associates have In order to keep up with what is going on in the pleaded guilty and have been convicted. It is state, you may want to be a delegate to the 8th CD unlikely that he will resign even if he is indicted, Convention to be held at the Sturgeon Bay Yacht since he is not required to do so unless he is Club on Sunday, April 29th. convicted on a criminal charge. That will be followed by the statewide Party members and those who want clean convention in early June in Appleton (the likely government in Wisconsin are urged to go to the dates are June 8-9 if the gubernatorial election has website www.walkerinvestigation.org for further been held by then). information and to inform others as fully as In order to be part of another historic national possible. WI journalists have been extremely slow election, you may want to put yourself forward as a to report any of this information, for reasons you potential delegate to the National Convention, can easily imagine! September 3-6 in Charlotte, NC. To do so, you Given this information, on top of all the must attend the County Caucus on the afternoon of legislative outrages such as the negation of a April 15th, location to be determined, AND the 8th woman’s right to sue for equal pay (signed into law CD Caucus on the afternoon of May 6th in Green last week), it is imperative that we elect a new Bay. Membership in the Party is not required for Governor this year. these events but you are asked to sign a statement There will be a Democratic Primary. The most of intent to support a candidate. See the article on likely date is May 8th, but stand by for further page 3 for details. information. LET’S MAKE 2012 A GREAT YEAR TO BE A DEMOCRAT! DPDC, February, 2010 newsletter, page 5 Tammy Baldwin to be Featured at Nancy Rafal: Dollars and Sense rd 3 Annual Thomas Paine Event It has become a tradition to start our meetings rd How fitting that the speaker at our 3 Annual with an original poem by Thomas Paine Dinner should be Congresswoman one of our members. Tammy Baldwin, candidate for the U.S. Senate. What follows is one of Paine, who was one of our nation’s earliest two elegant poems from progressive thinkers, would have welcomed Ms. Nancy Rafal at the Wall Baldwin speaking in his stead. fundraiser. The second The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 24, will be published in next 2012, place to be determined. It will feature our month’s newsletter. “White Donkey” (not elephant) silent auction before, during and after a celebratory dinner, with treasures new and gently used. Dollars and Sense Nancy Rafal The high point of the evening will be a presentation by Ms. Baldwin. We’re living in a world of funny money Tammy was born and David Ross, former director of Whitney raised in the 2 nd Museum of American Art Congressional District she now represents. She was Remember Monopoly money and the commerce valedictorian of her class at life of that board. renowned West High in Jail and Boardwalk and all the neat squares. A roll Madison, and a graduate of of the dice determined your fate Smith College. While but some players were more shrewd than others serving as a Dane County and dominated the game. Supervisor, she earned a J.D. degree at UW. I wonder if those winners all now have CPA She went on to serve in degrees and if they are the ones the State Assembly for six years before being who’ve bled the humanity out of banking and turned elected to Congress, and has served there since America into a mega-Monopoly game. 1999. Are those winners the inventors of derivatives She is a leading advocate for universal health which by any other name would be called care and a proponent of energy independence and pyramid and Ponzi. renewable fuels. Tammy also is a forceful supporter of civil rights and an advocate for those in our Greenbacks have gone full color and pennies are society whose voices, too often, are not heard. passé. Tammy’s driving motivation in politics is to pass Suzie dollars are collectible and plastic rules the legislation that will guarantee health care for all in cash register. America. A pragmatist, she has brought together “Don’t take any wooden nickels,” has morphed into conservative as well as progressive thinkers to buy, Buy, BUY. further state/federal partnerships toward that end. Food stamps make us feel we’re doing what we She is equally committed to ensuring our can for poor folks nation’s energy independence, promoting the but tax breaks to big business have more weight on development of renewable fuel sources, and that teeter-totter. reducing our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Coupons make us think we’re getting bargains As the first openly gay person elected to but that’s only small potatoes and of no Congress, she has been an outspoken advocate for consequence. expanding benefits for same-sex partners and broadening hate-crime legislation. The real funny money is measured in millions, Tammy is currently the Democratic nominee for billions, trillions the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Senator Herb amounts beyond comprehension Kohl. This will undoubtedly be a challenging contest which CEO’s and CPA’s toss out on with nearly limitless funds available to her eventual board room tables opponent. while most of us are struggling to find jobs Consequently, the Paine event is also a fund- pay our mortgages raiser for Tammy. The County Party will be making feed our families a direct donation, and there will be an opportunity occupy the American dream. for individuals to donate as well. Mark your calendars for a banner evening. DPDC, February, 2010 newsletter, page 6 Membership Matters Wow! Thanks to the 243 members who have Second, the best way to influence the direction joined or renewed in 2012. of the Party and its candidates is from within. With the new dues system, in which Through serving as a County Party officer or Board memberships are good for 12 months from joining member, or delegate to CD, State, and even date, some memberships will expire in the next two National Conventions, you can help identify and set months. priorities. If your membership expired at the end of 2011, Third you can continue to receive this this will be your last newsletter. We don’t want to newsletter as well as “Allin’s Notes”, and other lose you, so please renew at this time. informative communiques from Door Dems. If your current membership is due to expire at Fourth, your membership dues are really the end of this month or next month, the email to important to us. Here are some details. Your which this is attached will let you know it is time to County Party keeps 45% of your dues. The 8th CD renew. If you receive the newsletter by “snail mail”, receives 2% and the State Party gets 53%. the address label will show your membership Our portion of the dues, along with fundraising, expiration date. help to support our activities, such as maintaining a To renew, just print out the form on the bottom full-time office, mobilizing for campaigns such as of this page and send it to our PO Box (shown on the Recall (and now the upcoming recall election), form). If you renew before your membership as well as the 2012 campaigns for Assembly, expiration date, we will simply extend your Congress, Senate and Presidency. membership for 12 months from the current During elections we try to raise enough money expiration date. So you can renew early, while it is to also contribute directly to candidate campaigns. fresh in your mind. Thank you for renewing. By law, we can give more than an individual so our Why is membership so important? Certainly members can effectively contribute two ways: as one can volunteer and be committed to electing individuals and as part of the County Party. Democratic candidates without being a member of So, there are lots of good reasons to join or the Democratic Party. Indeed, many folks say, “ I’ve renew, and to encourage friends and relatives to do been a Democrat for many years, always voted so as well. Democratic, but just never joined the Party.” You can also help by contributing to the Door Well, there are several benefits to joining that Dems safely by credit card through ActBlue, a make it worthwhile not only to join, but to website dedicated to directing contributions to the encourage friends and family to join too. Democratic organizations and candidates of your First, you will find yourself surrounded by choice. Simply click on the blue button below, or go interesting, committed, progressive and stimulating to www..actblue.com/page/newslettercontribution. people who share many of your basic values. Do Thank you! We do not have to share contributions. we agree on everything. Of course not; we’re Democrats. But that’s half the fun. HyperlinkTo Contribute or Renew ✓ Yes, I’ll Join the Democratic Party in ’12 and Help Democrats Win! Sign me up for: Name(s) ^ ☐ $10 Senior/student/limited income ☐ $20 Two seniors/students/limited incomes ☐ $25 Individual general membership Address ☐ $35 Pairs (includes 2 memberships) ☐ $45 Activist family (includes up to 3 memberships) City/State ☐ $75 Family supporters (includes all family mem’s) Zip I would also like to join: ☐ American Indian Caucus ☐ Black Caucus Phone ☐ Latino/Hispanic Caucus ☐ LGTB Caucus This is a ☐ Cell Phone☐ Home Phone ☐ Rural Caucus ☐ Veterans’ Caucus ☐ Women’s Caucus Email Return to: Democratic Party of Door County P.O. Box 863 County: DOOR Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235