NTD NEWS
January 24, 2018
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 Last Saturday, I was one of the 300,000 people who gathered in Grant Park to express our strong objection to the misogynistic, retrogressive, cold-hearted and just plain foolish policies of our fearless leader Donald Trump and all his Congressional and White House enablers. (Do none of those people possess any ethical principles? History will not treat them kindly.)
On my el ride into Chicago I was surrounded by NTDO friends and new acquaintances equipped with hand-made signs expressing their views on the Trump regime. As you might imagine, I found all of those folks to be especially intelligent and patriotic Americans. -- I'm joking, but actually it is true.
We'd gotten a late start from Linden Street. We were still in Wilmette when the speeches in Grant Park began. Even so, as we walked from the subway stop down Jackson Blvd. to the park, the sidewalk filled with more sign carriers headed to the gathering. The sunny weather added to the upbeat mood that I think we all felt. There was a positive purpose to what we were doing.
We found a spot somewhere in the middle of Columbus Drive, blocks south of the rally's stage. However, there was a large screen and loudspeaker set up in the distance so we were able to see and hear a bit of what was
presented -- when signage didn't block the view or hovering helicopters didn't drown out the sound. But really, the stage presentations were not why we were there. The speakers were saying inspiring things, but we were already inspired.
We knew we were part of an assemblage of 300,000 people, all joined in a common cause to turn things around for our nation. It was a visual statement made to our government's leaders and to the world that was too big to be ignored. And we were just a fraction of what was going on across America.
According to a report I read today, data from scholars at the Univ. of Denver and the Univ. of Connecticut estimated Saturday's rallies across the U.S. involved as many as 2.5 million people. And as I stood in the middle of one of the largest crowds I've ever been a part of, I thought "If each of the thousands of women and men standing here would just spend a small amount of their time between now and next November (286 days from today) on the process of getting voters to the Mid-term polls, the impact would be tremendous." And yes, I'm sure many of the people standing with me in Grant Park are already politically engaged. But I'll bet a lot more could be.
If each of them influenced just five or ten or twenty people to vote for Democratic candidates in November, how different this Mid-  term Election will be from the past  Mid-term disasters of 2010 and 2014. Those elections and Democratic party inattention and voter apathy put Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell in control of our nation's agenda and Bruce Rauner in his role playing Illinois' Governor.
The hundreds of thousands of women who marched in rallies across the United States are a good omen that November 6, 2018 could be the date when our system as a democratic republic begins to actually function again. We can't let ourselves forget what a government of checks and balances and compromises was like. The rallies have given me hope. But hope alone isn't going to do the job.
With that in mind, throughout the coming election year, the NTD News will be offering suggested opportunities for your political engagement.
Just below this commentary are the first of them.
A valuable Wisconsin project - interested?
 A week ago in Wisconsin there was a special election to fill a seat vacated by a Wisconsin Republican moving on to be Governor Walkers Agriculture Secretary. In 2016 that district was won by Trump with a 59% vote. The departing Republican had previously won the seat with a 63% vote. A week ago, Democratic candidate Patty Schachtner defeated her Republican opponent by nine points! -- Republicans are panicked. They should be.
This volunteer action is on Sunday, February 4 in Kenosha.
Just north of our Illinois border in blue collar Kenosha 7,500 Kenosha voters have been stripped off the voting rolls. There are also certainly several thousand more voters who have never-registered due to lack of information or interest. Because of laws Republicans put in place, all of these potential voters will now need an official voter I.D. before they can register - a subtle type of voter suppression. -- Kenosha is in House Speaker Paul Ryan's 1st District and this election Congressman Ryan is facing an opponent who just might beat him, Randy Bryce (see item farther down in the News).
In a nutshell, volunteers will be walking targeted Kenosha neighborhoods, asking door to door whether folks are registered to vote and whether they have a current WI driver's license or state I.D. You will NOT be registering voters, but anyone you contact who says they don't have an I.D. will get follow up phone calls from other volunteers to pave the way for them to get their I.D.s. Once folks access their proper voter I.D., they can easily register online OR on the day of an election, as WI has same day registration.
The project organizer, Nancy Bruski is working with Indivisible Evanston. They are arranging carpools or you can go on your own. Walk packs, data sheets and a script will be provided. Materials can be picked up at Nancy Bruski's home, 1624 Ashland Ave anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb.4. Kenosha is about 75 minutes from Evanston. Suggested canvassing times in Kenosha are between 1:00 - 5:00. Your materials should be returned at Nancy's home at the end of your volunteer day so that no data sheets get lost in the shuffle. (If temperatures drop below 20 degrees, we might need to reschedule, so check your email. Otherwise, dress warmly!
It's important that you register for the Feb. 4 date so walk packs can be assembled. Call or email Nancy with canvassing questions: 847-373-7755 (cell); nancybruski@gmail.com. For carpool questions: email indivisibleevanston@gmail.com. Also, let Nancy know if you need a ride or can drive others.
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Helping the Wisconsin project with your spreadsheet expertise:
A separate but related effort to the work of the Southern Wisconsin Voter ID Project is the plan to create future canvassing routes generated from the alphabetical list of Kenosha voters stripped off the rolls. This brief local activity will require rudimentary experience with spreadsheets, and/or general computer skills - and, of course, your availability. High School students could be among those qualified. To find out more about this volunteer effort, contact Jack Smyth, cell: 773-350-8269, email: jsmythjr@att.net.
A Volunteer project with the Democratic Party of Evanston:
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A message from the DPOE:
"The DPOE Political Committee is hard at work ahead of the Democratic Primary. But,
before we jump into our get out the vote efforts, we need to do everything we can to register eligible Evanston residents to vote. With an aggressive, door-to-door voter registration campaign, we know we will defeat the Trump-Rauner agenda this fall. So, sign up to help us on the following days:
Saturday, January 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, February 3 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday February 11 from 1:30 to 4 p.m., Sunday February18 from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
We will meet at the DPOE office (747 Custer Ave) at 1:30 p.m. and
then go door-to-door in Evanston neighborhoods with the lowest percentage of registered voters. If we're going to win, we need your help now! So
sign up,
grab a clipboard and some voter registration forms, and let's get to work!"
"P.S.
If you aren't able to go door-to-door, then please join us for one of our Monday evening phone banks!
Our phone banks take place every Monday at 5 p.m. at the DPOE office (747 Custer Ave). If you can, please bring a cell phone, laptop, and any chargers you may need."
Tomorrow night, Thursday, Jan. 25 in Winnetka
- Phone Bank for Daniel Biss, our NTDO endorsed candidate for Illinois Governor. (See info in the Events Column below):
This Sunday, Jan. 28 in Winnetka
- Phone Bank for Fritz Kaegi, our NTDO endorsed candidatte for Cook County Assessor. (See info in the Events Column below):
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Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign
Stop by the New Trier Dems' office and pick up lawn signs for Daniel Biss and Fritz Kaegi. Our office is usually open from 9:00am-Noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. BUT,
please phone first
to make sure we are there and still have signs available.
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Here are the New Trier Dems' Endorsements
For The March 20, 2018 Democratic Primary:
"Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in New Trier Dems Endorsement Meeting! We had an energizing afternoon of grassroots politics and civic participation. We were very happy to welcome many new members as well as many familiar faces and friends.
A special thank you to all of our volunteers who made this event a success, and to all the candidates who took time out of their busy schedules to speak to our membership!
For New Trier Dems' membership to endorse, a candidate had to receive at least 60% of the votes of all members present. Congratulations to all of the candidates who received our endorsement!" --- The NTDO Exec. Committee
Here are our endorsements in the contested races for the March 20, 2018 Democratic Primary:
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Illinois Governor
Daniel Biss
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Illinois Attorney General
No Endorsement
**
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Illinois State Representative - 17th District
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
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Cook County President
Toni Preckwinkle
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Cook County Assessor
Fritz Kaegi
-
Cook County Treasurer
Maria Pappas
-
Cook County Board Commissioner for the 13th District
Larry Suffredin
**
To be clear,
"No Endorsement" means that we failed to reach 60% agreement of our membership to endorse. This result does not mean that we are unenthused about these candidates. On the contrary, this result reflects that we have many excellent candidates running for office and we simply failed to reach 60% agreement. Democrats will have a wonderful candidate who will fight for the citizens of Illinois no matter who eventually wins the Democratic Primary for Illinois Attorney General.
We also endorsed - by voice vote - the following Democratic candidates in uncontested primary races:
U.S. House of Representatives for the 9th District of Illinois
Jan Schakowsky
U.S. House of Representatives for the 10th District of Illinois
Brad Schneider
Illinois Secretary of State
Jesse White
Illinois Treasurer
Michael Frerichs
Illinois Comptroller
Susana Mendoza
Illinois State Senator - 9th District
Laura Fine
Illinois State Senator - 29th District
Julie Morrison
Illinois State Representative - 18th District
Robyn Gabel
Cook County Clerk
Karen Yarbrough
Cook County Sheriff
Tom Dart
Democratic State Central Committeeman
M
ike Cabonargi
Cook County Board of Review Commissioner - 2nd District
Mike Cabonargi
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New Trier Dems' Candidates Rally
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Wh
en: Sunday, February 18, 2018 from 1:00pm until 4:00pm
Where: Wilmette Community Recreation Center, 3000 Glenview Road, Wilmette
What: New Trier Dems will host a Rally for our endorsed candidates and representatives. We will lay out the action leading up to the March 20 Primary and Mid-Term Election Day in November. More details coming soon.
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 One of the exciting activities we will be pursuing across the state line in 2018...
will be to help the Democratic candidate for Congress,
Randy Bryce, defeat Wisconsin's Congressman
Paul Ryan. This is going to be a hard fought campaign and Randy Bryce can win it. To see his first campaign message
click here.
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Other events of interest:
Tomorrow night, Thursday, Jan. 25 in Winnetka - Phone Bank for Daniel Biss
 When: Thursday, January 25, 2018 from 6:00pm until 8:00pm
Where: New Trier Dems' office, 800 Oak St., Suite 112, WInnetka
What: Phone bank for
progressive gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss. You will be talking to voters about Daniel. All you need to bring is a phone, and his campaign will provide other materials.
This Sunday, Jan. 28 in WInnetka - Phone Bank for Fritz Kaegi, Candidate for Cook County Assessor
 When: Sunday, January 28, 2018 from 11:00am until 6:00pm
Where: New Trier Dems' office, 800 Oak St., Suite 112, WInnetka
What:
Join together for progressive candidate, Fritz Kaegi for Assessor, and participate in a phone bank this Sunday, January 28th! This is a big volunteer push across Cook County. Phone banking is a key way to reach new and potential voters for the primary election. You are e
ncouraged to bring: Cell Phone, headphones, and laptop/tablet.
Sunday afternoon, Jan. 28 in Skokie -
The Capitol Steps in Skokie with Tenth Dems.
When: Sunday, January 28, at 2:00pm
Where: North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie
What:
Join Tenth Dems at a performance of "Orange is the New Barack" by the political satire comedy troupe, The Capitol Steps. Tickets are just $50 each, a few dollars less than the cost of buying from the box office ($48.00 + $5.00 fee).
Saturday, Feb. 3 in Glencoe - Deputy Voter Registrar Training
When: Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 10:00am
Where: Glencoe Union Church, 263 Park Ave., Glencoe
What: Tenth Dems are hosting a training for Deputy Voter Registrars. Participants must be at least 18 years of age and registered to vote in Cook County. The event is open only to Cook County residents who are interested in helping to register new voters. Deputy Registrars must be trained in the county in which they live, but once trained, can register voters anywhere in Illinois. Training takes less than an hour. This training is being held through the County Clerk's office and is free of charge. Sign-ups will be taken up to 5 hours before the class starts. In most cases, late sign-ups will not be added to the class. For additional information or to RSVP,
register online, email
volunteers@tenthdems.org, or call 847-266-VOTE (8683)
Saturday, Feb. 3 in Deerfield -
Fundraiser for Bob Morgan, Candidate for State Representative - 58th District
When: Saturday, February 3, 2018 from 10:30am until 12:00 noon
Where: Chaube Coffee, 601 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield
What: Enjoy a cup of locally roasted coffee in support of Bob Morgan, candidate for State Representative, 58th District. For further information or to RSVP,
register online or contact Jessica Teuber at
jessica@newchicagollc.com or (312) 448-8014.
February 13, 2018: NOW Movie Screening - "Anita: Speaking Truth to Power"
When: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 7:00pm
Where: Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook
What: The North/Northwest Suburban Chapter of the
National Organization for Women (NOW) sponsors a screening and discussion of
the movie, Anita: Speaking Truth to Power. The event is free and open to the public.
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Your Legislators:
 Democratic Legislators
who represent New Trier Township in
Washington, Springfield and Cook County
You'll be hearing a lot from these exceptional public servants. --
And they want to be hearing a lot from you.
The fact is, they need to hear from you and want to hear from you in order to represent you most effectively. So, the first thing you can do is get to know who these people are. The links below to their campaign websites are a good place to start.
Jan Schakowsky
, 9th U.S. Congressional District Representative
and Chief Deputy House Democratic Whip. The new Ninth District boundaries include all of New Trier except for Glencoe.
Brad Schneider
, 10th U.S. Congressional District Representative which includes a number of precincts in Glencoe.
Daniel Biss,
State Senator for Illinois' 9th State Senate District.The Ninth District includes all of New Trier Township.
Julie Morrison, State Senator for Illinois' 29th State Senate District. The district includes New Trier's northernmost precincts.
Robyn Gabel,
IL 18th District State Representative. The 18th District includes much of New Trier up to Hazel Avenue and Dundee Road.
Laura Fine
, IL 17th District State Representative.
The 17th District includes the East Glenview and West Wilmette areas of New Trier Township.
Scott Drury
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IL 58th District State Representative.
The 58th District includes the northernmost precincts in Glencoe.
Larry Suffredin, Cook County 13th District Commissioner. The 13th District includes all of New Trier, Evanston and Niles Townships.
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Have you visited Senator Biss' website "The Road Back" --
click on the link to his video -- then, throughout the year follow his plan's development on the website.
Daniel explains a lot about how Illinois got where it is today and how we can begin the journey on the road back toward achieving our state's tremendous economic potential.
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| Dear Fellow Democrats, If you are not already an NTDO member, and enjoy our Newsletter, we hope you consider joining us as a dues-paying member. NTDO is a not-for-profit political action organization. We depend on our membership dues to support our Democratic causes and candidates. There are two options for dues payments: by check or credit card. By Check: Make check payable to NTDO and mail to our office: NTDO 800 Oak St., Suite 112 Winnetka, IL 60093 OR By Credit Card: visit our website by clicking here Click on the "Join/Contribute" button
Find the link for "contribute with ActBlue"
or go directly to ActBlue by clicking here.
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Still not a member of the New Trier Dems? Your participation in grassroots political action will make a difference. -- Come join us.
 When you're a member of the New Trier Democratic Organization, you have an active role in affecting the political process; participating in grassroots campaigns, staying in touch with elected officials, playing a role in deciding which candidates are endorsed. You'll also gain free admission to select forums and events throughout the year.
Come be a part of New Trier's grassroots political community.
About Us:
The New Trier Democratic Organization is made up of hundreds of grassroots volunteers dedicated to advancing progressive ideals through the political process. We welcome your participation.
Sincerely,
Dean T. Maragos, Committeeman New Trier Township
We are located at 800 Oak Street, Suite 112, in Winnetka, IL. Ph: 847-446-8030
Contact: newtrierdemocrats@gmail.com.
*This Internet communication paid for by the New Trier Democratic Organization and not authorized by any federal or state candidate or campaign committee. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is available for purchase from the State Board of Elections in Springfield, Illinois.
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