Idealism -- Integrity -- Independence

NTD NEWS    November 21, 2018
--- H app y H olidays ! ---


Every week this year the NTD News commentary has contained at least some discussion of contemporary events. Naturally, that has meant talking about a lot of unpleasant subjects. -- With Trump as our president and a regressive Republican-controlled Congress, unpleasant subjects have pretty much been unavoidable.  
     But today with the holiday season about to begin, this week's commentary will contain only pleasant thoughts. Fortunately, this will be much easier to do now that we've had the November 6 elections. Most of the voting results were indeed happy ones. (And several close losses that we suffered gives us reasons to have optimism for the future in those states too.).  
Some pleasant thoughts:  
     We are now only weeks away from having a House of Representatives that will be controlled by Democrats. And the more we get to know about this new group of Democratic Congresspersons, the more we can see they are an exceptional bunch of women and men. They are smart, diverse and motivated to affect positive change.  
     Their diversity, in stark contrast to the Republicans in Congress, actually reflects America. Their backgrounds bring fresh perspectives to the U.S. House. And their focus on addressing urgent issues that have been consistently avoided by House Republicans - healthcare, climate change, gun violence, voter suppression - is heartening.  
     A similar sense of optimism can be felt when we look at the changes that will take place in Springfield this January. We no longer will have a governor insistent on running the state "his way" with no room for compromise (no matter how much it worsened the state of our state).  
     We will soon have a Democratic governor who is already showing a willingness to explore ideas from a variety of perspectives while keeping our state's most vulnerable citizens in the equation. Also, the presence of a strong Democrat as governor will create a new dynamic in Springfield between the governor's office and the majority leaders in our State Legislature. If this can lead to a more democratic approach to our state's legislative process it will indeed be a positive development for our future.  
And some positive thoughts looking ahead:  
     In a number of states, the Republicans' undisguised efforts to keep voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote may inspire long overdue reforms. With Democrats controlling the U.S. House, a national spotlight may finally be aimed at the un-American practice of voter suppression.  
     Ironically, the bizarre behavior of our President continues to drive thousands of Americans to become politically engaged - many for the first time in their lives. In fact, the voter turnout this year was the largest for a Mid-term Election in 50 years! Such increased voter participation is always a good thing for any democracy. - We must not let this new voter enthusiasm fade away.  
     A few weeks ago we saw what can be achieved by a newly awakened force of voters (in areas without voter suppression). Republican candidates ran on fears of imaginary threats and a distrust of fellow Americans - while our candidates ran with appeals to treating every American with decency and with straight-talking approaches to critically important issues.  
     Our Democratic victories earlier this month have now set the table for 2020 and a Democratic White House, control of both congressional houses and a return to more rational governance. The new year is almost here and although we can expect plenty of frustrations and disappointments over the next 24 months, the trajectory for a brighter future for all of us has now been set. That's a nice thought to carry into the Holidays. -- So, Happy New Year to you all.
 
                                                                               Nels Howard
                                                                              NTDO member since 1973  
 
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For the rest of this year, I'm going to take a break from writing these commentaries.  
In the coming weeks, the NTD News will still be sending you updates on local political events like our NTD Holiday Party coming up on December 13 at the Wilmette Wine Cellar. In 2019, I plan to return with commentary on January 9th. --- N.H. 
 
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A Holiday Party With New Trier Democrats

Thursday, December 13 
at the Wilmette Wine Cellar



 
Thursday, December 13th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Wilmette Wine Cellar, 1100 Central Avenue, Wilmette

New Trier Dems will provide the hors d'oeuvres, and drinks will be available for purchase. This event is not a fundraiser. It's just an opportunity to have fun and meet other area Dems.

We will be collecting non-perishable canned and packaged food, useful paper goods, and toiletry items to donate to the New Trier Township Food Pantry. A complete list of priority pantry items is here. Anything you can donate is greatly appreciated - let's help fill their shelves!



Other events of interest:

Tuesday, December 11 in Evanston - Indivisible Evanston December Meeting & Holiday Celebration

When: Tuesday, December 11, 2018, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Where: Lorraine G. Morton Civic Center, Parasol Room, 2100 Ridge Ave., Evanston
What: Please join Invisible Evanston for its second annual holiday celebration and last monthly meeting of 2018! Indivisible Evanston will come together to celebrate its 2018 accomplishments, to recognize all the hard work and dedication of Indivisible Evanston volunteers after an amazing Midterm Election, and also talk about what's next for 2019 and beyond.

Your Legislators:


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 ,  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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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. 
Still not a member of the New Trier Democrats? 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.