PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Susan Dollar
Think back to your life after high school. Maybe you began a new job - or headed for college - or joined the military - or married and started a family. Maybe you traveled the world - or stayed near your home town. Whatever path you took, most likely there was someone who made a huge impression on your life, mentored you, and encouraged you to be your best.
Since March is Women's History Month, I was contemplating all the women I've worked for and with throughout my career. One of those women was Dr. Kay. She scared me to death the first timeI met her. For one thing, she was very tall. And also very confident, commanding, and sharp as a tack. Dr. Kay had been promoted from a department chair to vice president of student affairs at the university where we both worked. Fear ran throughout the student affairs staff because we all knew that Dr. Kay was a task master who demanded and expected nothing but the best.
And to her credit, she always got the best out of everyone. She took me under her wing and guided me through the politics and perils of higher education for the ten years we worked together. She eventually became one of my best friends (but she was always the BOSS at work!). Thanks to her encouragement, support, and guidance, I learned so much about work and life and had a wonderful career. Tragically, Dr. Kay died of a heart attack at age 64. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and cherich what she taught me.
I encouage you to think about the mentors that you have had in your life (and thank them if you are still in touch). Then make an effort to "pay it forward". Even if you are no longer working, there are always opportunities to guide and advise others. You can make an impact on someone's life. Let's make the world a little bit better place by reaching out and offering a helping hand to others.
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A good read: WE ARE THE DAUGHTERS OF TEXAS
The progeny of two west Texas farming and ranching families, entrepreneur Liz Lambert and former politician Wendy Davis have long shared a big love of their state; now they share a fight to ensure its future embraces all Texans. Click here to read the article.
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MARCH BAD MEETING
Thursday, March 9
6:00 p.m.
Longhorn Cafe
Our speaker will be Candace Dudden, MSN, RN,
who will talk about Medicaid in Texas.
From the website, Sick of It: "Medicaid expansion is a complicated topic, but at the root of it, Medicaid expansion is REAL affordable healthcare. Our current system leaves many Texans without healthcare from their jobs and unable to afford their own health insurance, even with help through Healthcare.Gov. Medicaid can fill this gap. But instead, our Texas state leaders have failed us by refusing to expand Medicaid, rejecting the federal funding that comes with it. When Texans are uninsured, it affects all of us. We all pay taxes that go to our hospitals and our state. And we pay more when our neighbors are forced to put off treatment and end up in the emergency room sicker than they would have been. All the while, our tax dollars help pay for Medicaid expansion in other states. Texans deserve better. We deserve healthcare, and we deserve to have our own tax dollars working for us, not against us."
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Remember...if you plan to eat during our BAD meeting, please call in your order (830-331-4011) or arrive early to place your order in person. The cafe does not accept online orders and as we know, they are often backed up at lunchtime, so please come early!
Remember: our March meeting is a dinner-time meeting at 6:00 p.m. so that our working members can attend.
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Next BAD meeting:
Thursday, April 13
12:00 p.m., Longhorn Cafe
Speaker: Edward Rogers, Texas Silver-Haired Legislature
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THANK YOU to all that donated kitchen items for the Center for Refugee Services! It took three cars to load up all the donations!
Also, thank you to those that donated feminine hygiene products for Planned Parenthood!
Thank you for your generosity!
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HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
The BAD Civic Engagement Scholarship application is now available to any public high school student in Kendall County (Boerne High, Champion High, and Comfort High). Students should check with their high school counselor for specific school information.
The application is available on BAD's website; click here to access. The deadline for submission of an essay is April 10 and the $1,000 scholarship will be awarded in May.
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We have some good news! You know that inflation is still with us and that almost everything you purchase has gone up in price. But guess what? BAD membership dues have not been raised since January, 2018! You can still get a really good deal on your annual membership of $10 for students, $25 for those over 60, and $40 for everyone else. Is that a good deal or what?!?
Speaking of dues, it's time to pay up for March membership! Please click here to join or renew your membership or plan to pay at our March meeting. If you have any questions about your membership, please talk to Shawn Bonner, Membership Chair.
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Why do we love recurring donors? Let me count the ways! Recurring donors:
- help BAD build up a revenue source that enables us to establish and adhere to an annual budget;
- save us from having to spend a large amount of money and a huge investment of time and volunteer resources to host an annual gala;
- simplify our fiscal accounting procedures; and
- support the good work of the Boerne Area Democrats!
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Out of our 162 BAD members, we currently have 23 donors via ActBlue and an additional 4 donors via checks. Please consider becoming a recurring donor. No amount is too small! The easiest way to donate is via ActBlue; simply click here and enter your donation information.
You can also donate via a credit card, an auto-withdrawal from your bank, or by mailing a check to BAD, P.O. Box 2132, Boerne, TX, 78006. We also love those one-time donations!
Please note: recurring donations don't replace annual membership dues.
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LAURA BRAY
Kendall County Democratic Party Chair
NOTES FROM THE CHAIR
Last month, a core group of Democratic volunteers met to evaluate our 2022 election season activities and also to plan what we want to do during this “off year.” The final plan will be discussed and voted on at next week’s meeting of the County Executive Committee meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend. The meeting is Tuesday, March 7 at 5:30pm, either at our office or via Zoom. (Contact me to get the Zoom link. My email and phone number are below.)
We’ll present a summary of these plans at next week’s BAD meeting. We’re planning several new initiatives that will help us prepare for what promises to be a busy 2024 presidential election year. We need volunteers to work in the following areas:
· Strengthening our Communications/Messaging/Social Media: We will establish a Communications Committee to polish the five “core messages” of the Kendall County Democratic Party (KCDP) and related talking points; to develop a 2023 Communications Plan (to include social media, newspaper columns, letters to the editor, and more); to strengthen our use of social media; and (possibly) to develop a new logo.
· Reaching Out to and Engaging Young Voters: In cooperation with BAD’s efforts, the KCDP wants to explore ideas for both reaching young voters and getting them more involved.
· Strengthening Volunteer Recruitment: We want to generate new ideas for finding new volunteers and connecting them with tasks they enjoy.
· Expanding Our Community Footprint: To complement our ongoing “community engagement” activities such as Adopt-A-Highway and newspaper advertising, we want find new ways to let our community know that Democrats are here and working for the betterment of our local community.
· Keeping an Eye on the Texas Legislature: We need more people “keeping tabs” on the bills that the Texas Legislature is working on, so I can include “calls to action” in our twice-a-week “TxLege Action Alert” newsletter. (Not receiving it? Send me an email and I’ll sign you up.)
We need a chair and committee members for each of these new initiatives. Please contact me if you’d like to learn more or would like to volunteer. I know we’re all enjoying a “quiet” year after all our hard work in 2022. But the 2024 primary season will be here before you know it, and we need to use our 2023 time wisely, so we’re ready to hit the ground running in January. Please consider signing up to help.
Thanks for everything you do to work for equality and justice in Texas!
Laura Bray, Chair, Kendall County Democratic Party
210-884-6843
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Have a question about...
elections?
local Dem activities?
activity at the Texas Legislature?
Come ask our Democratic County Chair Laura Bray. She will be at the Democratic Headquarter every Wednesday from 11am-2pm.
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KEEPING AN EYE ON GOVERNMENT |
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The Texas League of Women Voters has developed a comprehensive Toolkit 2023 to advocate for LWVTX's priority issues. Visit their Take Action page and use their Action Alert system to automatically send letters to your legislators, educating them about LWV and our top priority issues this legislative session.
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ACLU Texas keeps you in the know about how Governor Abbott plans to spend taxpayer money this legislative session. From their website:
This is your money that will be used on policies impacting you and those you love. The governor announced so-called "emergency items" during his State of the State address last week. Lawmakers in Austin will now start debating bills on these priorities at the State Legislature. As you may know, Texas has an unprecedented $32.7 billion budget surplus that politicians can and should use to benefit all Texans for generations to come. But the governor wants to waste our money on failed policies and political stunts. Of the priorities the governor announced, ACLU Texas is particularly concerned about:
- Spending another $4.6 billion of taxpayer money on "border security efforts." In reality, Texas has already wasted $4.4 billion on an unlawful anti-immigrant program – known as Operation Lone Star – that's rife with civil rights abuses and doesn't make our communities any safer. The governor shouldn't even be allowed to enforce his own version of immigration policy, since that's the federal government's role.
- Changing the Texas Constitution to allow judges to deny people bail. In reality, this will trap thousands of Texans in jail for years on charges of which they may be innocent, or that may ultimately be dismissed. It violates a core principle at the heart of our justice system: being presumed innocent until proven guilty.
- Passing legislation to hold judges and district attorneys accountable for "reckless decisions." In reality, this is a thinly veiled attempt to punish or even remove elected officials who don't ascribe to the political ideology of the governor and his allies. It subverts our democracy by letting politicians dictate how legal experts should make decisions and, if they disagree, threatening to void an election by ousting that official.
This is not what Texans want or need. Imagine if lawmakers used this money on policies that would actually improve our lives, like preparing our energy grid for extreme weather, ensuring that every student receives a high-quality education that includes learning about race and gender, and expanding healthcare access to decrease Texas' high maternal mortality, which especially affects Black mothers.
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March is Women's History Month. It began as National Women's History Week, a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. Organizers chose to start on March 8: International Women’s Day. A consortium of women's groups then petitioned Congress and the White House in support of a national Women's History Week. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter designated the first National Women's History Week by Presidential Proclamation. Again, the week of March 8 - 12, 1980 was chosen to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8. The following year Congress authorized Women's History Week to begin the week of March 7. Congress continued to pass resolutions designating Women's History Week for five more years, until 1987, when they established all of March would be celebrated as Women's History Month.
Celebrate Women's History Month this year by exploring pivotal points in history and learning more about women who made history and those continuing to do so. This March, PBS will salute women who have changed lives with documentaries about and by women, their achievements, their artistry, and their struggles. Click here to see the upcoming televised list.
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The next meeting of the BAD Book Club will be on Wednesday, March 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Democratic Headquarters.
The book selection is Forget the Alamo by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford.
R.S.V.P. to Janice Bloodworth at 210-632-6974.
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POP-UP PIZZA PARTY
THURSDAY, MARCH 23
5:00 p.m.
Z's Pizza, 118 Old San Antonio Road, Boerne
Join us for another social activity where you can mix and mingle with like-minded folks while enjoying good food and drinks. We will gather in the back yard area for the evening
(fingers crossed for good weather!) You can call in your order ahead of time: (830) 331-1212 . We hope to see you there!
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We need volunteers for the
GREAT TEXAS TRASH-OFF
on Saturday, April 1
9:00 a.m.
Meet in the parking lot at Hwy. 46 & FM 3351. Sign up here:
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You are invited to join Planned Parenthood’s Lobby Day on Friday, April 14, at the Texas Capitol in Austin. Join hundreds of Planned Parenthood supporters from across the state advocating for reproductive health and the human right to bodily autonomy.
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Our first ever
THIRSTY THURSDAY
on February 23 was a great success!
Twenty-three thirsty Democrats showed up at Cibolo Creek Brewing Company for an evening of food and fun. We also made new friends - Democrats that have moved here from Houston!
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Want to stay in touch via text messaging? Sign up and you will receive texts about our BAD meetings and events. We promise - no spam, never more than 5 texts per month, and you can opt out at any time. Stay in the know! CLICK HERE to sign up!
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Just a reminder: there are always interesting and informative posts on our social media pages so be sure to check them out - and Like them!
Web: boerne-area-democrats.org
Facebook: Boerne Area Democrats
Instagram: @boerneareademocrats
Twitter: @BerneDemocrats
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OFFICE HOURS
Our Democratic Headquarters at 216 E. Blanco, Suite 201, will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Stop by and visit - or better yet, sign up for a volunteer shift at the office!
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Click on any of these icons to be taken to their web pages. |
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GET INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY!
Let your voices be heard by attending these community meetings.
Click on any of the icons for more information.
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Boerne City Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 447 N. Main Street, Boerne.
The Planning and Zoning Commission meetings are held on the first Monday of each month in the Ronald C. Bowman Council Chambers at City Hall, 447 N. Main Street, Boerne.
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The Kendall County Commissioner's Court meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday at 9:00 a.m. in the County Courthouse, 201 E. San Antonio Street, 3rd floor. |
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The Fair Oaks City Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the FOR City Hall, 7286 Dietz Elkhorn Road, FOR. |
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The Comfort ISD Board of Trustees meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the CISD Central Office, 327 High Street, Comfort. |
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The Boerne ISD Board of Trustees meets on the 4th Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Administrative Offices, 235 Johns Road.
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The Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at 9 Topperwein Road, Boerne.
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BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS BOARD
President: Susan Dollar
Secretary: Robin Prescott
Treasurer: Michelle Smith
Membership: Shawn Bonner
Publicity/Social Media: Natalie Schun
Webmaster: Tom Fuhrmark
Ex Officio member: Laura Bray, KCDP
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Connect with us!
JOIN THE BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS
Email: BAD@boerne-area-democrats.com
Web: boerne-area-democrats.org
Facebook: facebook.com/boerne.area.democrats
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please let the photographer/videographer know in advance.
This newsletter is intended for people interested in the work of the Boerne Area Democrats and the Democratic Party in general. To be removed from this mailing list, please click on Unsubscribe below
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