PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Susan Dollar
Happy 4
th
of July weekend! As I write this on Saturday, it is exactly
four months
until we wake up to the results of the 2020 presidential election. Remember how you felt on the morning after the election in 2016?!? Want to feel that way again? Doubtful! That means that over the next 122 days, we have to do everything in our power to win.
If you are like me, the days now seem to run together; it’s hard to remember what day it is and time seems to have taken on a whole new dimension. In spite of that, we must stay motivated and energized. In August, we will be offering a volunteer training workshop to illustrate the various ways that you can volunteer: writing postcards, texting, making phone calls, canvassing, registering people to vote and more. Also in August we will be kicking off our annual fundraiser. We need money – lots of money – to send to candidates so that they can compete against the Republican candidates, especially in the battleground races, so please be prepared to donate generously (think of all that money you are saving by staying at home!).
Things are looking up for Democrats! Polls continue to show that Biden is leading Trump and that Trump is losing support every day. A recent analysis of polls shows that only 40.7% approve of Trump; 55.9% disapprove, and a Yahoo News poll found that 75% of people surveyed believe that the U.S. is out of control under Trump. Strong Democratic candidates won in the recent primaries and Trump-backed candidates lost. To quote Winston Churchill, “I am an optimist. It does not seem to be much use being anything else.” We have our work cut out for us but together we can do it! I’m looking forward to someday gathering and seeing everyone again but in the meantime, stay home, stay healthy, and stay optimistic!
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NO JULY MEETING
Due to the coronavirus and with safety being our number one priority,
we have decided to cancel the July meeting.
The July Boerne Market Days has also been cancelled.
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Thursday, August 13
11:45 a.m.
Thursday, September 10
6:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 8
11:45 a.m.
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We are very lucky to have two active but distinct groups that promote Democratic ideals and candidates. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the two, so below is an explanation of the Boerne Area Democrats (BAD) and the Kendall County Democratic Party (KCDP).
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The Boerne Area Democrats began as a club and then became an independent, general purpose political action committee (PAC), whose principal purpose is to accept political contributions and/or make political expenditures.
As a PAC, BAD is required to appoint a treasurer and adhere to the stringent financial rules and regulations of the Texas Ethics Commission. BAD must file all required campaign finance reports. BAD also sells collateral (such as t-shirts) to raise funds, so the club has a State Tax ID number and must file Texas Sales & Use Tax reports.
BAD is governed by an elected board of officers, including president, vice president, secretary/newsletter, treasurer, activities chair, and publicity chair; the KCDP County Chair is an ad hoc board member of BAD. Membership in BAD is open to all interested individuals in Kendall County and the surrounding counties.
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ACTIVITIES OF BAD:
- Hold monthly topical meetings
- Collect membership dues
- Host political candidates, town halls, and candidate forums
- Raise funds for Democratic political candidates
- ·Host social activities
BAD FUNDS ARE USED FOR:
- Operations and club activities
- Donations to local, state, and national Democratic political candidates
- Scholarships for public high school students
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BOTH BAD & KCDP:
- welcome local Democrats;
- foster a community of like-minded individuals;
- increase the visibility of Democrats through community engagement such as parades, market days, and marches;
- work to elect more Democrats to local, state and national offices;
- publicize Democratic events to the local media; and
- conduct fundraisers (separately).
Both BAD and KCDP have separate organizational structures and distinctly different governing regulations so fundraising and financial reporting must be kept separate.
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ACTIVITIES OF KCDP:
- Hold monthly CEC meetings
- Develop local political candidates
- Conduct local elections
- Oversee “Get Out The Vote” efforts
- Conduct canvassing for candidates
- Provide operations-related training
- Coordinate weekly progressive views news columns
- Manage Democratic Party headquarters
KCDP FUNDS ARE USED FOR:
- Operations
- Office rent
- Advertising
- Training
By law, KCDP cannot donate funds to political candidates.
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The Kendall County Democratic Party
(KCDP) is a division of the Texas Democratic Party. It is led by the elected County Chair and the elected Precinct Chairs, which make up the County Executive Committee (CEC).
Statutory duties of the CEC include collecting filing fees; appointing watchers; determining the order of names on the ballot; canvassing primary results; and setting and publicizing the time and place for the County Convention. In addition to its statutory duties, the CEC has responsibility for planning and for coordinating the General Election campaigns of the Democratic Party’s nominees within the county, supporting the statewide effort for the entire Democratic ticket, producing materials and coordinating local services for all Democratic campaigns.
Membership in KCDP is open to all Democrats in Kendall County.
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Judy Dewey
Secretary & Newsletter Chair
Well, I have no meeting info to share, but I do have an opinion about something. For those of us who are grandparents, aunts & uncles or just friends of people with school age children, be mindful that the parents of the kids AND the teachers of these kids are facing an uncertain next few months. They are being asked to make decisions about returning to a school system that is struggling to make things safe, to provide education education online and also in person and to feed/transport them. They are being asked to make decisions when there are absolutely no definite good plans. And they are being asked to make decisions when the virus in our state is spreading.
Just be there to listen and to give your opinion when asked. So many of our children would love to turn to us for actual physical help in babysitting or actually teaching the kids, but they are afraid because they want to protect us. This is indeed a difficult time for the education system and those that partake.
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BROOKE ORR
Membership
The Boerne Area Democrats Club currently has 165 members! If your membership is up for renewal, you will receive an e-mail from me. Please be sure to check your SPAM folder for messages from BAD . To become a member or renew, pay online with PayPal or go to o
ur BAD web page
,
click on the
Become a Member
link, and fill out the application. Don’t forget to click on the
submit
button! Also, you can mail your check to BAD Membership, PO Box 2132, Boerne, TX, 78006. Dues are $40 a person for those under age 60 and $25 a person for those aged 60 and older. If you have already submitted your payment, thank you very much for your support of the club. Your dues help us to support candidates and sponsor our yearly college scholarship.
ALSO.... a
dd Some Zest to Your Life with Progressive Spices!
Are you doing a lot more cooking during this season of the pandemic? I want to recommend a wonderful company that really puts its heart and its politics into its products. Penzeys Spices is a Wisconsin based company that always includes some peace, love, and justice in your order. Their website features essays on issues that affect all of us along with stories from their customers and recipes. You can be sure that they are true blue, through and through. I urge you to support them and their mission by Googling
Penzey's Spices
and trying some of their delicious spices—they’ll send you a little something good in your order!
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SHARON NOACK
Treasurer
In July, BAD donated $3,000 to the Kendall County Democratic Party and $500 to Sisters United Alliance. We will send our $1,000 scholarship check in August.
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BRENDA SCHMIDT
Activities
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With all activities postponed until at least Labor Day Weekend, my days are being spent enjoying nature with watering grass and watching hummingbirds and butterflies frolic over the zinnias I planted in March. A Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is partial to the pot plants on the deck. Nope, I’m not looking forward to the three hot months of July, August and September but at least I have space to enjoy song birds and slight morning breezes. I’m currently reading
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou. Whether you’ve read it or not, I encourage you to visit it. I just finished chapter six and it has to be one of the funniest pieces of literature ever written. This time of solitude is a great opportunity to appreciate the little things. But mostly, I’m just trying to ignore the President.
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BAD BOOK CLUB
Stacey Gilfillan Book Club Leader
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No book club meeting is set for the near future. BUT... as we all know reading makes you smarter!! So read for knowledge about politics, coronavirus, the election. Read for pleasure - to make yourself happy. Share what you read with others!
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LAURA BRAY
Publicity
Unfortunately, we have had very few events to publicize, thanks to all the cancellations. If you have a photo or news item, please send it to me. And as always, I'm looking for writers for our
Progressive Views
column in the Boerne Star.
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KRISTA BERMEJILLO-VASQUEZ
Social Media
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The Boerne Area Democrats website is currently under reconstruction. Our web address is still the same and it is still fully functioning. When you visit the website, please don’t be alarmed by its changing face. We hope to have it completed by the end of the month. In the meantime, please follow us on our social media platforms:
Facebook: Boerne Area Democrats
Instagram: @boerneareademocrats
Twitter: @BoerneDemocrats
Thank you for all your support!
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KEVIN HENNING
County Chair, KCDP
Democratic Party 2020 Runoff Election - Please Vote
The first week of early voting is behind us and there is one week to go. Election Day is July 14. Information on when and where to vote is included below please check it out. Are you ready? You need to know who to vote for and a great place to start to learn about candidates is the League of Women Voter’s site -
j
ust
Google
Vote411
.
Royce West is running against M J Hegar for the US Senate to have a chance to beat Republican John Cornyn. They are both great candidates and below is information on each of them from their websites. The other race is for a chance to run for Railroad Commissioner against Republican James Wright. Chrysta Castaneda is running against Roberto Alonzo. Again, both are excellent and would be a much-needed progressive voice on Texas Railroad Commission which regulates the oil and gas industry. You can Google all these candidates to learn more about them.
Royce West
“Royce has dedicated his life to providing and protecting basic rights and opportunities for all Texans. Senator West advocated with parents and teachers to achieve world-class education for students, championed criminal justice reform, supported workers seeking fair wages, and advocated for common-sense gun legislation like banning assault weapons and having universal background checks. Royce promoted and defended women’s reproductive rights, stood with immigrant rights communities for comprehensive immigration reform, and marched with students seeking fair voting rights. He also championed expansion of healthcare opportunities for Texans and provided subsidized foster care alternatives to grandparents, as well as other family members.
As a Texas State Senator, Royce has represented the 23rd Senatorial District on behalf of the citizens of Dallas County. During his tenure, Senator West was named by Texas Monthly as one of the “Ten Best Legislators in Texas”, and received countless awards from community and business organizations for his leadership. Senator West serves as the Vice Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee and is a member of Senate committees on Education, Finance and Transportation.”
M J Hegar
“As a young girl, MJ’s dreams of becoming a military pilot were dismissed with claims that “the front is no place for a woman.” Unwilling to back down, MJ became a commissioned officer in the Air Force after graduating from the University of Texas. She was selected for a highly competitive spot in the pilot training program, where she graduated at the top of her class. MJ went on to serve three tours in Afghanistan as a combat search and rescue and medevac pilot. During a rescue mission in Afghanistan, MJ’s helicopter was destroyed by the Taliban, and she was injured by enemy gunfire. MJ received the Purple Heart for her injuries, and she is one of only a few women to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for her actions saving the lives of her crew and patients. When her injuries left her unable to fly, she was barred from competing for a ground combat position because she was a woman. MJ knew that the rule was not only unjust, but a detriment to military preparedness — and that changing it was a fight she had to take on. So, she worked across the aisle and successfully led the charge to overturn the outdated policy and open up hundreds of thousands of jobs for women in the military. During her advocacy, MJ got a firsthand look at how broken Washington is — and it left her with deep concerns about the ever-increasing dysfunction we were leaving for the next generation. Now MJ is taking on the fight for the Senate, to break the bottleneck that’s blocking any constructive progress in Washington from coming to reality. She’s up against Senator John Cornyn, who has spent nearly two decades in Washington serving the special interests over Texans.”
Chrysta Castañeda
“Chrysta is an engineer, a lawyer, a community leader, and a mom. After receiving her degree in industrial engineering from Kansas State University, Chrysta earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where she graduated cum laude.
As the founding partner of her law firm in Dallas, Texas, Chrysta focuses on oil and gas litigation in the upstream sector, as well as commercial litigation and products liability disputes involving technical evidence. Her winning verdict in Pecos, Texas for an oil and gas plaintiff has been recognized by the National Law Journal and named to the Texas Lawyer's Verdicts Hall of Fame.
In addition to her successful career, Chrysta has held leadership positions in a variety of non-profit agencies focused on improving women’s lives. She is a board member of the Texas Women’s Foundation and was previously the board chair of Ignite Texas, a non-partisan organization focused on building political ambition in young women.
The Texas Railroad Commission is the state agency that oversees all oil and gas drilling—one of the largest drivers of the Texas economy. Oil and gas production is not going away any time soon and it is a vital part of the Texas economy, but the Commission is not enforcing the law. Those laws protect us all – from wasting energy, from pollution, and from bad practices that doom our future.
Chrysta will work tirelessly to stop the waste and abuse of our precious natural resources. As both an engineer and a lawyer, she knows the law and she knows that technology can help get us out of this mess. She has worked in the industry for over three decades, representing all kinds of people: royalty owners, landowners, operators, investors, and service companies. Chrysta has the right experience and education to make the Railroad Commission a better place and improve the environment for all Texans.”
Roberto “Beto” Alonzo
“Roberto is trailblazer: he made history when he was first elected as Representative by becoming the first Mexican American from North Texas elected to the Legislature, He won by a 2 to 1 margin with over 66% of the vote. He served for twenty years.
Alonzo served on:
- Higher Education Committee
- Calendars Committee
- House Administration Committee
- Vice Chair of the Pensions Committee
- Named Legislator of the Year in 2015 by the Texas Public Employees Association
Alonzo is actively involved in community affairs in the Dallas metroplex area:
- Board Member, Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Board Member, Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (DART)
- Board Member, Hispanic PAC/USA in Washington, D.C.
- State Chairman of the Texas Mexican American Democrats
- National Delegate to the Democratic National Convention eight times.
Throughout his career and tenure in office, his leadership and advocacy have distinguished him among his peers as a trailblazer and leader for Texas.
He has been an advocate for quality public education, a strong economy, increased services to veterans, access to health care including the expansion of Medicaid for seniors and the expansion of women's health care.
Awards and Honors:
- Named “Top Ten Best Legislators” by Equality Texas
Alonzo is the principal attorney at Alonzo Law Firm, P.C. since 1986. He is married to Sylvana and they have three children.”
Please stay safe and stay engaged. Thank you all for your support of the KCDP and most of all
please vote
.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS UPDATE
Julie Rosenberger
The Kendall County Unit of the League of Women Voters - Hill Country Texas held its first virtual meeting on Saturday, June 27. The meeting was an effort to start discussing the upcoming activities and initiatives that the Kendall Unit could plan (review the
meeting agenda
).
We have a number of opportunities for volunteers to get involved in particular areas of interest. Those focus areas include:
- Voter Services (voter registration & education, candidate outreach & forums, Vote411)
- Civics Education (presentations for local civic, social & church groups, supporting citizenship classes)
- Public Relations (photography, columns & public service announcements for local media)
- State & National Issues (census, redistricting, voter protection)
- Kendall County Unit Leadership (unit chairperson, unit secretary/treasurer)
We thank Brooke Orr for volunteering to be our Chamber of Commerce Representative. She will let us know if there are any opportunities for LWV events.
The July Boerne Market Days has been cancelled, therefore we will not have a LWV Voter Information Booth at Salty & Sweet this month. We still look forward to future Voter Information Booths, where we will focus on providing sample ballots, LWV Nonpartisan Voter Guides, voter education and registration..
Upcoming planned events and activities
- July 14: Primary Runoff Election Day
- August 8-9: Market Days voter registration (Salty & Sweet)
- August 15: Kendall County Unit meeting
- August 26: Women’s Equality Day Event TBA
- September 12-13: Market Days voter registration (Salty & Sweet)
- September 22: National Voter Registration Day Event TBA
- October 10-11: Market Days voter registration (Salty & Sweet)
- October 17: Kendall County Unit meeting
- October 19-30: Early voting for General Election
- November 3: General Election Day
- December 19: Kendall County Unit meeting
This is a critical year for democracy. Just as we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we also must defend all citizens’ right to vote and participate. If you’re not already a member of the League of Women Voters, this is a great time to join.
Information on becoming a member
is available at the Hill Country League’s website.
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PUBLICITY!
SUCCESS !! Enough money was contributed to purchase the VOTE BLUE billboard to be put up here in Kendall County. It will be installed on August 1 so drive out west on I-10 and take a look!
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KENDALL COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC HEADQUARTERS
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518 East Blanco Road (behind Mary's Tacos)
Phone: 830-331-0672
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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 Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at 9 Topperwein Road, 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.
The Planning and Zoning meetings are held on the 1st Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Boerne Police/Municiap Court, 124 Old San Antonio Road.
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The Fair Oaks City Council meets on the 1st Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and the 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 3rd 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
Vice President: Amy Lambiase
Secretary/Newsletter: Judy Dewey
Treasurer: Sharon Noack
Membership: Brooke Orr
Activities: Brenda Schmidt
Publicity: Laura Bray
Social Media: Krista Bermejillo-Vasquez
Ex Officio member: Kevin Henning, KCDP
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Connect with us!
JOIN THE BOERNE AREA DEMOCRATS
Email: BAD@ boerne-area-democrats.com
Web: boerne-area-democrats.com
Facebook: facebook.com/boerne.area.democrats
Notice Regarding Photography and/or Audio/Video Recording
The Boerne Area Democrats captures photographs and/or audio/video recordings during our events. Such photographs and recordings may be used in BAD's advertising and social media relations to klet others know of our events. In addition, local news organizations may hear of our evengts, and BAD may allow them to record events for news reporting. If youdo not wish to bein photos/videos, 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
or email us at bad@boerne-area-democrats.com.
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