THE 2021 ANN RICHARDS DINNER | |
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Put on your dancing shoes and finest Masquerade attire and join us for the 2021 Ann Richards Dinner and Masquerade Ball! Guests will enjoy dinner and a night of dancing to live music from the Moving Colors Band, amazing acrobatic performances by Soar Creative Studios, Tarot Card readings, and a long-awaited night of fellowship with other Democrats.
Guests will also enjoy an exciting live auction and access to our wide-ranging silent auction. Help us celebrate our achievements and energize us to turn Collin County BLUE in 2022 by purchasing your tickets today!
Visit our all-new Ann Richards Dinner web page for details on the food, fun, and sponsorship opportunities! Sponsors will enjoy some very special perks not available to other event attendees, and the sponsor package availability is limited. Individual tickets and sponsorship packages are limited, so don't wait! This will be the hottest event in Collin County!
For the safety of everyone attending, only individuals fully vaccinated for COVID-19 should attend this in-person event.
When: Saturday, October 16, 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Where: Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center 7121 Bishop Rd Plano
Cost: Individual tickets are $150 per person. Sponsorships are also available.
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Eviction Moratorium Ends:
What This Could Mean for Collin County
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LATE BREAKING NEWS: On August 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until October 3, 2021, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism from progressives that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during a pandemic.
Read More (Dallas Morning News)
It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic caused serious economic hardship for millions of American families. Since mid-March 65 million unemployment insurance claims have been filed nationwide and 38% of all renters are unemployed. Collin County residents, like much of Texas, have not been immune to Covid related hardships.
As of early July an estimated 14,020 rental households were behind on rent, that’s approximately 11.7% of the renter population. All in, about $68,062,737 is owed in back rent in Collin County alone. With the federal moratorium now expired, it leaves many people wondering, what now?
On the surface, an eviction moratorium extension seems to make the most sense. But just like a pebble dropped into a pond, there is a ripple effect that happens. Building owners rely on rent payments to cover operating costs like employee salaries, utilities and property taxes. The graphic below illustrates how each dollar paid in rent is allocated.
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Extending the moratorium could exacerbate an already tenuous affordable housing situation in Collin County. Developers will be discouraged from building new properties and smaller operations may be forced to close, draining the already under-supplied pool of rental options.
That said, evicting roughly 14,000 households over the coming months doesn’t exactly solve the problem either. And, it’s been well documented that overcrowded homeless shelters are at an increased risk for the rapid spread of the Covid virus. Heading into cooler weather with the delta variant raging on and the timing of the predicament couldn’t be worse.
The Biden administration failed to extend the moratorium, though POTUS did ask landlords to pause evictions for the time being, presumably until a consensus in Congress can be reached regarding another extension. But if an extension isn't granted, what is the answer to this problem? For starters, the process of applying for assistance needs to be streamlined. Congress allocated $46 billion in rental relief, but only $3 billion has been dispersed. That’s because tenants and landlords alike struggle with the bulky process, often experiencing red tape bureaucracy that gives the impression that help isn’t really the goal. Quickly getting money into the hands of those who need it most is imperative to the stabilization of our local economy.
Additionally, federal relief in the form of child tax credits and economic impact payments has gone to all Americans, even those who aren’t in financial trouble. Some families have received several hundred to several thousand federal dollars they didn’t ask for and don’t need. A redirect of those funds into more appropriate places would likely result in bringing balance back to American families sooner.
You can find more information about Emergency Rental Assistance here.
To find a rental assistance program in your area click here.
Sources: Patch.com, The Texas Tribune
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ABBOTT TO TEXAS: Y'ALL ARE ON YOUR OWN | Image credit: Mayo Clinic Coronavirus Tracker |
Texas officials deny hospitals' requests for hundreds of emergency staff to help with COVID surge
State officials are telling hospitals to ask cities and counties for COVID relief funds to pay for needed staff
Texas officials are now denying requests from hospitals for additional staffing as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge across the state.
Hospitals in North Texas have requested 619 clinical support staff to help fill vacancies and emergency needs according to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council (NCTTRAC).
“This delta variant is wreaking havoc in North Texas,” Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council President Steve Love said. “We've got non-COVID patients. We have COVID patients and frankly, we've got a very fatigued workforce.”
State officials previously approved requests from regional hospital councils. The Department of State Health Services spent $5.39 billion funding requests for medical surge staffing, almost all of which reimbursed by FEMA, according to a spokesperson. At the peak of needs in February, the state was supporting 13,618 medical staff.
Now the state is denying those requests and telling hospitals to ask city and county leaders to use federal COVID relief funds, but local leaders had much of that money already accounted for. Dallas County has not approved its plan but is expected to use its $512 million on programs like broadband infrastructure, affordable housing, and business assistance.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said they plan to appeal to the state to ask them to reverse the decision.
Read More at wfaa.com
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TURNING COLLIN BLUE IN '22 | |
The REGISTER COLLIN campaign returns to Allen this weekend to canvass for new voters in one of Collin County's fastest-growing cities!
Sign up below for dates on Saturday, August 7, and Sunday, August 8. If you're new, we'll train you, and you'll be paired with an experienced canvasser regardless. Come on out and help us flip Collin County #Blue2022!
If you'd rather phone bank, you can do that too! Sign up below.
Learn about the REGISTER COLLIN campaign.
Want to know when we'll be registering voters where you are? Check out the schedule on collindemocrats.org!
#Blue2022 #RegisterCollin
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Commissioners Court: I hope you all ate your Wheaties! Last week was the annual budget workshop for the commissioners and it was eye-opening. I haven’t even gotten all the information from most of the budget talks and there’s already so much to discuss that I won’t get to it all. I’ll try to hit the highlights though. Before I get started, I have to respond to something that happened in the regular meeting on the 26th.
During public comments, Susan Fletcher reacted to a complaint about Collin County not providing adequate healthcare for our indigent population (which we don’t). She mentioned that the court supported the new healthcare facility, the Family Health Center, in McKinney. Well, kind of. The court provided minimal funding (seriously, it was barely anything, maybe less than 5% of the total cost) and the impetus for creating that facility came from McKinney leaders, not the commissioners.
Fletcher went on to say we have a “dynamic” program with volunteer healthcare providers. She meant Project Access, which is where they refer people who aren’t indigent for free healthcare. Chris Hill said this information is on their website although I couldn’t find it. Project Access is a non-profit and Collin County government is one of over 30 partners funding this organization.
While it’s wonderful people have somewhere to go to access free healthcare, expectations for clients are pretty strict. Among other things, they must arrange for their own translator, only use Wal-Mart for prescriptions, apply for other assistance programs if requested, may be charged for some services, and they must be grateful (yes, their form actually says that). Services not covered include ER expenses, glasses or contacts, dental services, medical equipment, and medication for pain or psychiatric needs. In other words, they don’t cover expenses for services most people need. And I’m not loving that the business model requires providers to volunteer their services.
What I did find on the Commissioners Court website is the PrimaCare Program in which those who can prove they earn less than 100% of the federal poverty guidelines – the guideline for a family of four is $26,500 – can pay a $20 co-pay for services at PrimaCare Medical Centers. There are 5 locations across Collin County: McKinney, Plano (2), Richardson, and Dallas. As such, people in Frisco and northern areas like Prosper, Melissa, and Farmersville will have to travel a long distance to receive care. Since many with lower incomes cannot afford good transportation or a $20 co-pay, they’ll find it difficult to receive care...
(Read More)
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CCDP SPONSORS BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH! | |
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Calling all Collin County Democrats!
Get your back to school mode on and join the Collin County Democratic Party for family, food, and fun on Saturday, August 7 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Finch Park, 301 W. Standifer Street, in McKinney.
Finch Park sports plenty of shade and a splash pad for kids. There will be games, a dunk tank, snow cones, craft vendors and more!
Come celebrate the last days of summer, meet your fellow Democrats from around the county, and enjoy some family time.
Please bring a school supply that will be donated to the Love Life Foundation Back Pack Drive.
Look for the pavilion marked CCDP with blue and gold balloons. The shady park also features a splash pad, so pack plenty of towels! Please RSVP below so we know how many to expect. We also need volunteers - sign up below! See you August 7.
When: Saturday, August 7, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Finch Park, 301 W. Standifer, McKinney
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RECEPTION TO BENEFIT VOTER REGISTRATION AND MOBILIZATION IN COLLIN COUNTY | |
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Mark Phariss and his husband Vic Holmes, and Collin County Democratic Party Chair Mike Rawlins invite you to attend a reception to support voter registration and mobilization efforts of the Texas Democratic Party and the Collin County Democratic Party. Get an inside look at the TDP's Project Texas, the CCDP's Register Collin project, and other efforts to prepare us to win in 2022 and beyond.
Special Guests will include Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, and newly-elected Plano City Council Member Julie Holmer!
Sponsorships are available at $1000, $500, $250, and $100. The suggested donation at the door is $125.
Cocktails & Heavy Hors d’oeuvres will be served.
When: Thursday, August 5, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Plano, Address provided upon R.S.V.P.
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THIS WEEK IN VOTING RIGHTS HISTORY |  | |
This week in voting rights history: On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act. It outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after Reconstruction, including literacy tests and other obstacles to voting. The Act’s legislation was significantly prompted by the violence inflicted by local authorities upon peaceful protest marchers in Selma, Alabama earlier in 1965.
The Act was designed to enforce the 14th and 15th Amendments which never really had been enforced since Reconstruction. It contained special enforcement provisions for areas in the country with a record of voting discrimination based on color. These areas, notably in the south, required pre-clearances for any election law changes and could have federal examiners and observers monitoring voter registration and elections in those areas. Research shows that the Act successfully and massively increased voter registration and turnout, in particular among black voters.
Note: The John Roberts Supreme Court has systematically dismantled the Voting Rights Act through several Supreme Court rulings, starting with Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, and continuing to this year with additional rulings that chip away at the protections provided in the Voting Rights Act. This is why the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act must be passed into law.
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DENTON CO. DEPUTY VOTER REGISTRAR TRAINING | |
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If you need to renew or obtain a Denton County Deputy Voter Registrar certification, here's an opportunity that doesn't involve a drive up to Denton! Our friends with the Flower Mound Area Democrats Club are hosting a training session at their August meeting and graciously offered to include those from Collin County who need Denton Co. certification. As we all know, VDRs must be certified for each county they will register voters for, and that typically requires a visit to the county elections office.
No registration is required, just show up.
When: Thursday, August 19, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Flower Mound Library, 3030 Broadmoor Ln., Flower Mound
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The CCDP physical office is closed until further notice for safety. Our office staff are, however, working for you from home and available by telephone at 972-578-1483 or contact us on the web at collindemocrats.org.
Check our Online Events!
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Collin County Democratic Party (CCDP) | 972-578-1483 | www.collindemocrats.org © 2021
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