Congratulations to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris!
A Message from our Chair, John Haseley
With 2020 and Donald Trump in the rear view mirror, its time for new beginnings.
We’ve all been focused on Washington , but we have new Democratic leadership at the state level as well.
Ohio Democrats have broken their own glass ceiling with the election of Liz Walters as the new Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party.
I’ve known Liz for a long time, and have no doubt she’ll be a great leader for our party. Liz will tell you that as party chair, she intends to “listen more, talk less and work hard.” That pretty much sums up my experience with her. Liz is an inclusive, servant leader who empowers those around her. She’s extraordinarily capable, willing to take on any challenge, and she quietly and confidently gets the job done.
I’ve talked with Liz about the goal of building Democratic support beyond the borders of Athens County. She’s well aware of the strength of our Democratic officeholders and activists, and recognizes the role that Athens County can play in her 88 county organizing strategy. I have no doubt our county party will have a strong working relationship with ODP under Liz’s leadership.
I hope you’ll join me in supporting Liz as she works to strengthen our party and hold Republicans accountable. Our time is now!
The ACDP NEWSLETTER IS NOW MONTHLY
With the election over, we are changing to a monthly format. Expect to see the newsletter in your inbox on the 4th Sunday of every month. Between newsletters, time-sensitive information will be shared via email. If you have ideas for the newsletter, submit them to info@athensdems.org for consideration.
UPCOMING ACDP EVENTS
Lunch & Learn is every Wednesday, from 12-1 PM via Zoom:
- January 27: What Just Happened – the Inauguration, COVID, and proposals by the Biden/Harris administration. Register in advance here.
- February 3: How dark money has influenced US Elections with guest speaker Catherine Turcer, Executive Director, Common Cause. Register in advance here.
- February 10: Learn about Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), a non profit public organization that manages community aggregation choices with guest speaker Chris Chmiel, Athens County Commissioner. Register in advance here.
- February 17: Understanding Ohio’s Redistricting Process in 2021, with guest speaker Katy Shanahan, Director, All on the Line – Ohio. Register in advance here.
- February 24: TBA
If you are not receiving our weekly invitations to Lunch & Learn, please reply to this newsletter, info@athensdems.org, to be added to the email list.
NOTE: The ACDP office, located at 74 East State Street, is currently open Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-4 PM. Masks required (of course!).
RECENT ACDP ACTIVITIES
MLK Day of Service Project
Strict visiting restrictions due to COVID are causing many nursing home residents to feel particularly isolated and lonely. So as part of the Biden/Harris campaign’s call for 1 million hours of COVID-related community service on Martin Luther King Day, our Community Service committee asked for volunteers to write greeting cards to local nursing homes residents. And did they ever! Thirty ACDP volunteers wrote 185 greeting cards that were delivered on MLK Day by Janalee Stock to Kimes, Hickory Creek, and The Laurels Nursing Homes.
Want to be notified about future community service projects? Contact Janalee Stock to be added to the email list.
ACDP Photo Gallery
Swearing-in of Judge Zach Saunders, Athens County Juvenile Court
Swearing-in of Justice Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Supreme Court
Swearing-in of Michelle Newman, Ohio Board of Education 9th District
US Senator Sherrod Brown is incoming Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, and a member of the Agriculture, Finance, Housing, and Veteran’s Affairs Committees.
TALK LIKE A DEMOCRAT
Trump is out! Biden is in! Democrats control the Senate and the House of Representatives!
What now?
President Biden has big plans for the nation. First, he is starting with undoing and fixing the mess Trump left behind. Biden just found out that Trump had no plans to distribute the COVID vaccine or make us safe. None at all! It’s much worse than we had imagined. So many have died and so many others are out of work, losing their home and feeling desperate. We all have friends and family that are affected. Biden understands hardship. So, President Biden is moving more quickly than any other modern president to take action and end this crisis. He will do all he can to stop the COVID, fix our economy, address immigration injustice, racial inequity, and make government more accountable to us.
On his first day in office, President Biden signed 17 executive orders to begin undoing Trump’s damage and introduced a comprehensive bill intended to boost the economy and give pandemic relief. During this first week, he signed executive orders to end the COVID crisis. For example, he is working to reopen schools and businesses safely, increase testing, protect workers and improve public health. Plus, he asked his Cabinet to find ways to help families who are struggling to find food and pay their rent. It’s ambitious because we’re in the worst crisis since the Great Depression -and they didn’t have a pandemic. More people have died from COVID in one year than died during all four years of WWII.
President Biden is asking Congress for $400 billion to fight COVID to make sure we all can get the vaccine, paid sick leave so people will stay home if they are sick to end the virus’s spread. He invoked the Defense Production Act, which allows the government to require manufacturers to make products to fight the COVID outbreak and guarantees that the government will buy them. That will mean that we will have enough masks, vaccine and equipment to get through this. The plan also has money for an additional $1,400 of stimulus checks, extended unemployment insurance, rental protections and food assistance. Biden also wants to give support to troubled small-businesses, local communities and transit systems. These are the kinds of big ideas and bold actions that FDR used to turn around the disaster of the Great Depression. Write to legislators to let them know that we support Biden’s proposal.
Biden said in his inaugural speech, together we have –
“Much to repair. Much to restore. Much to heal. Much to build, and much to gain.”
DONATE TO THE ACDP
Remember our spring and fall dinners? Not only were they fun opportunities to visit with fellow Democrats, and hear from our candidates and elected officials, but they also were a major source of funds for the ACDP. We look forward to resuming the dinners sometime this year. Meanwhile, if you are able, please donate to the ACDP. We need your support now to continue our efforts to elect Democrats in 2021 and beyond.