Please note that we are holding our June Membership Meeting in the Starlite Ballroom and via Zoom! (Link below) Coffee and light refreshments will be served to those attending in person. If you are planning to watch on Zoom, plan to make your own snacks!
CHANGE OF PLANS! June Meeting Will Feature: NIKKI FRIED Secretary of Agriculture and Consumer Services and she is a candidate for Florida’s next governor! AND LITA EPSTEIN With updates on the road projects in and around Poinciana.
Come to the Starlite Ballroom Or Join Our Zoom Meeting: Time: Wed., June 9th at 7:00 PM Enter or click on the link below: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81885665595?pwd=YzRwOXZCYlFuRFlFL2RqQUl1NWFUZz09 Meeting ID: 818 8566 5595 Passcode: 662050 Dial in only: 646 558 8656 Please login prior to start time. We will begin login at 6:45 pm. Early login gives you time to resolve problems that may arise while connecting. It also enables us to admit you before the meeting begins. You will be on standby until admitted to meeting.
President’s Letter:
In June, we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month
A month of recognition for LGBTQ+ culture, achievements, and contributions; educating and raising awareness about anti-transgender legislation; activating and driving action, solidarity, and allyship for critical issues facing the LGBTQ+ community; and encouraging allies to be #UnitedWithPride.
Pride Month is observed in June to pay tribute to the Stonewall Inn riots that took place in New York City on June 28, 1969. On that day, police raided the Inn, which was a well-known gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community. Passersby watched as police arrested employees and patrons of the bar, leading to five days of rioting to protest the injustices committed. A year later, on June 28, 1970, the first Pride March was held, and to this day, the Pride Parade marches on.
The fight is still ongoing, with over 100 bills introduced in 2020 aimed at dismantling rights for transgender people.
While similar measures have been filed in 30 states, an Associated Press survey earlier this year found only a few instances of transgender girls competing among hundreds of thousands of teenagers nationwide playing high school sports. Charlie Crist, Florida Democratic Congressman and candidate for Governor in 2022, called the new Florida law “cruel legislation… creating an issue where one doesn’t exist.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs transgender athlete ban on first day of ‘Pride Month’ (yahoo.com)
We need a national solution to protect trans kids, ensure their safety, and honor their right to pursue happiness. One big part of the solution is the Equality Act.
There remains hope that the U.S. is moving towards equality. President Biden’s administration has created protections against LGBTQ+ discrimination, including the establishment of a White House Gender Policy Council that serves to advance gender equity and equality.
Also, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 15, 2020 that LGBTQ workers are protected under existing civil rights laws. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex. The ruling was historic particularly because nearly half of the states have no legal protection for LGBTQ employees. Now, the federal law will protect employees in those states from firing and other adverse employment decisions made on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
(Above) Polk County LGBTQ supporters march in Lakeland during Pride Month, June 2019.
Did you know?
The first rainbow flag made its debut at the San Francisco Pride Parade in 1978. Designed by San Francisco
artist Gilbert Baker, the original flag was hand-dyed and consisted of eight symbolic colors: Hot Pink(sexuality), Red (life), Orange (healing), Yellow (sunlight), Green (nature), Turquoise (magic/art), Blue (serenity/harmony) and Violet (spirit).
SDC Board Member Has a School Named For Her! The Dorothy Schwartz Community Centre
Previously known as “Joy House,” a small school in Mukuru, is in a desperately poor slum of Nairobi, Kenya.Dorothy Schwartz held a fundraiser for the school when she returned home after a visit there in 2011.
In 2012 Dorothy was asked by Sherry Fine to join the board of her organization, Living Water Children’s Fund (LWCFund.org), which was helping schools and orphanages in Tanzania and Haiti. Joy House was added to the places helped by this nonprofit organization. (Since that time Guatemala and Myanmar have been added as countries they are also involved with.)
Dorothy and other board members visited Joy House several times and in 2016 started a sponsorship program for students to be able to go on to secondary school. This program has been very successful, with 52 current or past students. All students are motivated and have done well in school with several currently attending Universities in Kenya. Work continues to be able to help students with their University expenses.
The LWC Fund also continues to help the primary school, with a breakfast program, school supplies, and annual teacher stipends. When a new building was needed, they were able to raise the necessary funds. The Mukuru community members provided the labor for the new building. In 2017, the community informed the organization that they had renamed the school to Dorothy Schwartz Community Centre. So, while she was honored to have a school named after her, it did not change her commitment to the kids.
Currently the Living Water Children’s Fund is looking for additional sponsors for the new crop of graduates to be able to go on to secondary school. The cost is $500 per year, and can be shared among co-sponsors. The pledge can be paid annually, monthly or individually tailored payment plans. Please contact Dorothy if you are interested in becoming a sponsor. It is very rewarding, with photos and letters shared between student and sponsor.
The Fund is also appreciative of donations of any amount; even $5 goes a long way toward a student’s breakfast or for school supplies. On their website you can learn about our other projects, all worthy of support at any level. An important note is that all sites with which they are involved are owned and run by the people in the country. LWC Fund helps with funds/ideas only as requested by them.
For more information, or to contribute, contact Dorothy Schwartz, Board Member, LWCFund.orgat 732-207-3358
Polk County Democratic Executive Committee selected a new logo at their May meeting. You will start seeing it on all new print and digital publications soon, including a redesigned website. The address will continue to be PolkDemocrats.org.
In the “White” states (above) non-voters outnumbered voters for both presidential candidates in the 2020 election. (Indiana is VP Mike Pence’s home state!)
U.S. wages have fallen behind corporate profits since George W. Bush’s corporate tax cuts in his second term. Notice the surprising fall of company profits during the Reagan years and recovery under Obama.
Here’s What’s Goin’ On in Florida Politics…
Crist would take 55% of the vote to Fried’s 22% if a primary were held today, St. Pete Polls finds.
Charlie Crist opens the 2022 gubernatorial race with a solid majority of Florida Democrats ready to back him, while few Democrats show confidence that his likely Democratic rival Nikki Fried would have much chance to oust Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A new poll from St. Pete Polls survey, commissioned by Florida Politics, finds the former Republican Governor turned Democratic Congressman is a commanding favorite over the state Agriculture Commissioner if the Democratic primary were held now between Crist and Fried.
The poll shows nearly 55% of registered Democratic voters would vote for Crist.
Just under 22% would pick Fried. Another 11% of voters are holding out for another candidate. More than 12% remain undecided.
Ron DeSantis’ committee has already raised more than $5M in May
As pandemic wanes, Gov. Ron DeSantis seizes national stage. May was a pretty good month for DeSantis. Even ahead of any Memorial Day weekend activity, the committee supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reelection is reporting a huge May.
As of the end of May, Friends of Ron DeSantis pulled in $5,148,847 in fresh contributions. While that’s just over a third of the $14-million haul the committee reported in April, it’s still an enormous deposit in the account more than a year away from the General Election.
More than 2,150 donations have come to the committee as the Governor’s national profile grows and he mulls a presidential run in 2024. Of course, the state political committee by law and practical necessity will focus its efforts on 2022 and DeSantis’ reelection as Florida’s chief executive.
The money also comes before the committee has to lay down any serious expenditures. The $5.1-million intake balances against $88,763 in expenses, the bulk of which went to account and credit card fees. Of the total contributions, $1.35 million came from a half dozen individual donors.
Gov. DeSantis says lockdowns turned ‘Democrats into Republicans’
Media’s ‘phony narratives’ aren’t swaying people, says the Governor. Gov. Ron DeSantis believes “lockdowns” are turning Democrats into Republicans.
During a Republican Governors Association town hall on Fox News Wednesday night, DeSantis made the case that Florida freedom is drawing people from blue states rejecting the media’s “phony narratives” about the state’s pandemic performance.
“The people (who) buy these phony narratives from these media; they’re probably not coming to Florida. But most people see through it. And the people who see through it, they think like us. So I think a lot of these people are coming. I think they’re registering as Republicans overwhelmingly. And I’ve come across a lot of people who quite frankly were Democrats,” DeSantis said. “The lockdowns turned them into Republicans.”
“I think this whole process has caused people to reevaluate some of their prior commitments,” DeSantis added. “When they put teachers’ unions over the interests of kids being able to access an education at all, that tells you all you need to know about the modern Democratic Party.” DeSantis, fresh off a one-on-one with Sean Hannity Monday night, returned as part of an ensemble six-pack. Early talking points included a dutiful crediting of Donald Trump for vaccines in arms today.
RECOMMENDED READING. CASTE: The Origins of Our Discontents. By Isabel Wilkerson.
Oprah’s Book Club 2020, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. This is a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America told through a deeply reasearched narrative and stories of real people; how today and throughout our history, our nation has been shaped by a sometime not-so-hidden caste system, a rigid hierachy of human rankings. This book reveals why Governor Ron DeSantis and Republicans across America are desperate to shore up White Power while they still can.
Best Regards from the Solivita Democratic Club Board of Directors
We have some much to tell you this month…better get started! Don’t forget to thank all those moms in your life.
Our meeting was held In Person and thru Zoom. Featuring: ALLEN ELLISON AND ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICANS HERITAGE MONTH (See below) Time: Wed., May 12 at 7:00 PM
BLACK LIVES MATTER
After watching with anticipation and anxiety, the verdict being read at the conclusion of the trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, after re-experiencing the horrific 9 minute and 29 second video of cruel and emotionless indifference for the life of another human being, a Black man, I was overwhelmed with emotion – first relief then joy.
I watched the celebrations that immediately followed, where sentiments of justice and accountability were often expressed. Yet it wasn’t long before the inevitable uncertainties and questions were asked… is this an inflection point or an anomaly in the long history of systemic racism in America? Only time will tell.
Many of us in Solivita are active on NextDoor, and I was pleased to see the Blog from NextDoor administration “Standing in solidarity with Black neighbors” posted during the trial. This Blog post made clear NextDoor’s intention to align community guidelines and policies with their company values and support for the Black Lives Matter movement; and went further to state that All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter content will be explicitly prohibited when used to undermine racial equality or the Black Lives Matter movement.
NextDoor also has an anti-racism hub, which I’ve found to contain helpful content such as: What is unconscious bias? Office of Diversity & Outreach, University of California, S.F. CA How Racial Bias Works and How to Disrupt it TED Talk by Jennifer L. Ebherhardt White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
To drive lasting change for racial justice and equity, we must continue to Stand in Solidarity. Make your voices heard with elected officials, whether Democrat or Republican, that all forms of discrimination and inequality are not acceptable.
And as Darnella Frazier, the brave young woman who was just 17 when she recorded George Floyd’s murder on video, reminded us with her courageous actions… if you see something, be a witness, and say something!
Hope to see you in the Ballroom on May 12th! Sincerely, Brian Fillette, President, Solivita Democratic Club president@solivitademocrats.org
HOSTING RUSSIANS
By JOE TOBIN, SDC Member
For twenty years I worked in Boston and often walked to the city’s waterfront for lunchbreak. On one walk some part of my brain signaled me to stop and pay attention. Quickly turning my head, I noticed the empty storefront I often passed now had Russian artifacts in its front window and a dangling chained sign inscribed “The Russian-American Center.” The office building itself was aptly named “Russia Wharf” — the site where early American ships trading between Boston and St. Petersburg loaded or unloaded cargo. Curious, I walked in, browsed around and chatted with the founder, Peggy Coleman, before I left.
During my years working in Boston, I frequented the Center as my “Boston home.” Peggy started the Center in 1991, at a time when the newly formed Russian government was on a learning curve in governing. It was also helpful to Russia that the two presidents, Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin, had a good working relationship. During Clinton’s administration, the State Department sponsored a well-developed program that flew Russians to American cities, including Boston, to participate in specialized workshops that could be helpful in sectors of a changing Russian society.
One morning Peggy phoned me to ask if I knew anybody who would host a Russian for a month for this government program. Being newly divorced and liking the challenge, I agreed. When I found out his placement was to be across the street from my office building at the transportation control center of the Metropolitan Boston Transportation Agency’s (MBTA), it made my hosting all the easier and I had full responsibility for him — unlike the guests that would follow him. On his arrival I met Michael at Logan Airport and the adventure began. We hit it off right away.
Michael was a wonderful and easy guest. Two bonds drew us quickly together — trains and automobiles. Since his father was an English professor, communicating was easy. On one weekend trip we visited an antique automobile and old gun museum on Cape Cod, staying until closing time. His mentoring at the MBTA went extraordinary well (It also helped that the top MBTA executive in charge of his placement knew my uncle quite well during his pre-planning session). Traveling home on the train, Michael would tell me his day’s activities. On his departure at the airport, I watched his small commuter plane taxi on the runway and wonder how it would take off with all the luggage he packed. Others would follow.
Each new guest still rode the train to Boston with me and then went to a downtown hotel to start the weekday with their fellow Russians who were flown to Boston from various parts of Russia. These groups were supervised by a private organization contracted by USAID. All my guests liked the workshops, especially when they visited some of the Boston-area businesses, sightseeing historic sites and a clambake on a Boston-area beach. Good food was an integral part of the program.
On weekends, the guests were flexible. One of my guests wanted to attend an evangelical church. My dog-sitting neighbors volunteered to host him for a morning and took him to their church. Rather eerily, It just so happened that on that Sunday, an evangelical minister from Russia was preaching that day – and my neighbors, all musicians, had him for breakfast as well. My guest was thrilled at the attention he received. I also learned there were three Chinese restaurants in his northern city of Murmansk.
My friends also asked me what was the top Boston attraction the Russians wanted to see. The answer. “Where is Filene’s Basement”? For those who do not know, it was a downtown Boston department store with three basement stores, markdowns aplenty and clothing galore. And those Russians rummaged through the clothing bens and bought just like all Bostonians did at the store.
The program came and ended so quickly — like so many good things do. The Center is now winding down its operations. The USAID program plans are filed away in some storage facility. The whereabouts of most participants unknown. On the positive side, it will be a welcome change when Presidents Biden and Putin meet this summer and can agree to lower the temperature in the room, eliminate the “cat-and-mouse games, and promote realistic diplomatic, trade and military relations, as Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin achieved in the 90s. The dialogue be will tough going, but …. hope springs eternal!!!Read More
RECOMMENDED READING.
YOU DON’T BELONG HERE: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War. By Elizabeth Becker. The biographies center around female correspondents during the Vietnam War, their trials by fire since women were never allowed in military conflict and their unique reporting of aspects of the war. I learned a lot. As an alternative, you can watch the interview with the author on C-Span’s “QandA” internet site. The book but is worth reading for both men and women.
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions generations of Asian/Pacific Americans have made to American history, society and culture. Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month originated in 1978 when Congress passed it. This law directed the President to issue a proclamation designating the week beginning on May 4, 1979 as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. President George H.W. Bush later issued Presidential Proclamation 6130 on May 7, 1990 designating May 1990 as the first Asian American Heritage Month. May is also… • Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks on the project were Chinese immigrants. • Older Americans Month, established in 1963 to honor the legacies and contributions of older Americans and to support them as they enter their next stage of life. • Jewish American Heritage Month, which recognizes the diverse contributions of the Jewish people to American culture. • Mental Health Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses and reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. • May 9 in Mothers’ Day • May 31 is Memorial Day
Florida lawmakers took up a wide range of issues during the 60-day Session. The 2021 Legislative Session ended April 30 with a traditional hanky-dropping ceremony in the fourth-floor rotunda of the Florida Capitol. Lawmakers took up a wide range of issues along with passing a budget for the fiscal year that will start July 1, 2021. Here are 10 big issues from the session:
BUDGET: Buoyed by billions of dollars in federal stimulus money and rebounding state tax revenues, lawmakers passed a record $101.5 billion budget for the upcoming year. The budget includes such things as bonuses for first responders, providing services to more people with developmental and intellectual disabilities and addressing effects of rising sea levels. Also, lawmakers scrapped proposed cuts in Medicaid funding for hospitals and nursing homes.
COVID-19: Lawmakers passed a measure aimed at shielding businesses and health-care providers from lawsuits related to people getting sick or dying from COVID-19. Also, they approved making permanent a ban on COVID-19 vaccine “passports.” Gov. Ron DeSantis in early April issued an executive order to prohibit businesses from requiring people to show they had been vaccinated to gain entry — the issue that has become known as COVID-19 passports.
EDUCATION: As part of a more than two-decade effort by Republicans to expand school choice, lawmakers passed an overhaul of school-voucher programs. In part, the plan would increase an income threshold so that a family of four making nearly $100,000 a year could qualify for vouchers. In higher education, the Senate considered controversial changes in the Bright Futures scholarship program before largely backing away amid an outcry from students and other opponents.
ELECTIONS: Despite fierce opposition from Democrats, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a wide-ranging elections bill that includes placing new restrictions on voting by mail. Supporters said the bill, which addresses issues such as the use of drop boxes for mail-in ballots, is needed to ensure election security and integrity. But Democrats contended that it is designed to place barriers to voting and likened it to measures aimed at Black voters in the Jim Crow era.
INSURANCE: After years of debating the issue, lawmakers approved ending Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system. Under the bill, motorists would no longer be required to carry personal-injury protection, or PIP, coverage. They would have to carry bodily-injury coverage. Also, lawmakers approved changes in the property-insurance system, including allowing larger annual rate increases for customers of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
PROTESTS: DeSantis quickly signed a controversial law-and-order measure that was sparked by nationwide protests last year after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The law creates a new crime of “mob intimidation,” enhances riot-related penalties and makes it harder for local officials to reduce spending on law enforcement. But opponents said the measure is rooted in racism and would give police too much leeway to arrest peaceful protesters.
SOCIAL MEDIA: After former President Donald Trump was blocked from Twitter and Facebook early this year, Republican lawmakers passed a plan to crack down on social-media companies. The plan, a priority of DeSantis, includes barring social-media companies from removing political candidates from the companies’ platforms and threatens hefty fines. Critics questioned the bill’s constitutionality and described it as a “big government” move.
TAXES: In a major win for business groups, lawmakers passed a plan that will require out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians. The roughly $1 billion a year generated by the change will be used to replenish a depleted unemployment trust fund. Later, it will be used to offset a cut in a commercial rent tax. Florida businesses have long argued online retailers enjoyed an advantage because they didn’t collect sales taxes.
TOLL ROADS: Two years after then-Senate President Bill Galvano pushed through a law to build and expand toll roads, lawmakers largely scrapped the plan during this year’s session. That included nixing the idea of building a toll road from Collier County to Polk County. Lawmakers, however, decided to move forward with projects such as extending Florida’s Turnpike west from Wildwood to connect with the Suncoast Parkway.
TRANSGENDER ATHLETES: After the issue appeared dead in the Senate, lawmakers in the final days of the session passed a bill that would ban transgender female athletes from competing on high-school girls’ and college women’s sports teams. While bill supporters said transgender female athletes could have a physical advantage, opponents said the bill targets youths already at risk for suicide, ostracism and bullying.
Journalist Christiane Amanpour will join United Facts of America Christiane Amanpour is one of the most lauded voices in media across the world, and I’m so excited that she’s agreed to join our first-ever virtual fact-checking festival, United Facts of America. Christiane is CNN’s chief international anchor of the network’s award-winning, flagship global affairs program “Amanpour,” which also airs on PBS.
Neil Brown, president of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, will talk live with Christiane about her storied career, the problems of eroding trust in journalism, and, of course, the importance of facts. United Facts of America is a four-day, virtual festival May 10-13 that will focus on facts and truth. As a registered guest, you’ll have the chance to hear from Christiane, Dr. Anthony Fauci, CNN’s Brian Stelter, Dr. Daniel B. Fagbuyi, The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson, NBC News’ Brandy Zadrozny, author Steven Hassan, Georgia elections official Gabriel Sterling and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner.
And you’ll get to meet some of my favorite fact-checkers from PolitiFact, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and FactCheck.org.
We’re so excited to welcome Christiane that we decided to make it easier for loyal PolitiFact readers like you to attend. You can use the promo code “FACTS2021” for $15 off the ticket as a way to celebrate our newly announced guest! (Be sure to click on the blue “Enter Promo Code” link when you go to select your ticket.) We attached a draft version of the schedule below, but don’t worry, we’re recording sessions in case you can’t attend each one live.
GET TICKETS Thank you so much for your support of facts and independent fact-checking.We can’t wait to see you on May 10! Truly, Angie Drobnic Holan, Editor-In-Chief, PolitiFact Each day of the festival features more than two hours of lively, thoughtful conversations about facts. Days are broken down by theme: democracy, COVID-19, technology and culture. More speakers will be added as they are confirmed.
Monday, May 10: Facts and Democracy — 3-6:30 p.m Eastern time Wednesday, May 12: Big Tech, Big Questions — 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, May 13: Speaking the Truth — 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern time
PS: This virtual festival is for everyone interested in fact-based expression, civic engagement and the role of facts in a free society. We’re still adding to the schedule, but see all of our confirmed speakers and sessions here.
That’s it for this month. Thanks for your support!, Brian Fillette President Solivita Democratic Club President@SolivitaDemocrats.org
April 1, 2021 Have you ever wanted to be Rachel Madow? Or Don Lemon? Or even Oprah? Well, your Solivita Dem Club is providing you with that opportunity on Wednesday, April 14 when Democratic star Rep. Val Demings will be our “live and in person” guest … Continue reading →
Our next Statewide Weekend of Action is a crucial opportunity to build Democratic power across Florida. We’ll be making calls to re-enroll more than 1.2 million Democrats who were removed from the Vote-by-Mail rolls. These are some of our most … Continue reading →
Meeting details to be announced. Keep up with the latest news by clicking on the IN THE NEWS tab at the top of your browser window. Open board positions remain — contact any board member if you are interested in: President … Continue reading →