Polk County Democratic Party Weekly Digest: September 11 - September 17, 2023
Track the Biden Administration's campaign promises
All Vote By Mail requests expired after the 2022 General Election! Click here to register now.
Please check your registration as another 100k voters were purged from the Vote By Mail list!!!!
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National Disability Voting Rights Week
September 11th-15th, 2023
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Toni Morrison “The Dead of September 11”
Some have God's words; others have songs of comfort for the bereaved. If I can pluck courage here, I would like to speak directly to the dead--the September dead. Those children of ancestors born in every continent on the planet: Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas...; born of ancestors who wore kilts, obis, saris, geles, wide straw hats, yarmulkes, goatskin, wooden shoes, feathers and cloths to cover their hair. But I would not say a word until I could set aside all I know or believe about nations, wars, leaders, the governed and ungovernable; all I suspect about armor and entrails. First I would freshen my tongue, abandon sentences crafted to know evil---wanton or studied; explosive or quietly sinister; whether born of a sated appetite or hunger; of vengeance or the simple compulsion to stand up before falling down. I would purge my language of hypberbole; of its eagerness to analyze the levels of wickedness; ranking them; calculating their higher or lower status among others of its kind.
Speaking to the broken and the dead is too difficult for a mouth full of blood. Too holy an act for impure thoughts. Because the dead are free, absolute; they cannot be seduced by blitz.
To speak to you, the dead of September 11, I must not claim false intimacy or summon an overheated heart glazed just in time for a camera. I must be steady and I must be clear, knowing all the time that I have nothing to say--no words stronger than the steel that pressed you into itself; no scripture older or more elegant than the ancient atoms you have become.
And I have nothing to give either--except this gesture, this thread thrown between your humanity and mine: I want to hold you in my arms and as your soul got shot of its box of flesh to understand, as you have done, the wit of eternity: its gift of unhinged release tearing through the darkness of its knell.
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HURRICANE SEASON REMINDERS FROM FDP
One of the best ways to show our neighbors that we are there for them is by supporting a local nonprofit organization assisting with the recovery efforts on the ground.
- Farm Share – Donate to support food banks with distribution points in hurricane impacted areas
- 2-1-1 Big Bend – Donate to support 24 hour crisis hotline support and direct connection to local community resources in the Big Bend
- Direct Relief – Donate to support their work with local healthcare facilities in Florida and throughout the U.S. Gulf Coast to ensure those in need have medication, supplies, and necessary care.
Unfortunately, scams and fraudulent charities are common in the aftermath of disasters like this. To ensure your donation is going directly to our communities, donate to trusted, well-known organizations, and check the charity is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. |
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Looking for ways to support those devastated by the fires in Maui? Here is a list of resources that will directly impact the recovery process in meaningful ways!
Maui Fire Relief Fund: Donations go directly to the Maui United Way.
Salvation Army Hawaii: Provides resources and food for those evacuating.
GoFundMe: GoFundMe has a list of verified Maui Wildfires Relief Fundraisers. Be wary of donating to any others.
Maui Humane Society: Animals need places to stay if you’re nearby, or you can donate money to help feed and shelter them.
Maui Food Bank: Accepting food and monetary donations to help feed people in Maui.
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OUT AND ABOUT IN POLK COUNTY
HAPPENING TODAY!!!
(Sign up for the event below on Mobilize by clicking the link HERE)
It's time for another HYBRID DEC MEETING!!!
The September DEC General Meeting will be in person and on Zoom! We will meet in person at The Well in Lakeland on Monday, September 11th, starting at 6pm. We will conduct a business meeting, but we will also gather together for Democratic fellowship and a special remembrance of 9/11. Special Guest Speakers include: State Senator Victor Torres (D-25); Carmen Torres, Democratic candidate for State Senate District 25 and DEC Members John Perez and Karen Welzel.
   
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ELECTIONS ARE HAPPENING EVERYWHERE IN POLK COUNTY- ARE YOU TIRED OF BEING REPRESENTED BY NAZI SUPPORTERS AND READY TO RUN?
To see who has filed to run in local/municipal races, click this link to be taken to the Polk County Supervision of Elections candidate page. This list is updated regularly.
To see who has filed to run in state elections, click this link to be taken to the Florida Division of Elections candidate page. This list is also updated regularly.
If you are interested in running for office and need more information please reach out to the DEC with any questions/requests. We must contest every seat to enact the positive change we desperately need in Polk County and beyond!
The next Campaign and Candidate Recruitment Committee Meeting is Wednesday, September 13th at 3
pm. Please let John Hill know if you would like to attend at vicechair2@polkdemocrats.net
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DeSANTIS LOSES HIS "COOL"
Governor DeSantis lashed out at a black constituent during press conference after being correctly blamed for racism and violence continuing to rise in Florida.
MOM's FOR LIBERTY CO-FOUNDER APPOINTED TO SEAT ON STATE ETHICS COMMISSION
Govenor DeSantis appointed Tina Descovich of Broward County and co-founder of Mom's For Liberty to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Glen Gilzean, who DeSantis appointed to head his newly created Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board (formerly Reedy Creek Improvement District/Disney)
REPUGNANT NAZI DISPLAYS CONTINUE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
Following disgusting, racist, Nazi acts in Orlando and surrounding areas, we Floridians are still waiting on Governor DeSantis to denounce the actions and Nazis. As we enter a new week, he has still FAILED to do so.
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VOTER REGISTRATION TRAINING EVERY MONTH!
Sign up to learn how we’re providing registration information now, what the new rules are, and best practices for finding our target voters. Held via Zoom each month on the 3rd Wednesday at 1 PM.
Sign up on Mobilize: https://www.mobilize.us/polkcountydec/event/452722/
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BALLOT 2024
Help us get these amendments onto the Ballot this year. Distribute them amongst your friends, family and communities. Knowledge is POWER!
PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS FOR THE NOVEMBER 2024 BALLOT
Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion
Text: No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.
Sponsor:
Floridians Protecting Freedom, Inc.
Post Office Box 4068
Sarasota, FL 34230
(305) 647-2666
Petition available at: https://floridiansprotectingfreedom.com/
Right to Clean and Healthy Waters Amendment
Text: This amendment creates a fundamental right to clean and healthy waters. The amendment may be used to sue State executive agencies for harm or threatened harm to Florida’s waters, which include aquatic ecosystems. This amendment defines terms, identifies affected constitutional provisions in Article IV governing the executive branch, provides for civil action enforcement, allows attorney’s and expert witness fees to prevailing plaintiffs, and provides equitable remedies including restoration of waters.
Sponsor:
Florida Right To CleanWater
13300 South Cleveland Avenue
Suite 56
Fort Myers, FL 33907
(239) 898-2044
Petition: Available at:
FloridaRighttoCleanWater.org
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The Polk County Democrats next monthly general meeting is September 11th, 2023
Club, Caucus and Committee Meetings
September 11th- September 17th, 2023
Lake Wales Democratic Club
Tuesday, September 12th, 6pm
Wales Pointe Restaurant
207 East Park Avenue
Speaker: Matthew Grocholske, Chair- Polk Young Dems
Solivita Democratic Club
Wednesday, September 13th, 6:30pm
Speaker: Lisa Miller, School Board Member (Dist. 7); Sarah Fortney, Fmr. School Board Member (Dist. 3); Marcus Wright, Candidate for School Board (Dist. 2)
Polk Democratic Senior Caucus
Wednesday, September 13th, 7pm
Speaker: TBA
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Civic Activities around the Area
September 11th- September 17th, 2023
Polk County Commission Budget Hearing
Monday, September 11th, 9am
Bartow City Commission Open House and Community Meeting
Tuesday, September 12th, 5:30pm
Dundee Town Commission Meeting
Tuesday, September 12th, 6:30pm
Fort Meade City Commission Meeting
Tuesday, September 12th, 6pm
Winter Haven City Commission Meeting
Tuesday, September 12th, 6pm
Bartow City Commission Open House and Community Budget Meeting
Wednesday, September 13th, 5:30pm
Lake Alfred City Commission Meeting
Thursday, September 14th, 7pm
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Democratic Party of Polk County, Club & Caucus Links
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If you would like to know more about a caucus or club which does not have a hyperlink, please email PolkCountyDemocrats@gmail.com
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Paid Political Advertisement for the Democratic Party of Polk County
6039 Cypress Gardens, PMB 328, Winter Haven, FL 33884
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