The Island County Democrats publish a monthly newsletter, which we are posting here. We believe that the statements made by the leadership of each party is of general public interest, particularly as we enter an election year.
Message from ICD Chair, Joseph Busig
Hello ICD,
I can’t believe it is already the end of 2021. This year has undoubtedly been trying, but I hope you are doing well. I’m proud of what our local party has accomplished this year and I look forward to next year. Because of generous volunteer support, we saw eight out of our nine endorsed candidates win their races. These candidates won, or came close to winning, because they gave voters a reason to vote. They won because of solid voter outreach. They won because they engaged their communities and ran on platforms centered on the needs of the people. We also saw record Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) recruitment, which is the youngest and most diverse our local party has ever seen. The hard work of Committee Chairs, Executive Board Officers, PCOs, Members, and volunteers allowed our party to continue to function despite the ongoing pandemic. Without this collective passion, we would not have been able to carry on. I extend my deepest gratitude for those who volunteered, came to meetings, and did countless hours of work behind the scenes. It shows your commitment to our communities, county, and state.
Come January, we need to hit the ground running for the important 2022 midterm elections. But we must also bear in mind several things. Campaigns can’t succeed without a strong base of support from volunteers. So please, consider helping out with local campaigns next year in any way you can. Candidates, and their parties must give voters a reason to vote. To be against something isn’t necessarily to be for something. That’s why we must be a party built by and for working-class people. It is why we must deliver on universal healthcare, a family-wage jobs guarantee, bold climate justice starting with a Green New Deal, expanded social safety nets, investments in safe and accessible public housing, tuition free college alongside expanded union apprenticeship or vocation programs, progressive taxes on the wealthy, a cap on rent, democracy in the workplace, and protections for historically marginalized communities including women, people of color, Indigenous people, LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, youth, and the aging population. Disaffected people have not voted, nor been inspired to act, because the status quo has reigned supreme. Turn after turn there is a sense of hopelessness. This sentiment is not misplaced. For too long have rulings like Roe v. Wade, essential to protecting people who can be pregnant, been used as a football for fundraising but sidelined when it came time to codify it. Student loan debt, a crushing issue for a majority of people, can be forgiven with the stroke of a pen but has not. These issues are life, security, and liberty for many. Lives hang in the balance and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The pandemic has exposed how overworked healthcare workers are, moreover how a for-profit healthcare system is exploitative and disastrous. The climate crisis is upon us, from deadly heat waves and forest fires in the west to recent tornadoes in the south. Tragedy requires a bold, resilient answer. Collective action rooted in intersectional solidarity, universally investing in underserved communities, and tackling the crises of our times are the minimum. How we continue is essential for a more just future. It is what we stand for that shows who we are. It is our actions that define us.
Whether together, in person or virtually, I wish you and yours a happy holiday season. Please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay well. May the new year bring you good fortune and be bright with new opportunities. I look forward to seeing you in 2022!
Respectfully,
Joseph J. Busig
Chair, ICDCC
Message from 2nd CD Congressman Rick Larsen
I know that politics can sometimes be frustrating to watch – it is for me, too! – so I thought I would share with you the highlights of what we accomplished in the House of Representatives this year.
House Democrats fought the pandemic and helped families and communities recover with the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan extended the child income tax credit, provided $1400 in direct payments to people, and added $300 of weekly unemployment benefits. The American Rescue Plan included a Small Business Opportunity Fund and emergency grants to small businesses, so Main Street wouldn’t shut down while Wall Street prospered. All told, the American Rescue Plan provided thousands of dollars in direct relief to American families and workers.
House Democrats combated the Republican effort to subvert democracy with historic bills to defend voting rights, expand access to the ballot, end gerrymandering, implement nationwide automatic voter registration, make Election Day a federal holiday, and stop the flood of dark money in our democracy.
House Democrats made the largest investment in infrastructure since the Eisenhower Administration, including big investments to fight the climate crisis. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions not just to repair our broken roads and bridges, but to make our critical infrastructure climate resilient. The new law also includes billions to combat the effects of climate change by cleaning up our most polluted communities.
House Democrats passed a law protecting reproductive health care nationwide. The Women’s Health Protection Act is the first time in U.S. history that the House has passed a bill guaranteeing the right to an abortion nationwide, a critical effort as we await the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
House Democrats worked to make the criminal justice system more fair, equitable, and humane. We passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants. The bill also places meaningful limits on qualified immunity, making it easier to hold accountable police officers who use excessive force.
And House Democrats passed Build Back Better, which will create millions of jobs, fight climate change, and reduce the cost of living for millions of American families – with lower prescription drug costs, Medicare hearing benefits, a $250-300/month child tax credit, provide free pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-olds in America, reduced child care costs, lower health care premiums, and the largest investment in affordable housing in history. (And it is all paid for with taxes on corporations that move jobs and hide money overseas, taxes on people who make over $10 million/year, and ensuring that people who make over $400,000/year actually pay the taxes they owe.)
This year it was House Democrats leading the way. That is what we were sent to Congress to do, and that is what we did.
And we are not letting up. There is still a lot to do next year to keep making progress on behalf of our families, our communities, and our country.
And next year, Democrats face an uphill battle to keep our majority in the House. But we are organizing now, and getting ready to win the big election fights so that we can protect all we have accomplished and keep up the pressure on the Senate and the White House to get the job done.
I appreciate your support. Happy holidays from our family to yours.
Rick
Donate
Your generous contributions will directly help ICD:
- Host local community education and information events
- Coordinate local Democratic Party volunteers activities
- Train and inspire PCOs to action
- Provide tools, materials and space for local Democratic Party planning and organizing
[Ed. Note: donation instructions and link omitted here]
