DORR PRESIDENT'S NEWSLETTER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010

Dear Members and Fans,

The Primary Elections came and went. Many Democrats did not bother to vote, even those who received their ballots at home (PEVL). I realize that most of the focus has been on the Republican Party's candidates and their races. The Press, including our own Sedona Times, missed reporting on many of the Democratic candidates. The general public was fed a diet of McCain and Hayworth and other glamorous races. Terry Goddard, Ann Kirkpatrick, Andrei Cherny, Lindsay Bell and Bob Donahue were just not worthy of much attention, since they did not face competition in their Primaries. And so they were ignored. That did not help to motivate a somewhat apathetic public and so the turn-out was under 20%.

It is not just the coverage of the Primaries and general lack of Democratic Party participation in them which worries me. It is also the spread of distrust, negativity and fear, fed by the right-wing press and the oil billionaire-backed tea party movement, which scares me. Despite (or maybe because of) the amazing list of legislative accomplishments of the Obama presidency and the Democratic Congress, the general mood today is super-critical. Aside from healthcare reform and the stimulus package, there are pieces of legislation, such as the reform to the student loan system, which have been politically and economically meaningful but which have been totally forgotten.

My point is that we all need to engage and fight for the values which we stand for and which our President stands for. What a turnaround! Just two years ago, many of us were thrilled and excited because we had nominated Barack Obama as our candidate for President. It all happened in Denver in 2008. I was there. Don't let those filled with hate and bias win our hearts and souls!

I do not normally use this letter as a political blog, but we did have the Primaries in August and we are facing very tough elections in November. I do want to stress that we ALL need to vote in November, to support our amazing list of Democratic Candidates. Please check out our website at www.democratsoftheredrocks.org (click on the Elections tab).

Talking of elections, we are planning lots of opportunities for you to meet the Candidates, discuss the issues and propositions in our September program. You will be receiving more detailed information on each one, but here's what we have planned:

September 16: Breakfast at the Olde Sedona Bar and Grill, W. SR89A. Doors open at 8:00 am

September 22: Movie: Crossing Arizona, a film on immigration issues. Talk afterwards led by community activist Natalia Molina McKendry. At the Sedona Public Library at 6:00pm

September 26: DOVV/DORR Annual Picnic at the Livings Springs Camp in Oak Creek Canyon. Lots of food, music, fun and games and a chance to meet your candidates! Free! Bring your friends and family! But be ready to bid on lots of great gifts and prizes at our Auction, and buy lots of goodies at our Bake Sale!

September 30: Movie: Joint Meeting with the Sierra Club and Benefactors of Red Rock State Park. The documentary, Postcards on the Parks, features the various parks in Arizona which are facing closure or have been closed, due to budget cuts. This will be at the Sedona Public Library at 6:00pm, with presentations by candidates running for state legislature.

Other activities:

Come to our Office on September 2nd and take part in our Issues/Writing Group. 3:00 pm

And - every day (except Sundays) you can work at our Office! Phoning, data entry, etc. Call 203-5858 for more information.

Pick up your favorite candidate(s)' signs and put them in your front yard!!! Goddard, Bell, Glassman and more!

Anyone interested in canvassing here or in Prescott, please let me know. Call me, call the office or email us.

We have achieved so much this past year. I am not denying the huge financial problems facing this country, inherited from our Republican President's manhandling of the economy. However, the future is bleak if we allow the Republican Party to take over Congress in November. We need to ensure Ann Kirkpatrick is re-elected. We need to ensure the NSA Legislation is passed in Congress. We need to ensure that Rodney Glassman has all your support so that he can beat John McCain in November! Yes, he can!

And we need to CHANGE OUR ARIZONA. We need to get rid of the current group of biased and ignorant folks who lead our State Legislature and have dragged our State into the bottom third in this country in education and loss of jobs. Instead they gave us 1070. We need to support Terry Goddard, a man who has proved his worth as Attorney General, so he can show us the way forward, not backwards. We need to support Lindsay Bell and Bob Donahue to represent us in the State Legislature.

I hope to see you all at the picnic on September 26th at the Living Springs camp. Come and join us for lots of good food, including Marv's incredible ice cream! Bid on some great prizes: beautiful art work, gift certicates from local restaurants and businesses. And meet your Democratic candidates, including Andrei Cherny, Penny Kotterman and, we hope, Rodney Glassman. Don Bivens, Chair of the Arizona State Democratic Party, will open the proceedings. We will begin the festivities at 11:30 am.

Yes, please check out our website to see all the great candidates on the Democratic slate for November. And if you can, help out, at our Office, in your precinct, put up a sign, talk to your friends, come to our meetings, and stand up for what we believe in.

We can and we will win in November!

Angela LeFevre
August 30, 2010

DORR PRESIDENT'S NEWSLETTER JULY/AUGUST 2010 -- 2010-09-02

This month's newsletter comes from Denver, as I am winding down on a month-long trip covering thousands of miles throughout the western part of the country. My husband and I have seen beautiful scenery, met wonderful people and renewed friendships and family ties. However, I have also been able to see Arizona from the outside, and the picture is not a good one.

I have been saddened by the news, the bad press and the violence being portrayed in a state which I have adopted as a place to live. Let's hope the forthcoming elections can bring change and an end to this very bad state of affairs.

I am sure many of you have been, are on, or are planning vacations. However, please remember that August 24th is our Primary Elections day. Although DORR cannot endorse any of the Democratic candidates who are vying for your vote in a number of the state races, DORR does urge you to vote and choose which candidate you feel is best suited for the position. To see who is running for what position, please visit our website at www.democratsoftheredrocks.org and click on Elections.

DORR, under the guidance of Dick Searle, has been working with the Arizona Democratic Party's Coordinated Campaign on a PEVL (Permanent Early Voting List) campaign. I sent information about this last month. Thanks go to all those who helped send out letters and made phone calls. If you are not signed up on the PEVL or have questions about this, please call the DORR Office at 203-5858. Over 100 registered Democrats have been added to the list since the campaign began last month.

Other good news: The National Scenic Area Designation Bill continues to make progress in Congress. In July, a successful mark-up of the Bill was made and passed by the Natural Resources Sub-Committee, and the Bill now passes onto the floor of the House. In Sedona, many realtors contacted DORR to express their dismay at how the Board of the Verde Valley Realtors Association has chosen to speak against the Bill.

I hope you have noted the invitation I recently sent out to join me and other hosts in supporting Harry Mitchell's re-election campaign, by coming to a House Party on August 21st. I do hope you will support Congressional Representative Harry Mitchell and join us on Saturday, August 21st.

Here is the information:

Co-Hosts
Hon. Rob and Christine Adams
Frank and Charlene Costanzo
Angela LeFevre
Hon. Barbara Litrell
Sarah McLean
Martin Birrittella
Hon. Tom O'Halleran
And
Ellen Simon

Invite you
To a Reception and Fundraiser in Honor of
Congressman Harry Mitchell (Representing Arizona From Congressional District 5)
at the Home of Sarah McLean and Marty Birrittella
200 Lewis Way in Sedona

Directions: From the "Y" go South on SR179. At third roundabout go east on Morgan Road then turn left on Cypress Drive then right on Cypress Court and a Mitchell campaign staffer will be there to direct you.

Saturday, August 21st 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Gold $250 ~ Silver $150 ~ Bronze $50

Please RSVP to Jake Adams at jake-adams@usa.net or at 602-845-9199
If you are unable to attend, please consider making a contribution online at www.harry2010.com.

Contributions or gifts to Harry Mitchell for Congress are not tax deductible. Corporate contributions cannot be accepted. We may accept contributions of $2,400 per election cycle from individuals and $5,000 from Federal PACs. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to obtain the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer for individuals that exceed $200 per election cycle.

So many of you have been so generous...it is difficult to support all the candidates you would like. DORR also encourages you to come and help out at the Office when you can. If you have some spare time, call us at (928)203-5858 and we will arrange a time and day for you to come in!

Another way of helping...join Emma Carpini and her letter writing group! Emma decided she wanted to make a difference, to get a group together who could figure out how to voice support for our President and combat the negativism which we see so much of these days in the press and in so-called public opinion. So a group has been formed, and meets regularly and is learning how best to write letters and express ideas. It has had amazing successes and at least three letters have made it to the newspapers this past month. If you are interested in finding out more, please call the office at 203-5858 and let us know you are interested in Emma's Group!

Finally...another plea for help!! I am hoping all of you will have September 26th marked down in your calendars - THE GREATEST PICNIC OF THE YEAR...

THE DOVV/DORR ANNUAL PICNIC

will take place at the Living Springs Camp in Oak Creek Canyon. This is always a fun event...we will have lots of food, candidates and fun fund-raising events. This is our BIG fund-raiser for the year and enables both DOVV and DORR to pay for full time offices during the election period. If you can donate to our Auction, that would be a tremendous help! Artwork, jewelry, pottery, or gift certificates from a favorite restaurant, spa or hair dressing salon make great gifts for the auction. Please let me know if you have something, and I will arrange to pick it up. Just call the Office at 203-5858 or call me at 399-0999.

Have a great August, look out for news on other events in September...and please remember to VOTE!!!

Angela LeFevre
President