Wednesday, February 21, 2007
All Whatcom Democrats Invited
Biannual Strategic Planning
Shuksan Middle School
Saturday March 3, 2007, 9:00 am - noon
The strategic planning will be led by Whatcom Democrats Chair Barry Buchanan, with breakout topic sessions in which we Whatcom Democrats can interact directly with our Democratic elected officials. The event will start with a whole group discussion reviewing 2005 Visioning results and talking about the major party activities in 2007 and 2008. We will then break into 3 groups (local, State, Federal) to discuss priority issues and strategies. The groups will rotate through each jurisdiction. The result of this event will help the Party structure it’s activities and priorities for 2007 and 2008.
Background: As a follow-up and extension of our visioning day in January 2005, the Whatcom Democrats leadership is inviting all Whatcom Democrats to come and discuss the issues and analyze the current political moment in which we are now living. Help us begin to think through and define the strategic approach we will need now and for the coming years, in local, state and national politics.
Which are our key issues/demands? Why? What makes one issue a key issue (need) over many other needs? How do we advance them?
Sound like an exciting but academic discussion?
It won’t be. Why? We don’t have the luxury. This is a work session. Local elections are upon us, and both state and national politics are warming up.
As a frame for this event, we will now quote from remarks given on the floor of the Senate Feb. 14 by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Independent of Vermont, in response to the President’s latest budget attack on healthcare, education, prosperity for all:
Health Care: “The President’s budget would cut Medicare and Medicaid by $280 billion over the next decade, lowering the quality of healthcare for approximately 43 million senior citizens and people with disabilities who depend on Medicare and more than 50 million Americans who rely on Medicaid.”
Education: ”At a time when our childcare and early childhood education system is totally inadequate to meet the needs of working parents, the Bush budget reduces the number of children receiving childcare assistance by 300,000. In addition, the Bush budget provides a $100 million cut for Head Start, at a time when only about one-half of the children eligible for this program actually participate, due to a lack of funding.”
Prosperity for All: ”While hunger in this country is increasing, the President’s budget denies food stamps to 280,000 families and eliminates nutrition assistance to over 400,000 senior citizens, mothers and newborn children.
“This is especially true when the President’s budget provides $739 BILLION ($739,000,000,000) in tax breaks over the next decade to households with incomes exceeding $1 million per year. The average tax break for this group of millionaires will total $162,000 by 2012. Compare the Bush budget cuts to the tax breaks given some of America’s wealthiest people. The granddaddy of all of the winners under the Bush budget is none other than the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune.
”If the estate tax was repealed, the entire Walton family would receive an estimated tax break of $32.7 BILLION.”
Meanwhile, the President’s budget proposes to cut Medicaid by $28 billion over the next decade, driving up the cost of healthcare for tens of millions of Americans. In other words, one family gets a huge tax break, while tens of millions of healthcare consumers suffer.”
# posted by jpeg @ 12:48 PM 
