Randolph County Democratic Party

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We’d also like to announce that our former County Chair Jim Meredith is a candidate for the 6th District Democratic Executive Committee Chair. Read about his candidacy here. Jim Meredith for NC6th Chair

FEDERAL:

Call Richard Burr and Thom Tillis and stay on their cases about an independent investigation. There is a script here.

Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador – “Trump went on to discuss aspects of the threat that the United States only learned through the espionage capabilities of a key partner. He did not reveal the specific intelligence gathering method, but described how the Islamic State was pursuing elements of a specific plot and how much harm such an attack could cause under varying circumstances. Most alarmingly, officials said, Trump revealed the city in the Islamic State’s territory where the U.S. intelligence partner detected the threat.”

Can you imagine Congressional Republicans if Hillary Clinton had engaged in this same kind of behavior? They’d have had a witch ducking and a burning at the stake before nightfall.

 

OTHER NEWS:

Sinclair requires stations, including KOMO, to air segments tilting to the right – “Since November 2015, Sinclair has ordered its stations to run a daily segment from a “Terrorism Alert Desk” with updates on terrorism-related news around the world. During the election campaign last year, it sent out a package that suggested in part that voters should not support Hillary Clinton because the Democratic Party was historically pro-slavery. More recently, Sinclair asked stations to run a short segment in which Scott Livingston, the company’s vice president for news, accused the national news media of publishing “fake news stories.”

Just another part of Republicans’ plan to consolidate power and control all forms of government and media.

Sinclair Owned Local Stations in NC – if you see any news on these stations that skews a story to the right, let them know that we see what they’re doing and will let others know of their bias.

WLOS 13 Asheville

WLFL 22 RDU

WRDC  28 RDU

WXLV 45 Greensboro HP WS

WMYV 48 Greensboro HP WS

 

 

REPUBLICANS STICKING IT TO THE POOR:

Republicans plan massive cuts to programs for the poor

“House Republicans just voted to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in health care for the poor as part of their Obamacare replacement. Now, they’re weighing a plan to take the scalpel to programs that provide meals to needy kids and housing and education assistance for low-income families.”

… 

“Atop that, GOP budget writers will also likely include Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) proposal to essentially privatize Medicare in their fiscal 2018 budget, despite Trump’s unwavering rejection of the idea. While that proposal is more symbolic and won’t become law under this budget, it’s just another thorny issue that will have Democrats again accusing Republicans of “pushing Granny off the cliff.”

CALL MARK WALKER

SCRIPT: I am a constituent from District 6, calling to urge Rep. Walker to think long and hard before voting for the current budget bill in the House. With the President’s wish list for military and infrastructure it is a given that Republicans, as usual, will want to cut social programs to the bone. After the tone-deaf passage of the AHCA, which is predicted to kick 24 million people off their health insurance plans, I would hope Rep. Walker would want to cultivate a more compassionate image. Hopefully he will put country and constituents before Party for this vote. Thank you for your time.

 

STATE:

IT’S ABOUT TIME!

We got some much needed good news today about the Voter ID laws in NC. The Supreme Court of the US has declined to hear the appeal from NC Republicans. This means that the decision reverts to the lower court ruling, which struck down the racist Voter ID law.

U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Revive North Carolina Voter-ID Law – “The U.S. Supreme Court dealt an unexpected setback to the voter-identification movement, refusing to reinstate North Carolina ballot restrictions that a lower court said target blacks “with almost surgical precision.”

 

STATE BUDGET:

Time to give Reps. Pat Hurley and Allen McNeill a call on the state budget. Here is an excellent rundown of the education portions of the Senate budget from Together We Will North Carolina. Some was good, some was bad. They recommend you contact your Representatives and the chairs of the House Education Appropriations Committee (Pat Hurley is both) and let them know how the Senate budget will affect you and urge them to vote accordingly in the House.

Chairman             Rep. Blackwell 919-733-5805 Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net

Chairman             Rep. Elmore 919-733-5935 Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net

Chairman             Rep. Fraley 919-733-5741 John.Fraley@ncleg.net

Chairman             Rep. Horn 919-733-2406 Craig.Horn@ncleg.net

Chairman             Rep. Hurley* 919-733-5865 Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net

Vice Chairman    Rep. Conrad 919-733-5787 Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net

Senate budget would cut off food aid to 133,000 – “Officials at the state Department of Health and Human Services estimate the change would cut food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to 133,000 people – 55,000 of them under 18.”

 

COMMENTS ON MEDICAID REFORM IN NC TAKEN UNTIL MAY 25, 2017

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is looking at ways to build a Medicaid system with more opportunities to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. Your thoughts, ideas and comments are important to shape a system that works best for our state. Input is needed on how can, or should, Medicaid:

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Sixth Congressional District Democratic Convention – Saturday, May 20th

Save the date! The location for the 6th District Democratic Convention is still being set, but it will most likely be in Guilford County. Randolph County District Convention delegates need to save the date for Sat. morning, May 20, 2017. More details coming as soon as we know. We will set up a carpool once we know the location.

Note: If you attended and signed in at the County Convention on April 8th, you are a delegate to the 6th District Convention to be held in Guilford County.  

FEDERAL:

RUSSIA, DUH.

Always, always, always call about the Trump-Russia investigation until this fool is gone.

Contact the Department of Justice at this link, to tell them to get moving on a special prosecutor for the Trump-Russia investigation. https://www.justice.gov/contact-us

Call Senators, Burr and Tillis

BURR SCRIPT: I am a constituent calling from ____________ in NC. I want to let Sen. Burr know that he needs to get on the ball about investigating the connections between Donald Trump and Russia, with regards to their tampering with our elections. The Senator has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Honorable Senator Sam Ervin by putting country before party and investigating Donald Trump to the fullest extent possible. We are watching what the Senator does with the responsibility he now holds. Either get moving or get out of the way. Thank you for your time.

TILLIS SCRIPT: I am a constituent calling from ____________ in NC. I wanted to make it known that we expect Senator Tillis to urge his fellow Senator, Richard Burr to investigate Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. Senator Tillis has an opportunity here to be a hero by pressing for a fully staffed and operational investigative committee. History will not look kindly upon those who stand by and do nothing while our republic is handed to the Russians. Thank you for your time.

USDA 

In keeping with this current track record of hiring people for jobs they are grossly unqualified for or to head departments they want to destroy, Trump’s top pick for USDA head scientist has a background in neither agriculture nor science. Sam Clovis is a business and public policy professor (with tenure…ooohh evil, tenure) and has published almost no academic work. What did I say? Perfect for the job. He’s a climate change denier (of course), a right-wing radio host (yeesh) and the friend who recruited Carter Page, international man of Russian intrigue, for Donald Trump.

Call the White House Comment Line at 202-456-1111  and tell them that our USDA is too important to leave up to someone who is not an actual scientist.

Then call your Senators, Burr and Tillis and Representative Walker and urge them to put pressure on the President find department heads who are actually qualified for the job they’re hired to do.

VOTER SUPPRESSION COMMISSION:

If you don’t know anything about Kris Kobach, let me give you a few links.

King of Voter Suppression – ACLU

Trump wants anti-immigrant hardliner Kris Kobach to prove his lies about ‘voter fraud’

The Man Behind Arizona’s Immigration Law

The GOP’s Stealth War Against Voters

🎯 Danger of Trump’s Elex Commission is that it will target the wrong people. NC knows who the real frauds are and how they hurt real people! pic.twitter.com/PMgR6VEHuE

— Democracy NC (@democracync) May 12, 2017

Call the White House Comment Line at 202-456-1111 and tell them to quit wasting time and money on a problem that doesn’t exist. We know their ultimate goal is to increase voter suppression against populations which don’t traditionally vote Republican. Stop insulting our intelligence. We know what they’re about.

Then call your Senators, Burr and Tillis and Representative Walker and urge them to put pressure on the President to abandon this money wasting folly.

 

STATE:

MEDICAID REFORM:

Have your say as state moves Medicaid to private managed care

“The North Carolina General Assembly passed a law to reform the Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs in 2015 and amended the law last year. “The legislation called for most Medicaid services to be delivered using a managed care system instead of the current fee-for-service,” according to DHHS.

People who want to give their comments to DHHS in person can register to speak at the venue that night and will be given two minutes to make a statement. The session will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the McKimmon Conference & Training Center, 1101 Gorman St.”

More than likely, privatization would be a disaster. How do we know this? Precedent. Like mental health reform, NC Medicaid changes would be disastrous Privatization always leads to limits on number of services, limits on who can access those services and increases on what those services will cost the patient.

Use this link to submit your comments on our state privatizing our Medicaid system. https://www.ncdhhs.gov/how-submit-comments

 

SHENANIGANS IN THE NCGA (AGAIN): 

It’s never a good thing when our General Assembly makes the Washington Post.  In case you didn’t see it this weekend, Republicans in the General Assembly have been up to no good again. They love to ram through boneheaded laws and make spiteful cuts to public services because they are not happy unless they are sticking it to Democrats.

“At about 1 a.m. Friday, the Republicans halted the proceedings and went into private talks. At about 3 a.m., they returned, and a Republican senator introduced an amendment of his own.

This amendment proposed $1 million in new funding to fight North Carolina’s opioid epidemic, which has been called the most severe public health issue in the state. That’s an issue that would seem to be bipartisan — but there was a twist.

The money to fund new pilot programs for this cause had to come from somewhere, and the Republicans decided to take it out of education programs in Democratic districts, along with other things the Democrats had wanted.”

Jerry Tillman and Rick Gunn voted for this, of course. Like good and faithful Republibots they went along with the plan to stick it to Democrats because they got nothing else.

Call your Senator and let him know how you feel about this behavior.

SCRIPT:  I am a constituent calling from Senator ________ district. I wanted to let the Senator know how underhanded the 3am vote to cut education funding in the districts of Senate Democrats was. Politicians who behave like this are the reason people hate politicians. These kinds of actions do all North Carolinians a disservice and are an embarrassment to Randolph County and the rest of the Senator’s district. I urge the Senator to start putting people before his party and make better decisions for our state and district. Thank you.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Sixth Congressional District Democratic Convention – Saturday, May 20th

Save the date! The location for the 6th District Democratic Convention is still being set, but it will most likely be in Guilford County. Randolph County District Convention delegates need to save the date for Sat. morning, May 20, 2017. More details coming as soon as we know. We will set up a carpool once we know the location.

Note: If you attended and signed in at the County Convention on April 8th, you are a delegate to the 6th District Convention to be held in Guilford County.  

 

FEDERAL:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says we don’t need a special prosecutor to take over the Trump-Russia investigation. He, like Richard Burr, is obviously compromised, especially considering his wife’s fancy new Cabinet position as Transportation Secretary.

Mitch McConnell needs some phone calls, faxes, postcards and social media callouts:

Mitch McConnell Contact Info

WASHINGTON OFFICE
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2541
Fax: (202) 224-2499

Twitter: @SenateMajLdr @McConnellPress
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mitchmcconnell/
Instagram: @mcconnellpress
Website: www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactform

SCRIPT:

I am an American and a patriot, calling/writing/etc. to demand that the Majority Leader go forward with allowing for a special prosecutor to investigate the connections between Donald Trump, his associates and the Russian government and oligarchs. Senator McConnell must put his partisanship aside and do what is best for the nation he was elected to steward via the Senate. To do otherwise leads us all to believe that he is, himself, just as compromised as the President. Put your country before your party, Senator McConnell.

 

A FEDERAL/STATE HYBRID:

Cooper ‘shocked, disappointed’ in federal storm recovery funds from Trump administration

Disappointed, yes. Shocked, no way. There’s golf to be played, palms to be greased, Russians to be placated. Trump can’t be bothered to get his administration to actually help Americans; even the ones who voted for him. Here is a set of printable, pre-addressed postcards you can send to Trump, Burr, Tillis and Walker about this. All you need to do is print, add your message and stamp. I have a feeling their phones (especially Burr’s) are going to be tied up quite a bit for the next little while so postcards might be useful. There are other designs here.

Thanks for Nothing Printable Postcard 2-sided

STATE:

Republican Senators in the General Assembly are going to try and ram though this huge chunk of a $23 billion budget they crafted behind closed doors, without allowing ample time for everyone to read and digest it. Typical. Party before country, state, constituents. The only people they seem to value are their wealthy donors.

Call Jerry Tillman and Rick Gunn

SCRIPT:  I am a constituent in Sen. _________ district. I am calling to urge the Senator to vote no on the budget presented on Wednesday until such time as it can be read and digested by the Senate as a whole and not just by those who crafted it behind closed doors. This sort of shifty behavior is what makes everyone feel like politicians are untrustworthy. What sort of public servant does not care if he has the trust of his constituents? Thank you for your time.

 

And on a crappy note:

Just FYI, on the Ag Nuisance Bill HB 467, seven House Democrats voted to override Governor Cooper’s veto. Brisson; Goodman; C. Graham; G. Graham; Hanes; Hunter; Wray

Let me just reiterate, these seven Democrats just overrode Governor Cooper’s veto of a bill that shields corporate hog farms, who spray liquefied hog feces on fields near the homes of (usually poor or minority) North Carolina residents, from legal claims and prevent plaintiffs in lawsuits against these corporate farms from recovering damages unrelated to property value, including compensation for health effects, lost income, and pain and suffering. Hopefully there will be some primary challengers in next year’s elections.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Sixth Congressional District Democratic Convention – Saturday, May 20th

Save the date! The location for the 6th District Democratic Convention is still being set, but it will most likely be in Guilford County. Randolph County District Convention delegates need to save the date for Sat. morning, May 20, 2017. More details coming as soon as we know. We will set up a carpool once we know the location.

Note: If you attended and signed in at the County Convention on April 8th, you are a delegate to the 6th District Convention to be held in Guilford County.