Action Newsletter
DEMOCRATIC EVENTS
1. Fidalgo Democrats Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, 7 p.m., Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th Street, Anacortes
Members of Transition Fidalgo & Friends will speak about TF&F and the international Transition Movement. There may be a short film in addition to speakers, followed by questions and comments. The public is welcome. Coffee and refreshments will be available. Please bring a non-perishable food item for the food bank donation box near the door.
Guemes Island Democrats who would miss the last ferry home may contact Jackie Boss to arrange an overnight stay with one of our members. She is at jackieaboss@yahoo.com or 299-8067.
Hoping to see you Jan. 3, and Happy Holidays!
Regards,
Corinne Salcedo, Chair
Fidalgo Democrats
293-7114
2. Holiday Open House, Saturday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Party Headquarters, Mount Vernon
As usual we’ll supply coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, but we could use some finger food donations. Hope you can stop by to celebrate a successful year and perhaps to strategize a bit for successful campaigns in the coming year. (Don’t forget to bring something for the food bank boxes as well.)
3. Executive Board Meeting of the Skagit County Democrats, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, 10 a.m. – noon, Party Headquarters, Mount Vernon
All interested Democrats are welcome to attend.
4. Central Committee Meeting of the Skagit County Democrats. Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, 10 a.m. – noon, Venue TBA
All PCOs are urged to attend and, as at all meetings of the Skagit County Democrats, all interested Democrats are welcome to attend. We will be electing a new Vice-Chair from among the PCOs to fill the vacancy created when Josie Hedgpeth took over as our Chair. We will also begin the work that is necessary to prepare for caucuses and the county convention leading up to the critical election in November.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
News and Needs from Party Headquarters
- A big thank-you to Don Bottles of Mount Vernon for his recent donation of vintage political buttons. The buttons are being divided in various ways to make sets that will be sold to support the rent for HQ. We have already had one set sell as a Christmas present. Others will be available at HQ or at the Gala auction May 5th, 2012.
- Condolences to Joan McEldoon who unexpectedly lost her daughter-in law, Tracy Wilson, this past week.
- HQ received some “We are the 99%” stickers. They are for sale at HQ, 50 cents apiece. Obama 2012 Buttons and bumper stickers are at cost for the remainder of December.
- Our light pole in front of the HQ has been trimmed in fir. A few plastic ornaments have been tied to our “tree” with messages written on them. If you have a message, write it on a ribbon or an ornament and fasten it securely to our Holiday tree.
- HQ staffing remains thin. If you have time to volunteer on the 23rd or 26th, please let staff at HQ know and the doors will kept open. Many potential volunteers have been contacted and re-contacted, most do not want to be committed to a schedule. Most days need one more person to ensure that the doors stay open.
- Amie with Organizing for America [OFA] is available Thursday afternoons after 1pm. She will be “out of the HQ” the week following Christmas. Her team needs volunteers for the Obama 2012 campaign. There is much to do!
- Committees for the 2012 election are being organized. They are; convention, caucus, resolutions and Gala. If you would like to know more about or work with one of the committees, let staff at HQ know and we will get your info and forward it on to those committee chairs.
- In closing, Skagit Democrats wouldn’t exist without all your help over the past 6+ years. What ever you have done or may do in the future doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated. Merry Christmas and do join us on December 31st. HQ will have an open house from 11:30am until 2:30pm to celebrate what we have in common and discuss the differences. We can be thankful for all the work that has been accomplished and begin planning for next year.
Shirley and the HQ Staff.
Thought for the Week
A comprehensive new study that profiles 280 of America’s most profitable companies finds that 78 of them paid no federal income tax in at least one of the last three years. Thirty companies, including The Boeing Co., enjoyed a negative income tax rate from 2008 to 2010, despite combined pre-tax profits of $160 billion. The 280 companies earned nearly $1.4 trillion in pre-tax profits in the U.S. Had all those profits been reported to the IRS and taxed at the statutory 35% corporate income tax rate, the companies would have paid $473 billion in income taxes over the three years. But instead, as a group, they paid about half that amount as they took advantage of enormous corporate tax subsidies. Of the companies studied, Boeing’s $3.6 billion in tax subsidies over the three-year period ranked 7th biggest, behind Wells Fargo, AT&T, Verizon Communications, GE, IBM and Exxon Mobil.
“These 280 corporations received a total of nearly $223 billion in tax subsidies,” said Robert McIntyre, Director at Citizens for Tax Justice and the report’s lead author. “This is wasted money that could have gone to protect Medicare, create jobs and cut the deficit.”
Corporations are lobbying for lower corporate rates and an exemption for profits they shift offshore. McIntyre, however, says: “Our study provides proof that too many corporations are already being coddled by our tax system.”
Robert McIntyre, Director, Citizens for Tax Justice and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
Happy Holidays!
Gail Nicolls, Secretary
Skagit County Democrats
Formatting and posting by Brad Clure, Chair of Technical Committee
Skagit County Democrats
300A South 1st Street
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
360-336-1555,
Email to staff: staff@skagitdemocrats.org
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