News from the Skagit County Democrats

Skagit County Democrats Action Newsletter for December 7, 2020

DEMOCRATIC EVENTS

1. UPDATED – The Skagit County Democrats Headquarters, 300A South First Street, Mount Vernon, will be CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC for the time being, effective immediately
As the pandemic continues to worsen, locally as well as nationally, Skagit County Democrats is committed to keeping all of our volunteers, members, and the public safe. Locally, we are at the highest peak ever with 758 COVID-19 cases reported in November and numbers continuing to grow. In compliance with Governor Inslee’s mandate, we are closing our Headquarters Office to the public. That does not mean we are folding up the tent. We continue the work of the party. Please help us during this time.

• Please pay for membership on our website (Click Here) or you can mail your checks to our Post Office Box – Skagit County Democrats, PO Box 761, Mount Vernon, WA 98273-0761.
• Staff will continue to check voicemails and emails. They will get back to you and will continue to perform the essential work.
• Memorabilia will continue to be sold on-line through our website or you can write to staff@skagitdemocrats.org to make arrangements if you want to purchase memorabilia. Click Here for sample pictures.
• Please take any food donations you wish to contribute directly to the foodbank.

2. CORRECTION – Fidalgo Democrats will not be meeting in December as the steering committee needs some time for re-organizing.

3. NEW – Virtual Democratic Women on the Rocks, Monday, Aug 10, 4:00pm – 6:00pm, via Zoom
Please contact Lynn Campbell at chair@skagitdemocrats.org for the Zoom session information.

4. NEW – The 10th Legislative Democrats Reorganization Meeting is Saturday, Dec 19, 10:30am, via Zoom
 This meeting requires advance registration. Click Here to register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. “Only Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) elected during the primary election on August 3rd are allowed to vote for the chair, vice chair, state committee members and any representatives the LPO (Local Party Organization) is authorized to send to other Party organizations. They are also the only people eligible to vote on the adoption or amendment of LPO bylaws. Be aware that PCOs voting on the above matters at reorganization are voting as elected representatives of their precincts. Accordingly, voting procedures must comply with Charter Article VII.G.2: When a person votes as an elected representative, open ballots shall be used.”

5. The Skagit County Democrats Essay Contest is now open
The contest theme is “Why is it necessary for white people to talk about race?”. It is open to all High School students at all public and private high schools in Skagit County. The contest closes at midnight on Monday, Dec 14. Winners will be announced via the Skagit County Democrats website on Jan 19, 2021. Award presentation will be held on a date to be announced in Jan or Feb 2021. The essay committee has the following membership: Shirley Viscalla, Pat Edwards, Twila Colley, William Johnson, and Bob Doll. For information about the essay contest, contact Bob Doll at robertjdoll@yahoo.com.

6. The Skagit County Democrats Reorganization Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Jan 9, 2021, 10:00am
Connection instructions will be forthcoming. Any paid member of Skagit County Democrats may run for an Executive Board position, although only elected Precinct Committee Officers may vote in those elections. Anyone interested in helping organize that meeting may contact Chair Lynn Campbell chair@skagitdemocrats.org.

7. The 39th Legislative District Democrats Reorganization Meeting is Sunday, Jan 3, 2021, 10:30am via Zoom
Click Here to register for this meeting.

8. 40th Legislative District Democrats Reorganization Meeting is Sunday, Jan 10, 2021, via zoom (time will be determined later)
Please consider running for the 40th Executive Board. Positions include Chair, Whatcom Vice Chair, Skagit Vice Chair, San Juan Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, 2- State Committee people. Email Janet McKinney at cedarwaxwings@gmail.com for more information.

9. – UPDATED – Skagit Democrats Fundraisers

• Political Collectibles for Purchase: These are the first of the political collectibles being offered for purchase. If you are interested in a listed item (or what else is available), please email staff (staff@skagitdemocrats.org); note the item of interest and include a phone number. Staff will contact you with information needed to proceed with the purchase (pay online or pay by cash or check at Headquarters at time of pick up by arrangement at the door). This is a fun project for staff. Provenance connected with some of the items has been very educational. Click Here for sample pictures. And as a matter of general interest, we wanted to share recent information about the memorabilia collection
  • A Carl Maxey button was sent to Spokane Democrats. Carl was a prominent black attorney very active in the early civil rights movement. He ran against Henry M. Jackson as the anti-war candidate. His family still practices law in Spokane. Token value $20.
  • The Wing Luke museum in Seattle is researching our “Luke” button. He was the 1st Asian American to hold elected office in Washington. He served as Washington’s Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division.
  • One of our own has left us with a “Class Struggle” game. It came to us from the estate of Jerry Sommerseth. The game itself in perfect condition from 1978 can sell for upwards of $290. Ours is in fair condition, a 1978 edition and only a few pieces are missing. The game does sell in various venues online….we are going to ask $100.
  • The Kennedy pieces are up next for look ups, pricing and pictures. It is rewarding to see these historical pieces find their way back to their communities across the state.
  • Thank you for looking and considering a purchase of Democratic history to support Skagit Democrats.
• Coronavirus Face Mask Fundraiser: For a donation of $20 you will receive a hand-made face mask especially designed by an engineer/industrial designer at the request of the Medical Director of Pediatrics at Mission Hospital in California. The masks provide full coverage and are comfortable. Click Here or Here to see examples of the masks. If you would like to donate, Click Here. Under purpose on the donation, please indicate “Mask” and indicate which fabric you would like: #1 first on the left, #2 the middle, #3 on the right (for example: “Mask #3”).
  • New Face Masks! Christmas Special – Usually the masks are $20 but we are offering a Christmas special of $15.
• Greeting Card Fundraiser: Social distancing and staying safe makes it difficult for us to get out and look for cards to mark special occasions or just say hello. For a donation of $15.00 you will receive a box of 6 – 8 beautiful hand-made greeting cards. These are one-of-a-kind cards so no two boxes are the same and aren’t made to order. Let us choose your lovely card set. Pictured on the web site (Click Here or Here) are samples of the kinds of cards you will receive. If you would like to donate, Click Here. Under purpose on the donation, please indicate “Cards” and the number of boxes you want.

Thank you for your continued support of the Skagit Democrats.

10. NEW – Now your phone can help stop the spread of COVID-19!
The following was taken from a “Fantastic Friday!” notice from 40th Legislative District Representative Debra Lekanoff
“The state of Washington recently unveiled a new statewide COVID-19 exposure tool for iPhone and Android users called WA Notify. The tool is free to use, anonymous, and protects your privacy. It works by alerting you whenever you are around another WA Notify user who later tests positive for COVID-19. BUT—you have to take a few manual steps to turn on the notification system on your phone.  

Were you one of the 700,000 Washingtonians to activate WA Notify in the first 24 hours it was available? If so, THANK YOU! If not, join today as another tool to help stop the spread and protect yourself and your community. It’s a small step, but one that will play a big role along with mask wearing, hand-washing, and staying home as much as possible.”

11. NEW – A message from 1st Congressional District Representative Suzan DelBene
“We continue to see cases of COVID-19 rise while families and small businesses desperately need more relief. My colleagues in the House continue to push the Senate and White House to be serious about reaching another bipartisan deal after nearly 7 months of delay.

I’ve been clear from the start that we must provide resources to families, workers, and small businesses, and make sure that our health care system can continue to respond to this outbreak. I was recently on KOMO News to talk about a few of my priorities.

Supporting Families: Many families are struggling to make ends meet, and over 8 million Americans have slipped into poverty since May. I’ve been advocating to make the Child Tax Credit, which many families already receive, into a monthly payment. That would help parents pay for rent, buy groceries, and afford childcare right now rather than waiting until they file their taxes. Click Here for a video.

This is a good idea during the pandemic but also serves as smart long-term policy. My larger bill to expand the credit would provide families up to $3,000 per child and $3,600 per young child (under 6) each year, make the payment monthly, and provide more resources to the neediest families. These changes alone are estimated to cut childhood poverty in half.

Protecting Small Businesses and Workers: Another proposal I’ve been championing is the Employee Retention Tax Credit, which would help businesses keep workers on the payroll and connected to their health benefits. When I first introduced this policy, it was estimated to help keep 60 million workers on payroll this year. This is another policy that has broad bipartisan support but is currently caught in the middle of the ongoing negotiations. Click Here for a video.

I urge President Trump to put the American people first in his final weeks in office and the Senate to be serious about reaching a deal before the end of the year. Too many families are struggling, and the economic crisis continues to harm workers and businesses.

As always, I am here to help you. If you need assistance at this difficult time, please do not hesitate to contact my Bothell office at (425) 485-0085. For more updates on what I’m doing for WA-01, you can follow me on social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram.

Stay safe and stay healthy, Suzan”

12. NEW – A message from 2nd Congressional District Representative, Rick Larsen
“Happy holidays from my family to yours. Please think of others this holiday season by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. This has been a difficult year, but 2021 will be better. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have a plan to get COVID-19 under control and rebuild.

There has also been some good news recently for the Pacific Northwest: the Federal Aviation Administration decided to unground the Boeing 737 MAX. The FAA’s decision provides some certainty to aviation and aerospace jobs in our region, despite the drop in air travel.

I will keep working to improve aviation safety. The House recently passed my bipartisan bill to help restore the integrity of the aircraft certification process and make flying safer. For more on the 737 MAX and my bill, check out my interview with KOMO News. I also discussed the need for a COVID-19 relief package and my priorities for the next Congress.

Thank you for your support. I look forward to our work together in 2021. Rick”

13. NEW – A message from Tina Podlodowski, Chair, Washington State Democrats about supporting the Senate election in Georgia
“Today there was a large DNC-sponsored conference call and presentation with State Party staff on the best ways to support the GA campaigns – that information is detailed below.

Please NOTE that Out of State (OOS) volunteers are being asked NOT to travel to Georgia to help in the races…there are more than enough folks “on the ground” for those efforts, and here’s what they’ve specifically asked us to pass along:

• The Ossoff and Warnock campaigns, in partnership with the DSCC and Democratic Party of Georgia, have undertaken a robust coordinated program to target and reach voters ahead of the January 5th runoff elections. The multi-million dollar initiative includes:
  • in-person paid and volunteer door-to-door canvassing that will observe all necessary public health and safety protocols;
  • outreach, engagement and mobilization of key constituencies- specifically Black, LatinX, AAPI, and young voters – including those who turned 18 after the November 3rd election and are now eligible to vote in the runoffs;
  • a digital organizing program that uses the sophisticated targeting tools that helped President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris flip the state for the first time in decades.
• The DNC has been actively involved in the Georgia runoff elections, including:
  • Providing technical support and added capacity
  • Supporting the GA Voter Protection team, including standing up a fully-staffed voter protection hotline
  • Reprising IWillVote.com as the premier voter information lookup tool
• Out of State (OOS) volunteers are critical in getting through the remote calls and texts that need to happen, especially around the important upcoming deadlines. The opportunities for OOS volunteers will cast a wide contact net – but please DO NOT travel to Georgia to support efforts.
• The data is clear. Talking to voters is the best way to decide an election’s outcome. Here are some opportunities for OOS volunteers to help us do just that!
  • Phonebanking: we’ll train you to use our calling platforms and provide real-time support so you can have meaningful conversations with voters throughout the state. Join us here.
  • We’re also looking for volunteers to help us navigate digital spaces and online communities. Our Digital Volunteers will help us amplify our messaging, create content and more! Sign up here!
  • You can also make a contribution to the coordinated campaign! Donate here!
• The coordinated campaign will conduct extensive voter targeting by constituency, and as this is a critical part of the campaign, it will be undertaken by experienced volunteers and activists who live in Georgia.
• We will continue to share additional volunteer activities and needs from the campaign as they come down the pipeline. For now, the best thing we can do is reach as many voters as possible before key dates like the voter registration deadline (December 7) and early vote in person period (December 14 – 31).

FAQs:

• Q: I don’t live in Georgia, but I can travel there and stay with friends. Should I fly down to Georgia?
  • A: No. We recommend you participate in remote volunteering opportunities, as well as making sure your friends and family who do live in Georgia are registered to vote using www.iwillvote.com.
• Q: I have a large group of friends/co-workers/volunteers who want to phonebank together. What is the best way for us to help?
  • A: That’s great! You have two routes you can take. You are welcome to join one of the coordinated campaign’s pre-scheduled phonebanks (multiple shifts per day) OR host your own phone bank using the dialer. If your group is experienced with the dialer and will not require much technical assistance, we welcome you to schedule and run your own phonebank. If this is the first time volunteering for some of your group and you are not capable of providing troubleshooting support to your volunteers, we recommend joining the pre-scheduled phonebanks.
• Q: Can we call a specific universe of voters?
  • A: At this time, OOS volunteers will be calling into the larger GA voter universe and we will not be able to offer targeted constituency lists. In-state volunteers will be doing constituency specific voter contact.

Thanks to all who are considering supporting, and represents the best info we have at this time. Stay well and safe – Tina”

14. NEW – Links of the Week
The Link of the Week provides in-depth pieces the Editor has found to be relevant, insightful, and thorough on important issues of the day.

• The Race To Crack Battery Recycling—Before It’s Too Late
• States With Few Coronavirus Restrictions Are Spreading the Virus Beyond Their Borders
• The Free-Market Approach to This Pandemic Isn’t Working
• Mysteries of COVID Smell Loss Finally Yield Some Answers
• Animals Are Using Utah’s Largest Wildlife Overpass Earlier Than Expected

COMMUNITY EVENTS

1. Sedro-Woolley accepting applications to fill and At-Large City Council seat
“The Council of the City of Sedro-Woolley is accepting applications from individuals interested in serving in the At Large Position on the City Council. Applicants must have resided in the city for a minimum of one year, currently reside within City limits and be registered to vote within the City limits. The appointment would begin upon selection and continue through certification of the next scheduled City election in November 2021. Individuals should submit their application on or before 4:30 p.m. on December 18, 2020 to the Deputy City Clerk, 325 Metcalf Street, Sedro-Woolley WA 98284. Application available here.”

2. Drive-through COVID-19 testing is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10:00am TO 4:00pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00pm – 7:00pm, Skagit County Fairgrounds, South Gate Entrance, 501 Taylor Street, Mount Vernon
Use of the Drive-Thru testing site will be limited to those who live in or work in Skagit County. Those who do not live in or work in Skagit County should seek testing in their own communities or through their medical provider. If you have had a known or probable exposure to COVID-19, you cannot get tested right away. You must wait 8 days before being tested. COVID-19 has a relatively long incubation period, so being tested before 8 days has passed could result in a false negative. If you have questions about this, or any other questions related to COVID-19, please call Public Health at 360-416-1500. Skagit County Public Health is encouraging anyone who fits into the following guidelines to get tested:

• Those who are essential workers
• Anyone with any COVID-19 symptoms
• Anyone whose physician recommended they be tested
• Anyone who lives or works in a congregate setting
• Pregnant women
• Anyone who is a close contact or has a known exposure to COVID-19

Click Here for more information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Listen to We Do the Work, Tuesdays, 5:00pm, and Sundays, 5:30pm at KSVR, 91.7 FM or KSVU, 90.1 FM
A weekly local worker radio program that features news, interviews, music, and comments, “We Do the Work” believes American workers are at the heart of our economy and culture, deserving dignity, respect, and a decent family wage. To hear our other shows, go to We Do The Work Archives. Questions about interviews? Email – ksvrwedothework@gmail.com.

NEW – We Do The Work’s program for Tuesday, Dec 8, 5:00pm and Sunday, Dec 13, 5:30 – Berit Eriksson, Training Director for the Andrew Furuseth School of Seamanship
Interview by Lori Province: Berit talks about ships, workers who staff them, cargo, and worker safety. For more information, go to https://www.sailors.org/lookout-labor-movement or https://www.sailors.org/andrew-furuseth-school-seamanship.

We Do The Work Comments:

• There is a lot to be thankful for.
• Counting ballots should be explained better.
• #LaborRadioPod

2. Listen to Speak Up! Speak Out! Radio
Listen to Speak Up! Speak Out! – a half hour weekly radio show committed to community, peace, justice, and non-violence issues. The show airs on Community Radio stations (times subject to change) – KSVR 91.7 FM (Skagit Valley College), Wednesdays 5:00pm, rebroadcast Sundays 8:00pm; KSVU 90.1 FM, Hamilton, Sundays 8:00pm and Thursdays 8:00am; KMRE 102.3 FM, Bellingham, Sundays 11:00am and Wednesdays 7:30am. Our shows are available online. Stream or download a show at http://speakupspeakoutradio.org/ anytime.

NEW – SOSU for December 9, An interview with Patsy Martin, Executive Director, Port of Skagit at the La Conner Marina
There’s a lot going on at the Port of Skagit with new tenants arriving at the Bayview Business Park at a rapid pace, the redevelopment of The Center for Innovation and Technology in Sedro-Woolley (also known locally as the Northern State Hospital campus or more recently as the “Swift Center”) and lots of area` partnerships all built around economic development. Port Executive Director Patsy Martin outlines an intensive program of work with host Jerry Shackette asking the question “what are these Port people up to?” What does all the new agribusiness activity including the WSU Bread Lab, Skagit Valley Malting, NW Mills & Specialty Grains, Chuckanut Brewery and From the Farm’s commercial kitchen mean for sustainable farming in the valley? If I’m a farmer, how do I plug in to all this new development?

3. Coffee ‘n No Cards via Zoom: Each Monday, 10:00am, Zoom meeting ID: 728 6695 7807, password: 3G1teP
You are invited to attend. Contact Carol Sullivan at carolosully@yahoo.com for details. 2020 card total: 4,737, Grand Total: 12,891.