WashoeDEMS.org

Greetings!

A message to Washoe County Democrats from Executive Director Pam duPre

It’s great to be back at HQ working as your Executive Director.  There’s nothing more rewarding than being around so many individuals, mostly volunteers, who are dedicated to the goals and ideals of the Democratic Party.  

I have a lot to do in my first few days and weeks.  I want to get to know all of the volunteers around the office and tend to some operational business with our partners, the Nevada State Democratic Party and Organizing for America.  And, very importantly, there’s a little special election coming up that requires some attention!

And of course the ongoing job of fundraising for the Party simply comes with the turf.  As you know, we get no funding support from the national party, that’s not their job.  Other than sharing the rent costs with the state party, we rely completely on the commitment and generosity of Democrats right here in Washoe County.  I’ll be working with the events committee to plan the Virginia Demmler Honor Roll Dinner, our premier fundraising event of the year.

And I’ll be working very hard to increase the ranks of members who regularly contribute dues.  Small monthly contributions are so important to the stability of the organization.  I know we can do better…we just have to ask.  And of course, we must also demonstrate that we are good stewards of our supporters’ dollars.  We must carefully consider how we spend every dollar…will it grow the ranks of active Democrats in Washoe County?  Will it help elect Democrats to public offices at every level?  Will it help us shed light on the startling contrasts between what we stand for and what has become of the Republican Party?

I’m committed to the Party, what it stands for, and the Washoe County organization that we’ve built.  I’ll need your help to make it stronger.   So, I’m going to ask you to do one or all of three things in the next week:

• Call 358-1346 or 323-VOTE and volunteer to make calls and/or knock on doors for the special election.
• Go to www.washodems.org and click on “Donate”.  Sign up to make a monthly contribution that you can afford or bump up your current contribution by $5.
• Express yourself - write a letter to the editor about the differences between where the two major parties want to take this country; write Senator Dean Heller and give him a piece of your mind; talk to friends and neighbors about why you’re a Democrat.  

Thanks for your wonderful support.  I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together!  

Pam duPre

Fact Checker:
GOP Claim Corrected

The Reno Gazette-Journal Fact Checker has reviewed the Nevada Republican Party’s claim that State Treasurer Kate Marshall “blew $50 million of the state’s money in a bad investment,” and found the claim weak.

On a truth scale of one to 10, with one being false and 10 equaling true, reporter Mark Robison ranked the claim at three.
Marshall was accused of investing the money with Lehman Brothers and losing it when Lehman went bankrupt in 2008.

In truth, Marshall did not select Lehman as an investment. The state contracts with an investment firm to make these decisions, and they chose Lehman in 2007.

Besides that, no money actually has been lost on the investment yet. It appears worth about $25 million today, and “Marshall is still seeking to recover more,” the article notes. The article adds that, “during Marshall’s tenure, the state’s general portfolio has earned a better rate than the benchmark it’s measured against.”

You can read the article on the RGJ Web site.

To see two of Kate Marshall’s recent TV ads, visit here and here.

Pot Luck in the Pines

Join the South WashoeDEMS on Wednesday, August 3, 6 p.m., for a Pot Luck Picnic.

Bring a dish and come out for a relaxing evening in a beautiful setting, in the pines six miles up Mt. Rose Highway from the Raley’s store. Our hosts, Dave and Deb Kladney, invite you and your family to their Galena Forest home at 905 Joy Lake Rd.

Please contact Deb at 775-849-0545 for directions and details (we don't want everyone bringing potato chips, do we?). You also can RSVP by emailing Deb at deborahkladney@yahoo.com.

Celebrate President Obama’s 50th Birthday

This Wednesday, August 3, supporters will gather for house meetings in Nevada. We'll plan local events, strategize about how to grow the campaign in our communities, and talk about how to spread the word about the President's accomplishments to our friends and neighbors.  You’ll also have the chance to join an exclusive live video conference with President Obama at these house meetings.  

While you’re there, remember to join the Twitter conversation by using the #bo50 hashtag.

Find a house meeting near you: http://my.barackobama.com/Birthday-House-Meetings

Debt Deal Reached

On Sunday night, President Obama informed the nation that an agreement had been reached between both parties to raise the debt ceiling, preventing our country from defaulting for the first time in its history.  In case you missed it, you can watch the video or read the fact sheet at www.whitehouse.gov.

On Monday morning, President Obama sent supporters a message on the debt agreement You can view the message here: http://my.barackobama.com/Debt-Agreement.  Please share this video with everyone you know.

Cowgirls and Cowboys Wanted!
Enjoy an evening with Juni Fisher and Richard Elloyan

A generous donor has made six tickets available at a reduced price to some lucky Washoe County Dems!
The DPWC is selling the tickets ($30 retail value) for just $25.  The performance is 7 PM, Saturday, August 13 at the beautiful Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch.  First come, first grab!  You must come into the office to leave a check or credit card payment and pick up your tickets. Don't miss these local favorites at a great venue!

So, What’s in YOUR Garage?

Anything we can use?  For example, we could really use some sturdy shelving here at HQ.  As we move closer to the caucuses and the 2012 election, we’ll accumulate more ‘stuff’ and need to stay organized.  So if you have some sturdy shelves, either freestanding units or shelves and wall brackets, we can put them to good use.

If you have shelves or other useful items you think we could use at HQ or that campaign staff workers who will be coming in from out of town will need in the coming months, please call Pam at 323-8683.  Thanks!

A Note from First Vice Chair
Rudy Viola

Workers in Nevada will be holding a protest rally on Thursday, at 11:00 a.m. in front of the Bruce R. Thompson Building, 400 S. Virginia Street.  Nevada is building many Green Projects, which is good for our environment, but the developers are bringing in most of the contractors from out of the state...or even out of the country.  And that's bad for our economy!
 
The Republican Party will not stand up for Workers in Nevada so it is up to the WashoeDems to do so.  Please attend the rally to show our support of Workers in Nevada.  

We had a good turnout for our rally on Monday, August 1st.  The response from the cars passing by was excellent.
 
We had two Radical Republicans passing by. They waved to us with one finger, demonstrating a limited vocabulary. 

NARA Retirees Convention Scheduled

The Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans has scheduled its 2011 convention for Reno this summer.

Date: Monday and Tuesday, August 22 and 23

Location: Grand Sierra Resort

The $55 admission includes workshops, two Continental breakfasts and a banquet dinner.
The workshops will cover:

• Preserving and protecting Medicare and Social Security
• Medicaid in Nevada
• Election 2012: Nevada's important role

The August 22 Special Banquet speaker will be Representative Shelley Berkley. Tickets for the banquet only cost $25. Convention speakers will be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Representative Shelley Berkley, State Treasurer Kate Marshall and Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller.

If you have questions, contact Gail Dietrich, 775-626-9022, gaildietrich@hotmail.com.

Help the WCDP Latino Coalition Grow

If you are interested in helping the Washoe County Democratic Party Latino Coalition and learning about their activities, plan to attend their monthly meeting. The current membership of 20 is reaching out to the community to expand and achieve even more.

The coalition meets on the second Monday of the month.

Day and time: Monday, August 8, 2011, at 6 p.m.

Location: Democratic Party of Washoe County Headquarters

Contact: Chair Xiomara Rodriguez, xrodriguez50@gmail.com, 775-229-3669.