Happy Thanksgiving!

Rosalynn Carter - a Kind, Compassionate and Active First Lady

We were saddened to hear the news of the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Sunday. The Carter Center had just announced on Friday that she had entered home hospice.

Rosalynn Carter was a kind, compassionate and active First Lady. She was famously dubbed the “Steel Magnolia” for the toughness she displayed behind her gentle manner. Mrs. Carter often sat in Cabinet meetings, and was her husband’s closest advisor.

The former President said in a statement “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me."

Mrs. Carter had celebrated her 96th birthday in August. President Carter turned 99 in October. The pair were the longest-married presidential couple in US history.

You can share your memories, offer condolences, and view photo galleries and the schedule of ceremonies for the former First Lady at the official Memorial page on the Carter Center web site.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whether you’re having Thanksgiving with family, hosting a Friendsgiving get-together, or staying home to count your blessings on your own, we want to wish every one of you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday.

At its core Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all that we are grateful for. It’s a time to remember and embrace those who enrich our lives, and a time, perhaps, to hearken back to childhood memories of good food and family football games.

Not everyone sees Thanksgiving the same way, of course. The story of the first Thanksgiving, where Americans shared freely of their harvest with “undocumented European immigrants”, is a good story. But what came in the years afterwards proved to be a blessing for some but not for others.

We know that the uniquely American proposition that all men, and women, are created equal has been unevenly realized. But as Americans and as Democrats we believe it is an ideal worthy of continued pursuit.

So this Thanksgiving remember that “thanks giving” are words of action. We are grateful for the actions all of you took this year, in volunteering at our events, becoming (or continuing as) members, and donating to and supporting our county party. We look forward to acting together in 2024 as we continue to pursue that American ideal.

And remember - don’t count calories on Thursday. Count your blessings instead.

Improving Infrastructure

Last Wednesday was the two year anniversary of the signing of President Biden’s infrastructure law, the most significant investment in America’s infrastructure in decades. Here are some of the things that are happening in Michigan as a result of the law that we can all be thankful for:

• Over 375 individual infrastructure projects across the state have been identified, and over $9 billion has been announced to fund them. This includes funding for our CMX airport and improvements in Houghton and Hancock along the canal, as well as transit and broadband for the KBIC.

• Speaking of broadband, the state has received $1.6 billion to connect residents to reliable high-speed internet. Michiganders with household incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (i.e. $60,000 for a family of four) are eligible for discounts on their internet bill and other benefits through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

• The infrastructure bill also funds regional “hydrogen hubs” to develop clean hydrogen as an energy source for heavy duty vehicles and manufacturing. In October Governor Whitmer announced that Michigan had secured $1 billion in funding to build the Midwest hub here in Michigan.

Some of this data comes from an article in The Gander, which is worth a look. If you’re a data geek, you can find out more about how President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is benefiting the entire nation - including a lengthy spreadsheet you can download that lists all the projects for which funding has been announced - by visiting the White House’s Investing in America web page.

U of M Student Column Makes the Case for President Biden

President Biden’s staunch support of Israel’s right to defend itself was tempered from the beginning with caution for the Israeli state to abide by the rules of war and not let their emotions carry them too far. The rising death toll in Gaza has led to many protests here in the US and around the world, and repeated diplomatic intervention by the US.

We’ve all seen the news of young people standing up for the innocent civilians who have become unfortunate victims of the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group. Standing up for human rights is a fundamental Democratic principal. So too is the right of democratic nations to live free and without suffering terrorist attacks. It is a difficult situation to be sure.

Some fear the on-going war will mean an erosion in the President’s re-election support among younger voters. But I urge you to read the recent column in the U of M student paper that indicates that many young people clearly realize that American democracy is again on the ballot, and conclude that President Biden is “the right candidate for the job.”

“One Thing!” - Our Meme of the Week

When Republicans stand up in Congress and basically write a Democratic campaign ad for you, there really isn’t much difficulty in choosing the Meme of the Week. You’ve likely seen the video yourself.

It was Chip Roy, Republican Representative from Texas and Freedom Caucus member, who did just that last week. He stood up on the House floor Wednesday. Roy was clearly frustrated with his Republican colleagues, most likely because the House, with more Democratic than Republican votes, once again passed a budget bill to ensure that the Federal government does not shut down. So he lit into his fellow Republicans and effectively wrote an ad for Democrats, which the Biden Harris campaign quickly picked up and turned into a social media post. I’m sure the President’s campaign is thankful for Rep. Roy’s efforts.

Here’s the full wording of what Roy said, which the post summarizes:

“One thing! I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing. One! That I can go campaign on and say we did. One! Anyone sitting in the complex, if you want to come down and explain to me one material, meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done…”

Threads is the new-ish alternative to Twitter from Meta. If you’re on Threads, why not click on the image of the Biden campaign’s post and give their account a little ❤️.

At the Capitol

• The state legislature has wrapped up an extremely productive year, completing several points in Governor Whitmer’s legislative plan for the year. Successes include tax reform, the passage of the Reproductive Health Act, ambitious clean energy legislation, increased funding for public schools, the repeal of the union-restricting “right to work” law, the prohibition of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals, and more. MORE: The Gander and Bridge Michigan

• One of the legislature’s final accomplishments - the clean energy legislation - is already getting positive national press. Governor Whitmer and the legislature are winning praise for achieving a clean energy bill “in the heart of the industrial Midwest” with pro-worker provisions that won support of both climate activists and labor groups. MORE: Washington Post

• After a five year campaign by tribal citizens, Michigan is on the cusp of recognizing our native wild rice (“manoomin” in the Anishinaabe language) as a state symbol - our state native grain. The legislation awaits the Governor’s signature. MORE: MLive

Around the State

• Attorneys for the plaintiffs filed last Thursday before the state Supreme Court in their case to remove Donald Trump’s name from the state’s 2024 presidential ballots. The Court of Claims had ruled Tuesday that the issues raised in the case were outside the jurisdiction of the court and could only be decided by the US Congress. The filing bypasses the state Court of Appeals and asks for an expedited ruling by December 1. MORE: Michigan Advance

• Governor Whitmer was in California last week, focusing on bringing investments from the semiconductor industry to Michigan. To kick off her trip, she announced an $8 million investment by Silband Corporation to begin manufacturing abrasives for semiconductor chips in Lenawee County. MORE: Michigan Business Network

• UAW members have now fully ratified their newly negotiated contract with all three of the Detroit automakers. Among GM workers however, the contract passed with a relatively slim 53% of workers voting yes. Workers at GM’s Lansing Grand River, Fort Wayne and Spring Hill plants, among others, did not vote to approve the contract, though it did get enough GM worker votes overall. Workers at Ford and Stellantis overwhelmingly approved the contract. MORE: Detroit News and Associated Press

HCDP Monthly Meetings: First Wednesday of each month. Potluck at 6 PM, Meeting at 7 PM. In the conference room at the Houghton Super 8, and by Zoom (starting at 7 PM).

NEXT MEETING: DECEMBER 6TH

Community Events

Tue 11/21

The Laurium Village Council meets tonight at 6 PM in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall. More info can be found on the Village's website. 

Wed 11/22

The Houghton City Council meeting previously scheduled for this Wednesday evening has been rescheduled to next Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. More information can be found on the City’s website.