COME MARCH WITH US THIS SATURDAY!

The Strawberry Festival is this Saturday, July 12th. The Parade begins at 11 AM. Line up for marchers starts at 10 AM. Meet by the Triangle Park on US 41 at the south end of Chassell.

ACTION MEETUP JULY 17 AT SOUTH RANGE VFW

THE JULY ACTION MEET UP WILL TAKE PLACE WEDNESDAY, JULY 17TH AT THE SOUTH RANGE VFW.

COME JOIN US! PIZZA AND SODAS WILL BE AVAILABLE, BUT FEEL FREE TO BYO OR BRING A DISH TO SHARE!

WHEN: 6 PM Wednesday, June 17th.

WHERE: South Range VFW, 44969 Baltic Ave (Google Map).

THE FIGHT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN

THEY CHEERED WHEN THEY TOOK YOUR HEALTHCARE AND SAFETY NET AWAY

Last week, when the the Senate passed their version (the worst version) of their Big Bad Billionaire Bill, they cheered.

In the House when Republicans passed the Senate version of the bill unchanged, after Minority Leader Jeffries spoke for almost nine hours (setting a record) in an attempt to cajole them into their senses, they cheered.

When they took their bill to Trump for his signature, and Mike Johnson turned over the House Speaker’s gavel in a mind-bending display of the timid submission of our country’s legislative branch to the would-be king, they cheered.

THIS IS WHAT THEY CHEERED

The bill they cheered is an unpopular Reverse Robin Hood scam that takes healthcare and food away from everyday Americans to provide the wealthiest with tax breaks. This is what the Republicans cheered:

• An estimated 16 Million people will lose their healthcare through Medicaid cuts and changes to eligibility.

• Rural hospitals, already operating with thin margins, will lose covered patients because of those Medicaid cuts. It is estimated that the loss of revenue will force the closure of up to 700 rural hospitals nationwide.

• Nursing homes, and their patients, will be devastated. Over 60% of current nursing home residents rely on Medicaid to fund their care.

• Americans who get individual health insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces will now face INCREASED bureaucracy and red tape, and potential increases in deductibles and co-pays, leaving many unable to get coverage.

• Cuts and changes to eligibility (so-called “work” requirements) for SNAP mean American children will go hungry. More than 42 Million Americans, including 1.5 million Michiganders rely on SNAP.

• ICE will receive a massive increase in funding, with a budget now bigger than most national militaries - intended to continue Trump’s war on immigrants. The funding is expected to be used to build concentration camps for immigrants and to fund additions to Trump’s border wall.

• There are many tax cuts in the bill, and the benefit goes mostly to the wealthy. Those earning over $460,000 receive the biggest benefit, while those in the lowest tax bracket will get an average tax break of $150. The bulk of these “tax cuts” are actually a continuation of the 2017 tax cuts, and so its likely the average American will see little, if any, change to their taxes.

• The bill, despite the many cuts to services for Americans in need (that Republicans claim are cutting “waste, fraud and abuse”) actually adds $3.9 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years.

THE TIMING OF IMPACTS FROM THE BILL

Republicans have staggered the start of many of these impacts in a move that seems to be meant to blunt the public perception of the damage they’ve done, and to move the full impact into the next Presidential term.

Eligibility requirements for Medicaid and SNAP are set to start up as soon as this year. Federal agencies will begin to work on preparing and issuing the new rules immediately.

Federal funding cuts for Medicaid and SNAP however, are not set to start until 2028. That is why this fight is not over but in fact has only just begun. Republican Senators and Representatives have shed any pretense and shown us just how cruel they can be. The stakes have now been set.

WE MUST HAVE A VETO-PROOF DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE US HOUSE AND SENATE IN 2026 TO TURN BACK THESE DEVASTATING CUTS. THE FIGHT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.

THE HCDP RECOMMENDS A ‘YES’ VOTE ON FUNDING PROPOSALS ON THE AUGUST BALLOT

The Houghton County Democrats support five proposals appearing on ballots here in Houghton County this August. These proposals will provide funding for the new County Jail, Canal View, Meals on Wheels, the Copper Country ISD, and the Baraga Area Schools (on ballots for those voters in Houghton and Baraga Counties who reside within the Baraga Area Schools District).

A PDF file containing the language of all five proposals can be found on the County government’s website.

We also have a flyer available with the language of the proposals and some additional explanation compiled from several documents on the county website. You can find that flyer here.

Absentee ballots for August are already in the mail. There will be NO early voting center for this election. Election Day is Tuesday August 5th.

Are you registered to vote? Do you know your polling place? Find your voter information here.

BALLOT INITIATIVES - TWO TO DECLINE, TWO TO CONSIDER

DECLINE TO SIGN THESE PETITIONS:

Back in June HCDP members voted to adopt a resolution urging everyone NOT to sign two ‘Proof of Citizenship’ petitions. They are voter suppression efforts masquerading as attempts to “protect your vote”by “not allowing aliens to vote” . They are not a solution to a problem - it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote. Rather, they would create a new problem by making it harder for eligible voters to vote.

The petitions are from ‘The Committee to Protect Voters Rights’ and ‘Americans for Citizens Voting’.

CONSIDER SIGNING THESE PETITIONS:

Two other petitions are worth your consideration.

Ranked Choice Voting: At the end of June Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers approved petition summary language for a constitutional amendment which would enshrine ranked choice voting (RCV) as the state’s required system of voting. The petition’s sponsor is Rank MI Vote, whose website has a 60 second video explaining what Ranked Choice Voting is, and why it addresses issues that have arisen from our current form of voting. RCV is used in other American cities and states and is viewed favorably by those using it. RCV was in the news most recently for it’s use in the New York City mayoral primary, which resulted in the upset win by Zohran Mamdani over the big-money-favorite Andrew Cuomo.

Money Out of Politics: A new group, Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (MMOP) has been formed with the aim to “Mop Up Michigan” by getting corporate money out of Michigan elections. The group is a coalition of groups like Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Voters Not Politicians, Michigan United and others. The ballot initiative language is still in the works but the coalition says it would ban corporations with large existing or pending government contracts from making political contributions to candidates and to sitting lawmakers.

GOOD TROUBLE LIVES ON: THE COPPER COUNTRY SPEAKS OUT!

On Thursday July 17th we’ll mark the date five years ago of the passing of Congressman John Lewis. In the spirit of Congressman Lewis’ “Good Trouble”, national groups are organizing actions to take place on the 17th to defend our democracy and carry forward the Congressman’s legacy. 

LOCALLY KEWEENAW INDIVISIBLE IS ORGANIZING A RALLY FOR 4 PM AT VETERAN’S MEMORIAL PARK IN HOUGHTON.

Our challenge to everyone who has already participated in a march or rally this year - show up again on the 17th, and bring along at least one friend or family member who hasn’t attended a protest yet. Why that challenge? It’s about making the next protest bigger and stronger than the last one.

A FUNDRAISER TO WIPE OUT MEDICAL DEBT

Keweenaw Indivisible, in collaboration with other local businesses and individuals, is organizing a fundraiser to pay off medical debt for UP residents. The goal is to raise $15,000 which would purchase all existing medical debt currently in collections in Michigan’s First Congressional District.

Every $1 donated eliminates up to $145 in medical debt through Undue Medical Debt, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that purchases and erases medical debt in collections. This fundraising initiative, ‘Stronger Together’, will eliminate the medical debt sent to collections for roughly 1,350 Michigan families.

To support the initiative, Keweenaw Indivisible is holding a fundraising event on July 29th at Small Craft in Hancock, from 6-9 pm. There will be music, food trucks, speakers, and a silent auction. The intent is to raise most of the $15,000 from major sponsors before July 29th.

At our monthly meeting last Wednesday, HCDP members voted to donate $500 from the County Party to the Stronger Together campaign. We urge our members and newsletter readers to also donate to this worthwhile effort.

See the local coverage the ‘Stronger Together’ campaign has gotten from the Daily Mining Gazette

SAVE THE DATES!

HOUGHTON COUNTY DEMOCRATS — SUMMER EVENTS

Leave us a voicemail at 906-523-1233 or an email at [email protected] if you’re interested in volunteering at some of these summer events!

Governmental & Community Meetings

TUE JULY 08

This month's regular meeting of the Houghton County Board of Commissioners is this afternoon at 3 PM in the Conference Room on the fifth floor of the Houghton County Courthouse. Find more information on the Board's webpage (find the Microsoft Teams virtual meeting info in the Agenda).

Keweenaw Indivisible holds a general meeting tonight from 6 to 8 PM at the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 604 Bridge Street in Houghton. The meeting will include a guided poster-making session for the Good Trouble Lives On rally on the 17th. Bring a non-perishable food item for donation if you can.

The Calumet Village Council meets in a Working Session tonight at 6 PM in the Village Council Chambers. Further information can be found on the Village website.

WED JULY 09

The Houghton City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Meeting Agenda can be found in the Searchable Document Center of the Council's website.

This newsletter is paid for with regulated funds by the Houghton County Democratic Party, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Contact us by email at [email protected] or by text or voicemail at 906-523-1233