Volunteer for our Summer Service Project

We're still looking for volunteers to join a Houghton Dems team working with a local nonprofit startup on a house painting mission. We’ll need to get a head count to the organizers shortly - we'd love to have a good turnout for this community improvement event!

The nonprofit we are supporting has worked with the Village of Calumet to identify low-income senior recipients for this service project. (Note: we apologize for misidentifying the village as Laurium last week.) Volunteers will be painting all or part of the exterior of the recipients’ home in two stages. We will be working on one of the homes.

On Saturday July 29th our team will do Painting Prep Day. We will be stripping, sanding, etc. in preparation for actually painting.

On Saturday August 12th our team will return for Paint Day. We’ll be painting at the same home we prepped two weeks before. Volunteers will not be required to climb ladders - any painting required above arms length will be professionally contracted by the nonprofit.

Volunteers will meet at Faith Lutheran in Calumet at 8am each day for breakfast and the briefing. Breakfast and lunch, along with t-shirts and supplies will be furnished both days. If you can only make one day, that's fine.

If you’d like to volunteer with us on this worthwhile project, email William Keith at [email protected] to get your name on the list of volunteers.

This spring we asked for your help in standing up for reproductive freedom for our friends and family in Wisconsin. We’re asking again, this time for Ohio.

You’ll recall that this spring the issue was the makeup of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Trump ally Daniel Kelly was running against liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz in a race that could have tipped the balance of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court in favor of restricting reproductive freedom. With help from all across the country, including volunteers who phone banked and wrote post cards, the race was won by Protasiewicz.

While that was playing out in Wisconsin, in another of Michigan’s neighboring states, Ohio, there has been a ballot initiative gathering signatures on a proposed amendment to Ohio’s constitution to protect reproductive rights. Republican politicians and lobbyists have reacted to that petition drive by calling a special election to increase the barriers to amending the state’s constitution.

Instead of a simple majority voting in favor of a ballot to amend (as has been the case in Ohio since 1912), the new requirement under the GOP’s proposed ballot Issue 1 would be a super-majority of 60% of voters necessary to amend the constitution.

The GOP backed Issue 1 goes before the voters in a special election slated for August 8th, but early voting is underway. So, once again, we are asking for your help.

You can help your friends and family in Ohio preserve their right to majority rule, and push back the GOP-led effort to undercut the forthcoming ballot initiative to protect reproductive rights.

Take advantage of the opportunities below to call or to send postcards to Ohio voters urging a “No” vote on Issue 1 - the supermajority requirement to amend the state’s constitution.

Postcard Campaign - sign up here to send postcards to Ohio voters: Postcards for Ohio - Protect Reproductive Freedom

Call Voters - sign up here to join a virtual phone bank to call Ohio voters: Get Out the Vote for Ohio Special Election

Remove Transportation Barriers for Ohio Voters - sign up here to join a virtual phone bank calling Ohio voters to spread awareness of the Ride2Vote program, and offer them a free round-trip ride to the polls if they need it: GOTV Phone Banking with Rideshare2Vote

 The success of our county party relies on the participation of people just like you. Join the HCDP today and help us put Democrats on the ballot who’ll make a difference.

“We are Democrats because we believe that good government must rely upon and strengthen the bonds that make us a society: recognizing the richness of our diverse heritage, preserving what we have been given, and leaving to posterity a legacy greater than that which we received.” - HCDP Platform Preamble

This may be one of the most active seasons for worker strikes in several years. Corporate profits are at an all time high. The nature of work continues to change post-pandemic. Labor markets are tight. This combination of circumstances is fueling growing strength for both unions and individual workers in the 21st century economy.

Hollywood screenwriters and actors are entering their third week on strike. Broadway looks to have averted a strike with the union representing stage workers. The Teamsters are at a negotiating impasse with UPS and look set to strike at the end of this month. Meanwhile a Teamsters strike against the debt-laden Yellow trucking firm appears imminent.

And right here in Michigan talks have begun between the UAW and the Big Three automakers. The transition to electric vehicles, and the pay and conditions of work at new battery plants adds uncertainty to the those talks. A UAW strike is clearly a possibility at summer’s end (contracts with the Big Three expire September 14th).

In a speech in Philadelphia last week President Biden pushed for a strong union role in tech and green jobs. The President pointed to his record, saying that he is the most pro-union president in history. And, he added that “What I’m really proud about is being re-elected the most pro-union president in history.”

Before that speech the director of the National Economic Council was quoted as saying, “It’s obviously best for the economy if we can have those kinds of mutually beneficial agreements before there’s a strike deadline. But frankly, the president has repeated over and over and over he supports the right to strike.”

The Houghton County Democrats believe that when workers are strong, America is strong. Join us in support for striking workers this summer.

Governor Whitmer and other leaders have been active this past week:

• On Tuesday Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against 16 fake electors in the 2020 presidential election. The 16 included the former leader of the Michigan GOP Meshawn Maddock. Of the fake electors scheme Nessel said “"This plan — to reject the will of the voters and undermine democracy — was fraudulent and legally baseless." Each defendant faces eight felony counts.

• Also on Tuesday the Governor signed the voting rights legislation resulting from the approval of Proposition 2 in last fall’s election. The governor said the new laws will make it easier for Michiganders to cast their votes going forward.

• On Thursday the Governor signed the historic $24B Michigan School Aid budget. The bill signing took place at the Suttons Bay High School north of Traverse City. Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) said the education budget included landmark investments in rural communities.

As first reported by Craig Mauger in the Detroit News, a leaked recording shows that the Michigan Republican Party is essentially broke - having only $93,000 in cash on hand, and reportedly about a half a million dollars in debt.

Here are dates to hold for upcoming HCDP activities:  

• July 29th: Service Project: Painting Prep Day

• August 12th: Service Project: Paint Day

• August 19th: Pasty Fest Parade in Calumet

• August 24 thru 27th: Booth at Houghton County Fair

HCDP Monthly Meetings: First Wednesday of each month at 7 PM, in the conference room at the Houghton Super 8 and by Zoom.

NEXT MEETING: AUGUST 2ND

Wed 7/26

• 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.

Fri 7/28

• Ninety-one years ago, on July 28, 1932, Washington DC police opened fire on protesting World War I veterans resulting in the death of two of the veterans. President Hoover then called out the Army to clear the remaining veterans from their temporary “Hooverville” encampment in DC.

  Called The Bonus Army by the press, the veterans were mostly unemployed because of the Great Depression and were seeking early payment of their military service bonuses. Both then-President Hoover and Republican congressmen opposed the early payout of the bonuses to the veterans.

  Learn more about the Bonus Army at this NPS webpage.

Is there a community commemoration or event we should recognize that's of particular importance to you? Just send an email to [email protected].