TillCoDems.org

"You really can change the world if you care enough."   Marian Wright Edelman

Newsletter of the Tillamook County Democrats  June, 2023

Newsletter contact: Mark Cavatorta at mcava51@yahoo.com

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Who We Are

Our democracy thrives when we honor our responsibility to understand, respect, and care for each other. Tillamook County Democrats believe in working together to ensure the common good by defending the democratic process, celebrating diversity, protecting our physical environment, supporting public education, resolving our differences non-violently, and meeting the needs of all for shelter, food, healthcare, safety, and economic security.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

     Today, we want to extend our deepest appreciation and gratitude to all those who actively participated in our recent election, whether by putting themselves on the ballot, campaigning for a candidate, or exercising their right to cast a ballot. Your engagement in the democratic process exemplifies the essence of responsible citizenship, and it is a privilege to live in a democracy where each of us has a voice and a role to play. Together, we must unite to protect our freedoms and ensure the continued strength of our democratic society.

     To the brave individuals who stepped forward as candidates, we commend your courage and commitment. By offering yourselves for public office, you have taken on the immense responsibility of representing the needs and aspirations of our community. You have shown us that democracy thrives when individuals are willing to stand up and be counted. Your dedication to public service inspires us all and serves as a guiding light for future leaders.

     To the dedicated campaigners who tirelessly worked to support candidates, your efforts are truly commendable. Whether you knocked on doors, made phone calls, organized events, or shared campaign messages, your commitment played a vital role in promoting informed decision-making and encouraging citizen participation. Your passion and dedication to the democratic process have demonstrated the power of grassroots movements and community engagement.

     And to those who exercised their right to vote, we express our profound gratitude. By casting your ballots, you have exercised one of our most fundamental civic responsibilities. Your participation ensures that our government remains of the people, by the people, and for the people. Your actions have contributed to shaping the direction of our community and have reinforced the idea that every voice matters.

     As we reflect on the recent election and look towards the future, let us not forget the importance of protecting the founding values of our democracy. Democracy requires our collective efforts and a shared commitment to preserving the rights and freedoms we enjoy. We must remain vigilant and actively work together to protect the integrity of our electoral processes, safeguard the principles of equality and justice, and ensure the inclusivity of our democratic institutions.

     To those who aspire to be future candidates, we encourage you to step forward and embrace the opportunity to serve. Our democracy thrives when diverse perspectives are represented, and new voices emerge. By offering your unique talents and ideas, you can contribute to shaping the future of our community and advancing the principles that underpin our democratic society.

     In the face of challenges and differences, let us remember that the strength of our democracy lies in our ability to come together, to engage in respectful dialogue, and to find common ground. By promoting unity, understanding, and cooperation, we can build a society that cherishes the values of freedom, justice, and equality for all.

     We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who participated in the recent election—candidates, campaigners, and voters alike. Your commitment to our democratic process serves as a reminder of the importance of civic engagement and responsible citizenship. Together, let us continue working diligently to protect our freedoms, strengthen our democracy, and create a brighter future for all.

With gratitude,

Tillamook County Democrats

     A complete list of 2023 Tillamook County Special Districts Election results can be found at this Tillamook County Clerk’s website link:  Clone of 2023 May Special Election | Tillamook County OR.

Join the TillCoDems for Some Summer Fun!

     Summer is always a busy time at the coast.  It is also a time to make our presence known and an opportunity to meet with friends and make new ones.  Each of the activities listed below needs volunteers to further our success.

Parades (June Dairy Parade, June 24; Dory Days Parade, July 15):

Decorators and ideas

Walkers in parades to hand out items

Youngsters and teens are welcome

Parade driver and car – David Raahahn stepped up

Riders in Dave’s car

Donkey Suit – to be worn by Cole Brecheen

Showing up to watch the parades and wave

Meeting up for social time after these activities

Sharing your time and good life with others

County Fair (August 9-12):

Shift workers at the fair – you may be called and asked

Donations of candy to give at the fair booth

Purchasing raffle tickets at the fair to pay for the booth

Old jewelry to be made into necklaces for teens if they promise to vote

Old political buttons for “make an offer” at the county fair

     To volunteer, please contact eventschair@tillcodems.org or call 503.842.6959.  Together can we make this a better world.

Susan Henderson Pierce, Events Committee Chair

What’s On Your Mind?

Share it with local Democrats every week.

The TillCoDems Communications Committee has made some changes to the format of what we used to call our weekly Short Read of the Week meeting. It now has a new name, What’s On Your Mind?; a new meeting time, 8:30 a.m.; and a new more-inclusive focus. We ask each person to recommend something – maybe an article you’ve read, or a podcast or video you’ve heard or seen, or maybe just an issue that you hope TillCoDems will be thinking and talking about this week.

Here are some of the things we talked about this month:

• Good news that Oregon’s wetlands protection laws remain fully intact despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision last week which undermines federal protections.
• Opportunity to express appreciation for law enforcement as part of a broader expression of support for all those who keep the rule of law in place.
• Opportunity for Tillamook Democrats to get behind National Night Out events on August 1st.
• Efforts to improve funding for first-responders in Tillamook County by prioritizing them in allocations of Transient Lodging Tax revenues.
• Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny.
• Outdoor projects we are enjoying in this good weather.
• Efforts to improve the Tillcodems Facebook presence and to involve more people in managing it.
• Welcome news that CNN’s leadership is changing.
• Republicans hiring a social media manager in Tillamook?
• News that 7.1% of the general population identifies as LGBTQ+, and that LGBTQ+ married couples vote at higher rates after marriage, but straight couples vote at lower rates after marriage.
• The disturbing trend toward obstruction as the predominant mode of conducting politics now.
• The vehemence of anti-trans feeling among many of our conservative friends, and evidence that these feelings are being driven primarily by the return of QAnon believers to Twitter, spreading hateful lies there that they call “red pills for normies.”
• The dismay that several of us feel over Jeff Merkeley’s and Suzanne Bonamici both deciding to vote against the compromise that lifted the debt ceiling and preventing global financial collapse. Disturbing trend toward “performative politics.”
• A suggestion that Biden focus more in his second term on fiscal responsibility, connected with the pride we feel in remembering Clinton’s success in balancing the budget and the general history of Democrats in being much more the party of fiscal responsibility than Republicans have been.
• Headed into the Abyss - a book that Jim says is not particularly good, but that makes a good point: we need to talk to each other more.
• The relief we feel over Joe Biden’s successful, competent, bipartisan handling of the debt-ceiling crisis.
• The county’s signing of a lease for Care to begin building homeless shelters in downtown Tillamook.
• Trump’s most recent inadvertent admission of guilt, apparently of zero interest in conservative circles.
• The need for something like a Braver Angel’s coalition on the coast to promote dialog between Democrats and Republicans.
• The opportunities we’ve found for connecting with neighbors in good weather, and the surprising power of just listening without sharing our opinions.
• The school board race in which our candidate is behind by only one vote.
• Love of Place as a way to build connections with neighbors who may disagree with us on other subjects.
• The work of Braver Angels on reducing polarization, particularly as it has been done in nearby counties, and the possibility that we might be able to start some kind of ongoing forum to address it through Tillamook Bay Community College.
• Hope that the energy and ideas of younger people could be especially helpful in reducing polarization.
• Attempts in Texas to suppress political activity of college students.
• Fly-fishing as a way of building connection and establishing credibility. The power of “just being neighborly.”
• High school graduates who make us proud and grateful..
• Ron “DeSaster”
• The pattern of losses in this past election for candidates who ran on “culture war” issues.
• Good Democratic turnout and the very apparent power of our Party and the power of TREAT, judging from election results in the most conservative parts of Tillamook County.
• The likelihood that some of the races tipped in our favor because people in South County simply admire and respect the embattled superintendent of the local school district (Misty Wharton), and the likelihood that they are sick of right-wing negativity.
• The success that one of us had recently with convincing a Trump-Supporting neighbor to “flip.”
• An article that Traci Bean suggested:  Can Americans Talk About Their History Without False Antagonism?
• The demonstration in Tillamook against our state senator’s refusal to attend floor votes so as to shut down the work of our state legislature, attended by several of us a few days ago.
• A movement in Louisiana to close all public libraries and to turn them into church-run Christian libraries.
• The prospect of global financial meltdown, infuriating because Trump appears to be pushing for it as a campaign tool.
• The power of a “softer message” and high-quality candidates in winning elections at the local level.
• The troubling Supreme Court ruling on wetlands protection.
• Whether our Republican representatives who aren’t going to work might be doing it with ulterior motives. Rumors that Suzanne Weber is relying on a “doctor’s excuse” for refusing to attend Senate votes.
• Hope for good resolution of the debt-ceiling crisis that some of us have found in previous debt-ceiling battles.
• The need to be steady through rocky times, especially those that affect smaller cities in the county.
• An upcoming hearing on short-term rental ordinances that will most likely be volatile.
• A recent good experience that one of us had with county workers responding quickly and effectively to a road-maintenance problem. Good government is a precious thing.

Tillamook County 
Neighborhood Leader Program

For someone who cares about community building, serving as a Neighborhood Leader is the easiest and most rewarding way to be involved in the Democratic Party. We give you a list of the 35 households nearest your home address that contain at least one registered Democrat. Your list will have contact information (street and mailing addresses, phone numbers, email, etc.) as well as a map showing where they are in relation to you.

You start just by introducing yourself as the Democratic Party's Neighborhood Leader for your little area. Some of us do that by texting or calling, some of us send postcards, some of us leave cards on doorsteps or sticky notes on doors, and some of us even walk up and knock! Do what feels safe and comfortable for you.

From that point, we trust you to build relationships. You already know how to do this. Learn more about it in 4-minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZeD8AWIQPU

Follow the TillCoDems on several digital venues.

TillCoDems Website: https://tillcodems.org/                                                                                              

TillCoDems Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tillamookcountydemocrats/

TillCoDems Youtube Channel:               https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnsLbm36WAx0pY_WsQ8n5nA

Hold Up the TillCoDems by Becoming a Pillar!!

     A very simple and effective way to help the TillCoDems is by becoming a Pillar of the Party.  Pillars are donors who make a monetary contribution each month for at least three months in a row.  It can be as little as $5 per month, which for a year adds up to $60!  That’s a generous gift and would go a long way to supporting the TillCoDems important work, like helping elect Democrats and communicating Democratic values and accomplishments (advertising, printing, postage, technology, insurance, etc).  And if it works for you to donate $10 each month … Wow!  $120 for the year! You can sign up for any monthly amount you are comfortable with on the TillCoDems website.  At the top of the website, click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner.  Under “Make it monthly!,” click on “Yes, count me in!” and then follow the prompts.  After three months, and with your permission, you’ll see your name listed on the “Our Supporters” page of the website under “Pillars of the Party.” https://tillcodems.org/supporters TillCoDems will be so grateful for your help!

Thank you to
OUR SUPPORTERS

June 13, 2023        

The individuals below have given us their permission to thank them publicly. We also appreciate those who contribute in non-monetary ways or prefer to not be acknowledged. Recognition Levels are based on contributions in the preceding 12 months.