Thursday, April 16, 2009

[PenDems (141)] Events next week - McGovern Day update

 Pendemorandum 

Thu April 23: Employee Free Choice Act Rally!
(**Meeting location updated**)
4:30 pm, **Labor Temple, 922 E St Patrick St**
SHOW SOLIDARITY 
Area Democrats are encouraged to join the labor unions of Rapid City
at a rally in support of the Employee Free Choice Act at 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 23, at the Rapid City Labor Temple, 922 E. St. Patrick St. 
Mark Anderson, President of SD AFL-CIO, is the featured speaker.
Accompanying Anderson will be organizers who have been working to
form unions. 

Interested persons can call Ritchie Nordstrom, president of Rapid City
Central Labor Body, for more information at 
605-721-6398.


Thu April 23: PenDem Meeting
(**Meeting location updated**)
6:00 pm **Rapid City Public Library**
Elections and EFCA!
Precinct men and women have the opportunity this month to elect a new
executive board of the Pennington County Democratic Party.
Precinct men and women, along with Democratic county and
legislative officeholders, vote for the officers in April of odd-numbered
years, according to the South Dakota Democratic Party Constitution.
The County Central Committee may also fill vacant Precinct Men and
Precinct Women positions. The newly elected chair, vice chair,
state committeeman and state committeewoman will vote in the
 upcoming State Democratic Party special election.

Democrats interested in serving as precinct man or woman in their
neighborhood, or in running for Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, or
Treasurer of the County party, or for State Committeeman or
Committeewoman are encouraged to attend the monthly meeting
at 6 p.m., Thursday April 23, at the Rapid City Public Library.

Elected positions are for two years or until successors are elected.
Nominees need not be precinct committeemen or women,
but only precinct committeemen and women may vote.

Mark Anderson, President of South Dakota AFL-CIO, will speak
on the Employee Free Choice Act following the brief business meeting.
McGovern Day: Postponed
Regretfully, the 2009 McGovern Day and State Central Committee
meeting which had been scheduled for Saturday, April 25, in Aberdeen,
has been postponed.  We are sorry for any inconvenience this
postponement may cause.  Stay tuned for the new date, which the
SD Democratic Party will announce as soon as they can.
 
CHAMPAGNE, CHOCOLATES AND
SEN. SCOTT HEIDEPRIEM:
HOW STIMULATING!
Sen. Scott Heidepriem wowed a crowd of about 70 local Dems at the annual
Champagne & Chocolates event in late March with a scathing review of the
state legislature's approach to receiving support from the American Recovery
& Reinvestment Act, also known as President Obama's "stimulus package."

Despite early rhetoric about refusing federal stimulus funds for South Dakota,
Gov. Mike Rounds was one of the first to get in line with a hand out.
According to the state's recovery website: "South Dakota is at the forefront
of all states in getting the federal stimulus package implemented in the state
budget."  Touting openness and transparency (from the state that just this
year was forced to make public business open to the public) the website
features a table showing use of the recovery money in line items.
(See: http://recovery.sd.gov/)

Sen. Heidepriem told a different story, detailing the ways the Republican-
controlled legislature used the money to offset what would have been
budget deficits, requiring use of trust accounts and other "rainy day" sources
of revenue. As a result, South Dakota avoided using its own resources,
funded state programs with the federal money, and socked millions
away in trust accounts.

Ten a Month for 2010 continues
You can still get on board, and we need you -- you can
join at any level, but just $10 (a few lattes worth)  a month
will help grow the Democratic Party in the Black Hills!
http://www.actblue.com/page/pendems2010