Delray Democrat

January 2011
Message from the President
Happy New Year to all! Here’s to hoping that good health and love will
infuse your life with strong positive spirit throughout the year. We will
need such spirit in the days ahead.
As we head towards the political heart of 2011 in Florida, this year’s
upcoming 60-day legislative session, the challenges we Democrats and Next Meeting
progressives face are many. In many ways, they mirror the challenges
we face at the national level.
Wednesday,
In 2010, the Republican Party did a better job of communicating with January 26th
and activating enough voters to win great influence over this year’s leg- 7:00 - 9:00 pm
islative agenda. At least in Washington, this control is restricted to the
House of Representatives. Thankfully, Democrats in D.C. still have a at the
majority in the Senate, and of course still control the White House. But
here in Florida, the challenges we face are dire.
Veteran's Park
Hardcore right-wing extremists control both houses of the state legisla- Recreation Center
ture, and the entire state cabinet, from Governor Scott on down the 802 NE 1st Street
line. From draining money out of public education, public health care
and social services, to trampling on the civil rights of pregnant women, (near the Intracoastal)
gay & lesbian citizens and immigrants; the agenda this new crew will
pursue is about as bad as it gets for we who still believe in core Demo- ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

cratic principles.
So what do we do to fight back?
Join us in welcoming back
For one, we organize. This means that we as a club and as individuals & visiting with our great
must reach out and join hands with all believers in and defenders of two-time Congressman
Democracy who are within our reach. We must seek common ground
to work together, issue-by-issue and project-by-project; educating and
activating our neighbors as we go. Our club will strive mightily to offer Ron Klein
opportunities to do just that. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

And then, we must embrace and empower all of the rich diversity -
racially, ethnically and otherwise - that is the great strength of America, Plus updates on local
Florida, Palm Beach County, and Delray Beach. By opening our “Big initiatives, and short
Tent,” our hearts and minds, our club, and most of all our time and videos!!
attention, to our Black and Haitian and Young and Hispanic/Latino and
Asian and Gay & Lesbian brothers and sisters, we will have the oppor- Refreshments & Socializing
tunity to build the unity and strength needed to have enormous impact 7:00 -7:30 pm
on Florida’s legislative agenda.
Daniel Tilson
1
 President.............. Daniel Tilson Speaking Up & Out
[email protected] Florida numbers
413-446-7776
Find your local legislators:
President Emeritus Sam Lender 243-8098
850-488-1827
State Committeeman/VP….. John Ramos
Board of Directors....Mary Irving, Janice Senate President Mike Haridopolos:
Botsko, Arlene Siegelwaks 850-487-5229
Recording Secy ....Carol Gevirts
House Speaker Dean Cannon:
Corres. Secy ..…. Mariane Kulick
850-488-1450
Treasurer ………. Norman Siegelwaks
Editor ……….......Phyllis Gordon Governor Rick Scott: 850-488-7146
([email protected])
Editorial Board.............Sylvia Gruber, Federal numbers
Mariane Kulick, Tom Lazenby. Dorothy White House 202-456-1111 or 1414
Siegal, Bernard Silverman, Carol Gevirts
Production Mgr…Sharon Heller Congress 202-225-3121

Sen. Bill Nelson 202-224-5247

Letter from the Editor Sen. Marco Rubio (Coming Soon!)

In my humble opinion, we should give our senators and

congressmen the next two years off and head straight for a
lame duck session in 2012. In that way, we could eliminate
all the political posturing and get right to the point of why
Health Care Fact vs. Myth
we elected these people in the first place. As if by magic,
In his new book, former health insurance
just look at what the 2010 lame duck session just accom- industry executive turned whistle-blower,
plished: Wendell Potter, writes:
Repeal of the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law.
“If you are among those who believe
Strengthening of the Food and Drug Administration’s that the U.S. has the best healthcare
ability to keep contaminants out of our food. system in the world—despite
Ratification of the New Start Treaty with Russia overwhelming evidence to the
which allow us to monitor each other’s nuclear contrary—it’s because my fellow spin-
armaments. meisters and I succeeded brilliantly at
Health care coverage for First Responders who be what we were paid very well to do with
came ill as a result of working at Ground Zero. your premium dollars...And if you were
Tax-cuts and an unemployment-relief package, a persuaded that the health care bill
compromise but humane response to the ongoing President Barack Obama signed into
lack of jobs in this country. law in March 2010 was a ‘government
takeover of the health care system,’ my
How did the Obama administration accomplish all this? I former colleagues and I earned every
think that our representatives in the senate and house finally penny of our handsome salaries.”
decided that it was more important to look to the good of
the country than their party’s partisan leadership. Wouldn’t
it be great if the goals of the party’s leadership coincided
We reserve the right to edit material
with the good of the country?
submitted to the Delray Democrat

2
Gov. Scott’s Inaugural, After Truth Serum
Daniel Tilson
L ate Night Political

L
“Hello, shareholders - uh, no - stakeholders. Thanks for paying, uh, com-
aughs
ing to my coronation, uh, corporation, uh, no, darn it! Thanks so much for
coming to my inauguration, parade, parties, and stock offerings, uh, fes-
tive offerings in Tallahassee.
First off, thanks to Governor Crist for making this transaction, uh, transi-
tion so easy. Without him being a mish-mash of a closet conservative
Democrat pretending to be a moderate Republican, ending up as a No-
Party governor, I’m not sure I could’ve gotten Republicans fed up enough
to put a right-wing reactionary like me over the top. Of course, the 80 “Now that the Republicans have taken
million bucks I threw into beating that Alex Sink lady helped put me over over the House, they’re going to undo
the top too. But I think the thing that really got me elected was...was...oh everything President Obama has done.
yeah, it was the fact that I said, ‘Let’s Get To Work’, over and over and John Boehner even told the Obama
over again. kids that the dog has to go back.”

So, what I really meant by that was, let’s start taking care of Business. David Letterman
And no, I’m not talking about helping retrain you for new work, find a
new job, giving you benefits and services to help you get by, or investing in
genuine job-creating stuff like clean energy or rebuilding infrastructure. “The new Congress has been sworn
That would be taking care of the people, and remember, I said it was time in. To politicians the oath of office is
to take care of Business, like the companies that downsized and like a New Years resolution to the rest
outsourced, uh, I mean, like the ones that serve as the engines of our of us. You try for a week or two and
economy. then say screw it.”

So, what stalls an engine more quickly than anything else? Taxation, Regu- “In his first speech as Speaker,
lation and Litigation - the new Axis of Evil, uh, I mean unemployment, the Boehner thanked his loved ones –
Axis of Unemployment. That axis that starts with taxes, and it could make tobacco lobbyists, the oil companies,
a big mess of my plan to run your government like my business. See, I the CEOs.”
didn’t make hundreds of millions by putting up with taxes, rules and laws,
no
. way. That’s why Big Government came down on my healthcare com- Jay Leno
pany like a ton of bricks back in the 1990s, sticking it with almost two
billion in fines for ripping off Medicare, when all we were doing was trying
“The Republicans now control the
to succeed. Sure, we cut corners on rules and taxes and laws, but we also
House, and they say they’re going to
knew how to cut people, benefits and services. And I’ll bring that same
follow a strict interpretation of the
recipe for success to Florida.
original Constitution. So I hope you
In the coming months, you’ll hear plenty of talk about cutting government women and non-whites don’t like
and growing Business. We’ll keep telling you that by focusing on Busi- voting.”
ness, we’re really focusing on you. We’ll tell you that anybody who’s
working to protect your rights or to fight for the public and social services “According to a group that monitors
you need must be a ‘special interest’, a liberal, maybe even a socialist government waste, the Republicans’
supporter of that evil Axis. reading of the Constitution cost
Shakespeare put it this way: “To have what we would have, we speak taxpayers a $1 million. Only politicians
not what we mean.” If you’re gullible, uh, courageous enough to believe could spend money reading.”
us and let us get away with this, uh, get this done, then your children and
grandchildren may someday be enslaved, uh, excuse me, may someday
be saved by Big Business people like me, from Big Government. Jimmy Kimmel
So, Let’s get to work! God Bless the Great State of Florida. Thank you
very much.”
3
What Has Obama Done?
By Robert P. Watson, Ph.D.
Lynn University
The Roving Reporter
09/11/10 update to 07/21/09 list
Like all presidents, Barack Obama has made mistakes. Phyllis Gordon
But, as a presidential historian, I have been struck by claims
being put forward by Obama’s many critics and the news
media that he has accomplished little when, in fact, his presi-
dency is easily one of the most active in history. Moreover,
the President has faced venomous incivility and relentless Question: The Republicans want to repeal the
opposition unlike anything in recent memory. As such, with Health Care Law. What do you think of that?
all the misinformation circulating on talk radio, at town hall
meetings, and in the blogosphere about the President, here
is a fact-checked list of some of President Obama’s initia- Ricky, 45 years old – I think with the make-up of the Con-
tives: gress the way it is now, it will not happen.
(Note that we will add new elements of Dr. Watson’s com- Cynthia, 25 years old – I feel it needs some work but I’m
plete list each month, under the same heading of “What for the Health Care Act.
Has Obama Done”. Part One focuses on what the presi-
dent has accomplished on Ethics, Governance and Na- Peter, 87 years old – They should improve it.. It should be
tional Security) a one-payer medical plan and should do away with insur-
ance companies because they are making medical deci-
• (2009) Ordered the White House and all federal sions that should be up to doctors.
agencies to respect the Freedom of Information
Act and overturned Bush-era limits on accessibility Meryl, 80 years old – I’m annoyed and disturbed by this
of federal documents move to repeal the act. There are many people who don’t
have any medical insurance.
• (2009) Signed measure strengthening registration/
reporting requirements for lobbyists Stanley, 50 years old – I’m not interested in repealing the
health care act. I have medical insurance and I’m happy
• (2009) Ended Bush-era practice of circumventing
with the way things are.
FDA rules for political reasons
Tom, 61 years old – I think it should be called the Insur-
• (2009) Ended the Bush-era practice of having
ance Company Health law because that is what the lobby-
White House staff rewrite findings of scientific &
ists want to accomplish. They want to get rid of the Health
environmental regulations & reports when they
Care law and replace it with health care rules that favor
disagreed with results
insurance companies.
• (2009) Ended expensive Reagan era missile
defense program, saving $1.4 billion
• (2009) Phasing out of expensive F-22 plane (which
wasn’t even used in Iraq or Afghanistan) and other
outdated weapons systems We Welcome Advertiser Support
• (2009) Ended the Bush-era “stop-loss” policy that
kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their Please call 561-265-4480
enlistment date
• (2010) Completed withdrawal of combat troops for Information on our
from Iraq new low rates

4
Waiting for Superman Bad and Good
Tom Lazenby Mariane Kulick

The Republicans make no bones about it. Just about ev-

erything that government does is bad and just about every-
thing that big corporations do is good.
It’s bad to know that when you’re old or disabled,
you can count on Social Security. Better off saving your
Reforming Education is a hot political chip in the hands of money for a rainy day, or better still gambling it on Wall
politicians. Tallahassee is now fawning over the Davis Street.
Guggenheim film “Waiting for Superman,” which tells the
It’s bad if your child has a long-term illness and gov-
story of five low-income minority students having a tough
ernment forces insurance companies to provide coverage
time.
anyway. Children should be protected only before birth,
State Senator Evelyn Lynn (R-Ormond Beach) wrote in the and the sick ones can use emergency rooms after they’re
Daytona News Journal, these are “the type of students who born.
will shortly become the majority of students being served
The public school system that helped make America
by schools in Florida.” Sen. Lynn does not write what hap-
great is bad because it’s government-run. Education is only
pens to the students who are not low-income minority, but it
worthwhile and worth funding if all children can go to pri-
does imply public education will be for low-income minor-
vate schools.
ity students only. This is segregation of the poor.
Public transportation must be bad because govern-
“Waiting for Superman,” according to Katie Couric, is divi-
ment manages it. Better to get big corporations to volun-
sive. It glorifies charter schools and vilifies unions, when
teer to pay for a trains and buses.
only one of five charter schools actually outperforms public
schools. So even under attack, four of five public schools How about police and firefighters? Should we priva-
outperform charters. tize those government services too?
The Republican majority demands more from public schools The only thing Republicans seem to want to use govern-
and underfunds them. As it crams students in classrooms ment money for is to pay for wars, and to create higher
and demands higher student achievement, as it puts public profit margins for large corporations. Unfortunately, that
school teachers on the rack and takes away their benefits, it money comes right out of our pockets. Otherwise, Re-
becomes clearer that the Republicans are throwing public publicans are determined to turn as many of the functions
education under the bus, wanting to fund private education. of government over to their friends and benefactors in Big
Now a film is their research. Business as they possibly can. But that’s just Part One of
the plan. Part Two is the repeal of regulations and laws
Likely, neither Guggenheim nor most of the Tallahassee poli-
meant to protect us from the dangerous, profit-first deci-
ticians have ever even taught a Sunday School class, but
sion-making that drives corporations, like BP, Halliburton,
they are going to reform education by reforming teachers.
and all the rest.
Guggenheim makes documentaries and made this one be-
cause he drives past a public school while taking his kids to Are we going to let these plans move forward?
an expensive private school. He says he felt guilty because
he thinks his children are getting a better education.
Ironically, the documentary that gained Davis Guggenheim
fame was “An Inconvenient Truth” with Al Gore talking about The opinions expressed herein
global warming. If Republicans think Guggenheim is so wise are not necessarily those of the
in “Waiting for Superman,” they should watch “An Incon- Democractic Club of Delray Beach
venient Truth.” Meantime, we should protect public educa-
tion and watch where its budget is going.
5
Republican Family Values Recovery???
Sylvia Gruber Mariane Kulick

Children’s Education: Florida is bottom-ranked in terms of There is no question but that Wall Street is doing well and
average test scores and other measures of performance and that big corporations are showing profits. They will prob-
success in its public school system, yet it ranks anywhere ably do even better in the coming year, but what about jobs
from 38th to 50th nationally (depending on formula used) in and wages? The long time unemployed will likely stay un-
per-student spending. employed. For those
who are working, wages
will not rise.

In the past, when the re-

cession was over, the
economy went up for
everyone, businesses
started hiring and con-
sumers started buying.
That is not happening
now and the question
becomes: why are cor-
porate profits going up
Juvenile Justice: Children in Florida get sent to juvenile jails without the companies
at almost twice the rate of children in other states, and 80% hiring more workers and
of these are private, for-profit institution. Youth Services without more consum-
International (YSI) is an awful example of what can go ers buying more products?
wrong with the privatization of juvenile justice. YSI runs a
Broward County detention center called The Thompson The Economic Policy Institute points out that US business is
Academy, at an annual cost of about $4-million to the state. booming overseas and the big American companies, such
YSI is now being sued by the Southern Poverty Law Cen- as Caterpillar, Exon Mobile,
ter on charges that its staff ”brutalized, choked and slammed” etc are hiring employees over-
children while refusing to giver them access to medical treat- seas. They have created 1.4
ment, legal representation or unsupervised visits with their million jobs in other countries
parents. this year compared with less
Woman’s Right to Choose: The anti-choice bias of Florida’s than 1 million domestically.
extremist GOP legislators and some of its judicial appoin- Robert Scott, the Institute’s
tees has led to extremes of inhuman treatment of pregnant senior international econo-
women. Take the 2009 case of Samantha Burton, unwed mist, says:
mother of two who in the 25th week of her pregnancy, was
ordered by a Circuit Court judge to remain confined to bed
in a Tallahassee hospital against her will, in order to sustain “There is a huge difference between what is good for Ameri-
her pregnancy. She ended up miscarrying three days into can companies versus what is good for the American
her confinement and is now suing the state in a major test economy."
case of the rights of pregnant women to make their own
medical decisions. We have to keep in mind that difference when we speak of
recovery.
So, are these all examples of the family values we keep
hearing Republicans talk about?
6
From Congressman Ted Deutch
Bits and Pieces
Poll: Tax Rich to Cut

T
he greeting “have a happy and healthy new year,” will carry
new meaning for millions of American families and seniors Deficit (and Fix D.C.)
this year as key components of the Patient Protection and
A new poll commissioned by CBS’s 60 Min-
Affordable Care Act take effect. These reforms follow those en-
utes & Vanity Fair Magazine finds that 61
acted in 2010, which included the end of coverage denials to chil-
percent of the 1,000+ people polled would
dren with preexisting conditions and the ability of young adults to
prefer to see tax increases for the wealthy as
stay on their parents’ plans until age 26.
the first step in tackling the deficit.
Starting in 2011, over 20,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Florida’s
19th district and millions more across the country who fall into the The next most popular way — chosen by 20
prescription drug ‘donut hole’ will finally get some financial relief. percent — was to cut defense spending.
Seniors in the coverage gap facing massive prescription drug bills Lagging far behind were 4-percent who
will receive 50 percent discounts on brand name medications. Within wanted to cut Medicare and 3 percent who
the next decade, health care reform will completely phase out the think we should cut Social Security.
‘donut hole’ so that no senior is forced to choose between buying
food and basic necessities or prescription drugs. The poll also asked people which place in
the world they thought was most in need of
The Affordable Care Act is also directing Medicare to provide an- being fixed, and the winner with 36 percent
nual check-ups and many routine screenings free of charge. In addi- was Washington, D.C., compared with 23
tion, primary care doctors and general surgeons who treat Medi- percent who picked the Middle East and 14
care patients will receive a 10 percent bonus payment, a provision percent who chose Haiti.
that will protect seniors’ access to quality medical care.
Finally, any American paying a monthly insurance premium will ben- From PBC Democratic
efit from new rules requiring health insurance companies to spend activist Dan Isaacson:
less on bureaucracy, marketing, and corporate profits and more on
actual medical care. Insurers who fail to spend 80 to 85 percent of Your One Vote Counts!
the premiums they charge on health care will be required to provide
a rebate to their customers starting in 2012. This provision is tre- • In 1960, John F. Kennedy beat Richard
mendously important for Florida, where skyrocketing insurance pre- Nixon by one vote per precinct!
miums are forcing employers to drop coverage for their workers.
• One vote in 1920 gave women the right to
While these commonsense reforms mark real progress for Ameri- vote!
cans, the Republican leadership in Congress is determined to repeal
this law. Whether they attempt to repeal the law in its entirety or • One vote made Adolf Hitler the leader of
derail reform by defunding it, I am committed to preserving health Germany’s Nazi Party!
care reform because I know how important it is for the South Florida
community. For small business owners burdened by constant pre- • Only 537 votes in Florida decided the
mium hikes, for parents who want the best for their children, for outcome of the 2000 presidential elec-
retirees who deserve to keep their primary doctor — we cannot tion–out of 6,992 precincts! That’s less
afford to go backwards. than one vote per precinct.
I will keep you updated on my efforts to preserve the Patient Pro-
• On November 2, 2010, if only 10 more
tection and Affordable Care Act and ensure its full enactment in the
people in each precinct had come out to
coming weeks and months. It is an honor to serve you in Congress.
vote for Alex Sink, Florida would have
Governor Sink instead of Governor Scott.

7
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