Democracy for Utah - General D4U Business

Letter to Editors

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:52:11 -0600

I just sent this to several newspapers; have no idea if it will be published, but it felt good writing it!

"I have spent months arguing with myself about Senator McCain's qualifications, virtues and values. Every week, he comes up shorter and shorter. He is obviously way out of touch with the majority of Americans. "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." For who? Not anyone I know. We should continue to pour billions into Iraq to "defeat evil", while Americans lose their homes and can't afford medical care, food and gas at the same time. $4-5 million is his definition of rich? He couldn't even admit that his biggest "moral failure" was the break up of his first marriage, which was entirely due to how he treated his wife after her accident."

Coal plant pollution in Nevada will affect Utahns

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:55:05 -0700

Nevada is making plans to build three large coal plants that, when operating, will emit pollution affecting Utah since we will be directly down wind of the sulfur dioxide and carbon emissions.

You can do something to help stop their production. Email Utah Governor John Huntsman and let him know that you’re concerned about the effects the plants will have on our environment. It only takes a few voices to have our concerns heard.

Email bbruso@utah.gov and let Governor Huntsman know that we agree with U.S. Senator Harry Reid: these plants are not the answer for Nevada’s energy needs.

Want to learn more about coal plants, the pollution they emit and energy alternatives?

Read articles from the:

New York Times

Las Vegas Sun

DFA Training Weekend has attendees from St. George, Cedar City, Whiterocks, and Howell, Utah

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:25:07 -0600

The map at right shows the locations of everyone who's attending the DFA Training next weekend. We've got attendees from as far away as St. George, Cedar City, Whiterocks (near Vernal), and Howell (up by Idaho).

Plus, our RSVP count (currently at 73) has exceeded that of the New Hampshire, Nevada, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Indiana trainings. Everything is coming along nicely, and it looks like this event will be a big success!

DFA Training Weekend in Utah beats Indiana's and Tennessee's RSVPs

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:22:01 -0600

We're at 61 RSVPs for the DFA Training Weekend on June 16-17. That beats both Indiana with 60 and Tennessee with 58! And we still have three weeks to go!

DFA Training Weekend agenda is now available, plus trainer bios

Wed, 09 May 2007 10:58:50 -0600

The training agenda for the DFA Training Weekend on June 16-17 is now available in PDF format (UT_Agenda_2007.pdf). Sunday's breakout sessions include Campaign Advertising, Working with News Outlets, Running a Canvass, Developing a Phone Program, Volunteer Management and Leadership Development, Precinct Organizing, and Working with a Voter File.

We've got some great trainers coming including Arshad Hasan, DFA's Training Coordinator, and Tom Hughes, DFA's Executive Director.

Tom Hughes

Executive Director, Democracy for America. Active in Democratic politics since 1988, Tom has worked on most divisions of a modern campaign, including management, field work, fundraising, communications, political outreach, scheduling, and advance. Executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party in 1998, Tom helped elect a state house and senate that went on to pass historic Civil Unions legislation. In 2003–2004, Tom directed the Dean for America field operation in New Hampshire. He has been with Democracy for America since April 2004.

There's still time to register for the training if you haven't already.

Democracy for Utah member named 'Best of Utah'

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:49:20 -0600

Salt Lake City Weekly's 2007 "Best of Utah" issue names D4U member Larry Bergan as Best Lone Demonstrator:

It's one thing to march en masse against George W. Bush during an anti-war rally in downtown Salt Lake City. It's another, several months before the war rally, to get out on the streets carrying a sign demanding Bush's impeachment — by yourself. Bergan has walked 400 miles up and down Salt Lake City streets over the past four years making his lone protest against the U.S. war in Iraq. Now he stands on street corners collecting, he says, as many thumbs up as he does birds. The 54-year-old out-of-work optician has lost three signs to irate citizens but that hasn't stopped his urgent sense of civic duty one iota. He's Utah's last angry man, it seems, and we're all better off for him.

Thanks, Larry, for making a difference.

2006 Young Democrats Convention

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:43:16 -0700

Join the Young Democrats of Utah for a night of camaraderie, food and fun at their 2006 Annual Convention. Participants will hear from US Congressman Jim Matheson and elect the group's new leadership for the upcoming year. All politically active young adults ages 18-35 are encouraged to attend. A reception with refreshments will follow. For more information, visit www.YoungDemsofUtah.org

Political Action Committee members feedback. please

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:53:32 -0600

I would like to invite the members of the Political Action Committee to join with me for a few minutes after the Sept 6th D4U meetup. At that time I would like us to have an up or down vote on the criteria for endorsing candidates. At this time, I would suggest that we use the three point D4U focal points as passed during our last general meeting.

After we agree on criteria, I will present a list of candidates to endorse, and we will vote on them at the October general meeting. We will then post the endorsed candidates on our blog, as well as contact them regarding our endorsement.

Review of 'Conservatives without Conscience' by John Dean

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 15:05:31 -0600

Review of John Dean's new book Conservatives without Conscience by Glenn Greenwald of Unclaimed Territory:

Dean contends, and amply documents, that the "conservative" movement has become, at its core, an authoritarian movement composed of those with a psychological and emotional need to follow a strong authority figure which provides them a sense of moral clarity and a feeling of individual power, the absence of which creates fear and insecurity in the individuals who crave it. By definition, its followers' devotion to authority and the movement's own power is supreme, thereby overriding the consciences of its individual members and removing any intellectual and moral limits on what will be justified in defense of their movement. [...]

What excites, enlivens, and drives Bush followers is the identification of the Enemy followed by swarming, rabid attacks on it. It is a movement that defines itself not by identifiable ideas but by that which it is not. Its foreign policy objectives are identifiable by one overriding goal — destroy and kill the Enemy, potential or suspected enemies, and everyone nearby. And it increasingly views its domestic goals through the same lens. It is a movement in a permanent state of war, which views all matters, foreign and domestic, only in terms of this permanent war.

See this post for one example of the right wing terrorizing "the Enemy" — in this case, that perennial enemy, The New York Times.

Issues for D4U: What makes you mad?

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:18:07 -0600

Last week's meetup featured a presentation by Linda Hilton of CORC, the group responsible for making the repeal of sales tax on food a major issue in the Utah Legislature this year. See this post for a recap of Linda's presentation.

The main thing the Steering Committee took away from the meetup is that D4U needs to find a signature issue to work on. CORC is known for their work on repealing the sales tax on food. Equality Utah is known for opposing Amendment 3. HEAL Utah is known for trying to stop nuclear waste storage in Utah. The common thread with all these issues is that people have very strong feelings about them. People are motivated by anger, and they're not going to be motivated to action unless they're fed up.

So, our question to you is: what needs to be changed that no one else in Utah is working on? What issue gets people so worked up that they'll join our cause? In other words, what makes you mad? Let us know — post a comment!

(At this point, let's just brainstorm and take all suggestions, even if they're national-level issues or are kind of "out there." Even an issue like Social Security might trigger more ideas, or there might be something we can do about it at the state level. So fire away!)

Camera! Action! D4U Tables at UPP Barbecue

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:59:07 -0600

[From the personal blogs]

The Utah Poverty Partnership Barbecue last evening was a good scene - props to Bill Tibbets and Linda Hilton for a well-organized, well-publicized event. An estimated 150 folks came to meet, greet & eat (vegan & carnivore burgers provided!). They quizzed candidates on their positions on social policies, especially on support for drug and vision benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries.

D4U was there - David, Leon & June got 5 pages of sign-ups and suggestions: "I am so bugged about _____X___ that I want to get active!" Sheryl & John F also attended. We got a nibble from KCPW for some media coverage - how neat is that?!

Candidates in attendance included TWO Republicans:

Recap of the July D4U meetup with CORC director Linda Hilton

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 22:20:52 -0600

The guest speaker at the July D4U meetup was Linda Hilton, director of the Coalition of Religious Communities. CORC's main focus is poverty issues, which isn't something D4U works on, but nonetheless I thought Linda's presentation, "Building a Coalition and Getting Your Issues Embraced," was an extremely good fit for where D4U is right now. Following are my notes from the meetup.

Focus the group in order to get something done

CORC faced a problem similar to ours — their members are interested in a wide range of issues. Eventually they decided they needed to stop going off in all directions and narrow it down to just 3 issues. Their current list is:

Recap of the June meetup and officer elections

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 11:41:30 -0600

Eleven of our 18 voting members were present at the June meetup. The D4U officers and committee chairs for the remainder of 2006 are:

President - Carrie Ulrich
Vice President - Kristy Griggs
Secretary - June Taylor
Treasurer - Ted Gurney

Political Action Committee - Sheryl Ginsberg
Promotions Committee - David Pace
Social Action Committee - John Lee

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who volunteered (or was volunteered) to put in the time to help run Democracy for Utah.

David Pace will host the next Promotions Committee meeting on Wednesday, June 21, at 7 pm at Salt Lake Roasting Company. This meeting is open to everyone who wants to participate on the Promotions Committee. For more information, contact David Pace.

Check back for the dates of the next Political Action and Social Action committee meetings.

About Us

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 21:50:47 -0600

Who We Are

Democracy for Utah is a grassroots organization dedicated to promoting American values such as civic participation, good government, social responsibility, equality of opportunity, and investing in our future. Our mission is to increase the number of progressives in elected office and in the Democratic Party leadership in Utah through a combination of volunteering, issue advocacy, education, candidate endorsements, and fundraising. Democracy for Utah is affiliated with the Democracy for America coalition founded by Governor Howard Dean.

Officers

President - Carrie Ulrich
Vice President - John Lee
Secretary - June Taylor
Treasurer - Ted Gurney

Committee Chairs

Social Action Committee - John Lee
Political Action Committee - Sheryl Ginsberg

Mailing Address

Democracy for Utah
P.O. Box 521332
Salt Lake City, UT 84152

Documents

Bylaws: D4UBylawsDraft12.rtf
Constitution: D4UConstitutionV1_5.doc

D4U officer nominations are now open!

Tue, 09 May 2006 22:15:36 -0600

As of last Wednesday, Democracy for Utah has official bylaws! The vote was unanimous in favor of the bylaws attached to this post. As stated in the bylaws, it's now time to nominate candidates for D4U officers (president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer). These positions will be voted on at the next meetup on Wednesday, June 7. Please add a comment to this post to nominate candidates for these officer positions.

Anyone can nominate candidates, but you must be a dues-paying member to vote on these positions and to hold one of these positions. Dues are $16 per month per person for the remainder of 2006. Being current on your dues will allow you to vote on official D4U business throughout the year. Note that you don't have to pay dues to participate in D4U, only to be a voting member. (If your financial situation prevents you from paying dues, please contact June Taylor or me.)

According to the bylaws, dues must be received 7 calendar days before the officer election, so the last day you can get your dues in is Wednesday, May 31. If you plan to participate in the officer elections, please mail your dues (payable to Democracy for Utah) straightaway to:

Democracy for Utah
P.O. Box 521332
Salt Lake City, UT 84152

Bylaws: D4UBylawsDraft12.rtf