Voting: It's a BIG deal!

West Virginia Young Democrat Sarah Summers shares her thoughts on registering to vote for the first time. Her enthusiasm, dedication, commitment, and pride provide lessons for all of us, whether we are 18 or 80. Thank you, Sarah.

This past Wednesday I registered to vote ... as a Democrat of course. What a feeling it is to finally have a say in issues that affect my family, my friends, and myself. 

The idea of not registering to vote never entered my mind. I was raised in a proud, hardworking Democratic family. I have been around True Blue women who have always taken me to campaigns and events. It has been engraved in me that if I don't have my say at the polls, other people will make decisions regarding everything in my life. 

I have, however, come to the realization that not everyone my age is as excited as I am about getting out to vote. For many of my friends, turning 18 is nothing sensational except that it offers a bit more freedom. I am trying to get them to see 18 in a different light. 18 is the “voting age.” It is the age we can make our voices heard at the polls. It is an age free of control, but not the kind they are thinking. 18 could possibly be the most monumental age in one’s life.

As if the idea of making our voices heard, making our own decisions, and not being treated like children anymore isn’t liberating enough, there are plenty of other reasons to become a voting citizen. Simply stated, we are extremely fortunate to have this right. There is no justification for not casting a ballot; everyone can and everyone should. 

In 1920, after decades of fighting and dying for the right, the 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. This Amendment declared that women deserve the same voting rights as men. Fifty years earlier, in 1870, the 15^th Amendment granted African-Americans the right to make their voices heard. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed The Voting Rights Act into law, guaranteeing there can be no discrimination toward African-Americans casting a ballot. Today, any registered voter is accepted and able to vote.

So what's your excuse?

My fellow 18-year-olds, if you don’t vote then someone else will make decisions for you. I cannot stress this point strongly enough. Decisions regarding your healthcare, education, and income; your future in general; any rights you have come to know and love, are either in your hands, or in someone else's. I could go on and on. Whether you like it or not, you cannot complain if you don’t get out and vote. 

The 2016 presidential election is our prime opportunity. I urge you to watch the news, follow politicians, and become informed. Pay attention not only to the candidates you agree with, but to the ones you disagree with as well. 

Call a friend and schedule a ride to your local precinct on Election Day. Make it a special occasion, and remind yourself how blessed you are to have this right. 

Do whatever it takes. 

In the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: 

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” 

See you at the polls!    

Five weeks and two days …

West Virginia's Democratic women will gather this year at Pipestem Resort in Summers County for their annual meeting. Have you registered yet? If not, you can easily do so online, or ask your club president for a registration form.

And for a slice of what it's like to plan and prepare for the event, visit Third District Director Debbi McNeer's blog. She and her fellow Summers County members are making sure you have a memorable meeting.

Medicare turns 50!

On Thursday, July 30^th, we celebrate Medicare’s 50^th birthday.   This will be a joyful day for seniors of America!  After nearly a half century, Medicare has a lot to be proud of.  Thanks to Medicare, millions of older Americans are able to enjoy retirement without the fear of medical expenses that could bankrupt us and our families.  In this age of shrinking savings and small or nonexistent pensions, Medicare is more important than ever.

 Retirees and workers should be very concerned over the drastic changes some of our elected officials want to make that would threaten the dream we all have for a safe and secure retirement.

            

These changes would include cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and to Social Security – not to just one of these programs, but to all three!  We have some Governors actually refusing federal funds that would expand Medicaid in their states.  And when it comes to Medicare, many want to pass costs onto seniors through benefit cuts, means testing, increasing the Medicare eligibility age, or privatization.

            

All of this leads us to a clear conclusion: Medicare remains strong, and is not in any immediate financial danger.  While the long term financial future of the program is important, there is no need to rush to drastic action.  Unfortunately, too many in Washington demand harmful Medicare cuts despite all this.  They claim that they want to help seniors and ensure the program’s future.  But it makes no sense to cut benefits now unnecessarily.

            

Fortunately, we can ensure that Medicare keeps celebrating birthdays for decades to come.  And we can do it without harmful benefit cuts.

• Congress should reject proposals like the Ryan Republican budget that would cut Medicare funding by turning it into a voucher program.  It takes away traditional Medicare benefits and replaces it with a “coupon” to purchase insurance in the private marketplace.  It would end Medicare as we know it, leaving us at the mercy of private insurance companies.
  
• Congress should reject proposals that further means tests Medicare benefits.  Medicare Parts B and D are already means tested for individuals with incomes over $85,000, and couples with incomes over $170,000.  More means testing is a direct attack on the middle class.
  
• Congress should also reject proposals that shift Medicare costs to seniors.  Proposals to charge a surcharge to individuals who have Medigap do not deal with the rising costs of health care but, instead shifts costs on to beneficiaries.     Likewise, proposals to institute home health co-pays will penalize those who can least afford it – the oldest, sickest, and chronically ill.
  
• Congress also needs to reject proposals like the Ryan Republican budget that raise the eligibility age for Medicare beneficiaries.  Proposals that have you wait two more years to get Medicare by raising the eligibility age to 67, leaves you on your own when you are most vulnerable.  You’ll either have to find a job that provides coverage, when you are at an age that most employers don’t want to hire you; pay for coverage yourself, at a time in life when your income is likely declining; or become impoverished so you are eligible for Medicaid.

Instead of these awful proposals, Congress should enact the Nelson – Caster Medicare Drug Savings Act, S. 1083 and H.R. 2005.  This legislation, which will require drug companies to provide discounts to the federal government for low-income Medicare beneficiaries, will save the government and taxpayers $121 billion over 10 years.  This is a sensible alternative that will save the Medicare program money without harming beneficiaries.

Between common sense reforms like the Medicare Drug Savings Act and the savings from the Affordable Care Act, we can feel confident about the future of Medicare as it celebrates its 50^th year and we intend to make sure it is still strong now and for our children and our grandchildren!

Ginny Moles is Senior Caucus Director for the WV Democratic Party.

Still unequal after all these years

Belinda Biafore, chair of the WV State Democratic Executive Committee, has a message for all West Virginians about an issue that, at first glance, looks like a women's issue. In reality, it ends up being everyone's problem:

It’s the beginning of April and the countdown to Equal Pay Day begins. Equal Pay Day is on Tuesday, April 14th, and women all across the United States are reminded that we are still fighting for equal pay for equal work. 

Women in the United States are only making around 78 cents to every dollar a man makes. How is this fair? It’s not, and while nationally the amount is 78 cents, here in West Virginia women’s earnings are even less than that.

In a recent study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, West Virginia ranks second to last in gender earnings ratio in the United States. West Virginia’s gender earnings ratio is 67.3 percent. Only Louisiana, at 66.7%, is lower.

We just completed the 2015 legislative session under Republican leadership that attacked wages of not just women, but all hardworking West Virginians. We need to be taking steps forward for our state, not backwards. How can we close the wage gap when we have a Republican majority that is focused on rolling us back in all aspects of our workforce?

Young men and women are the future of West Virginia. We talk about ways to keep them here at home to help our economy and build our future, but how can we expect young women to want to stay here?

Thirty cents may not seem like a lot, but it adds up when you’re providing for your family. Day after day we buy groceries, gas, and food for our children. We pay for child care and save for their college education.

We work and we provide for ourselves and our families. So why, when we work so hard, are women paid less?

Pay discrimination isn't just a women’s issue, it’s a family issue. It’s everyone’s issue.
Women have fought for centuries for equal rights, and our fight continues every single day. 

Join the Democratic Party in our fight for equal pay for equal work as we take Equal Pay Day to remember that hardworking West Virginians include hardworking West Virginia women. 

And now, a word from our sponsor …

Huh?

While it's true that the West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women doesn't have sponsors, per se, we do spend money. And therefore, from time to time, we need to raise a little money.

Where do we spend money? Travel. Annual meeting. Postage. All the various and sundry expense categories necessary for running an advocacy group.

How do we raise money? Dues – one dollar per member of your county club dues goes to the state. We make every effort to have annual meeting registration fees cover the cost of the event. The largest source of annual revenue has been and remains ad sales for our annual meeting program book. We also raffle off a handmade quilt and raise money at our Friday night auction during the meeting weekend.

We'd like to offer training sessions throughout the state on topics of interest to you. So far we've heard you want to learn more about effective use of social media and how to urge more women to run for elected office. Training = expenses.

So. We've committed to publishing a quarterly subscription-based newsletter. Our first issue went to nearly 2000 people, and subscription orders have been trickling in, but in order for Lean to the Left to be successful, we need more. We need YOU.

For less than $3 per month – just $35 – you can brag about your group, learn how other clubs are contributing to their communities, be educated, enlightened, and inspired.

Think about it. Each month, could you forego …

• a semi-fancy coffee drink?
• those impulse lottery tickets?
• a couple songs from iTunes?
• that app purchase?
• a bargain book for your Kindle or Nook?

and instead, use that money to support your West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women?

We thought you could. If you haven't clicked through to our subscription form yet, here's one more chance.

Thank you.

Who are we, and what are we doing here?

Who is the West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women? We're occasionally asked that question. Lately, we’ve heard from more than a few folks trying to tell us who we are. Or who we should be.

Let's set the record straight.

The WVFDW is a group of women who have joined together to speak out for Democratic principles in West Virginia. We are doctors, lawyers, and stay-at-home moms. We are teachers, retirees, veterans, and business owners. We are union members, college students, artists, moms, daughters, wives, sisters, and much, much more. With approximately 3,000 members, we don’t fit into a nice, neat little box.

Does every member agree on every issue?

No. 

Does every member voice her opinion the same way?

No.

Does every member have the same priorities?

No. 

That’s what’s great about our group. We are alike and different at the same time. 

So how do we determine the WVFDW message.  It's simple: majority rules. Since we cannot vote on every issue within our group, we agree to stay consistent with the platform set by the West Virginia Democratic Party, defining our message. We have a Communications Committee and Board that keep the message going at all times in many different outlets. 

We were known, not that many years ago, as the tea-and-cookie branch of the County Executive Committees. We still raise money, but we’re doing that differently now. It is the 21st century, after all. Stay in touch with us by subscribing to our quarterly newsletter. And we’re launching a modest retail therapy effort today, as well.

Strong women speaking out with a strong message can stir emotions. Not a week goes by in which we are not criticized, sometimes constructively, sometimes not so much. We’ve been called names. We’ve been ridiculed. We’re frequently given unsolicited advice.  

Here's the deal.

We listen to all constructive ideas.

We toss them around within our membership to see if they are ideas we want to embrace.

Labeling and name-calling do not bother us.  

We occasionally dish it out, and we can take it. We’re not easily intimidated. How you define us is your opinion; if you do so rudely, that says more about you than it does about us. We know we're making a difference when you react.

Snarky comments may be met with snarky comments.

“Snark” is something we do and do well. Sometimes we feel the need to respond, sometimes we don’t. There is no policy here.

We have made mistakes, and we will make more.  

We are not perfect, and we don’t pretend to be. You will find typos, missing words, grammatical errors, misspellings, and more. We try to correct errors when we see them, and we try to thank you when you point them out. We try to be factual in everything we do, but we make mistakes. We also have used poor word choices (very recently, as a matter of fact!). We sincerely apologize when we’re wrong and move on. Let him who is without sin …

We might offend you.

No matter how much we try not to offend people, it happens. It’s not personal. We can’t scrutinize each and every image or word we display, hoping to somehow please everyone. Respectful dialogue is a welcome, but rare, occurrence, especially behind a screen.

We promote Democrats and Democratic principles.

We do not agree with all the Democratic legislators’ votes or positions, nor do we speak for them. The Democratic Party is a big tent, and we feel that adds to our strength. Also, um, we’re partisan.  

We aren't trying to impress you, and we're not seeking your approval.

You don't have to agree with us. We love it when you do, but we also know that many, many, many of you follow us for the sole purpose of finding something with which to disagree. 

We're strong, and we're here to stay. If you are a Democratic woman, we welcome your ideas and input to help us grow stronger.  

We are the West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women. Join us. 

Done and done

A message from our state Democratic Party chair, Belinda Biafore:

Fellow Democrats,

Today concludes the 2015 Legislative Session and I want to thank all of our Democratic Legislators for standing with West Virginia and fighting for our families as we face this fight against the extreme, radical Republican leadership together. As a Party, we represent hardworking West Virginia families and will continue to fight for the betterment of those families and our state. 

This session, hardworking West Virginians faced an unfathomable attack on their wages, their workplace safety, and their ability to provide for their families by the new Republican leadership.

Not only did the rollback of mine safety and workplace safety lessen the security of workers coming home from a hard day's work safely, but their children now also face threats brought to them by the new Republican majority. The GOP has weakened vaccination laws in West Virginia bringing risk to our children in the public school system. Every parent, grandparent and family member should have the confidence to send their children to school safely and by weakening vaccination laws the new Republican majority has now lessened that confidence. Republican leadership also passed a bill that allows individuals to carry a concealed deadly weapon without training or a permit. Talk about safety risks, how are parents and families supposed to feel safe in our public places, in our communities or even in our neighborhoods? 

Republicans were elected on a promise to their voters to create jobs and better the economy but, here we are, at the end of the session and their voters did not see jobs bills or one plan to create jobs for our state. The only "jobs" bills we have seen pushed by the Republican majority are the "jobs bills" that gut wages and quality jobs that we already have in West Virginia. 

What were they doing with their time? They were busy pushing legislation on behalf of out of state interest groups and big money corporations, and participating in self serving politics. 

It's not right and it's not fair to the West Virginians they broke their promises to. 

What we saw this legislative session from Republican leadership was an extreme radical agenda that hurt hardworking West Virginia families. They gutted wages, rolled back workplace safety and put the education of our children at risk. We will not let them continue to hinder the quality of life for the hardworking West Virginians that have built this state and the children that are the future of this state. The barbaric Republican leadership is moving West Virginia backward, not forward and we will not stand back and let that happen.

This is only the beginning and our Democratic legislators faced a heck of a fight and I cannot thank them enough for standing up for hardworking West Virginians. 

Our fight is not over. Our state was taken from us by out-of-state special interest groups and big money corporations and now is the time we begin the process to get it back!