Twin Falls Democrats
August 2011
Redistricting hearings-It appears that our current legislative districts will undergo change since the proposed maps from both sides show Twin Falls being allied with Jerome rather than Owyhee county. The maps differ how the remaining population will go however. The Democrats favor connecting eastern Twin Falls county with Cassia and Minidoka. The Republicans would like to see western Twin Falls with Gooding and Elmore counties. To be continued...
August 18 at the River Rock Café at 7:00 pm is our next Twin Falls County Democrats central committee meeting. Hot topic will be our fair booth. Fair Week is August 31 to September 5. Please consider volunteering for at least one three hour shift during this week.
Tell us why you are a Democrat, and win a great prize (to be determined). Twenty-seven words, 9 seconds, 3 ideas. Bob Sojka has the lead in entries.
October 28-30th in Sun Valley, Blaine County will be hosting a training and regional Democratic meeting. Please mark your calendar now!!!
Our Outrage in Idaho Facebook page continues to gain momentum. We have over 250 members now. Outrage will continue to post articles about education from newspapers around the state.
Outrageinidaho.com links to the news stories about education.
Twin Falls County Democrats are funded by donations from local Democrats. If you are able to make a monthly donation to Twin Falls Democrats, please contact Etha Carruthers at eccharliebrown@hotmail.com.
First Wednesday of each month, Liberally Living meets at 7:00 pm at the Rock Creek Restaurant.
August 1, 2011 8:52:31 AM PDT
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Statement on Debt Deal
Washington, DC - After President Obama's announcement that he and Congressional leaders have arrived at a compromise to raise the debt ceiling and make spending cuts, averting a financial crisis that would have resulted in the United States defaulting on its debt for the first time in history, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement:
"Today's announcement of a compromise is welcome news. I want to thank President Obama for his tireless leadership on this issue and for his unfailing commitment to do what is right for the country. President Obama and Democratic leaders understood that not raising the debt limit would be absolutely irresponsible, and have been committed from day one to a compromise to lift the cloud of uncertainty facing our country and our economy.
"The President and Democrats' primary focus has been to ensure that we meet our obligations and avoid default while beginning to get our fiscal house in order. This deal accomplishes that. It puts in place a framework for long-term fiscal discipline and it makes a down payment on deficit reduction. The agreement sets the stage for a balanced package that includes revenues.
"But we're not over the hurdle yet. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this compromise and renew their commitment to working to together in a bipartisan fashion to move our country forward."
Talking Points: A Victory for America
· President Obama has announced that bipartisan leaders have come to an agreement that will cut the deficit and avert default – a default that would have had catastrophic consequences for the American economy.
· That agreement is a victory for American families because:
o It extends the debt limit to the year 2013, getting rid of the cloud of uncertainty looming over the American economy and guaranteeing that no one can use the possibility of default right now or in the coming months for political gain.
o It will boost global confidence in the American economy by establishing a framework for balanced fiscal discipline in the long term.
o It guarantees that America can meet all its obligations – including Americans' monthly Social Security payments, veterans' benefits, and the contracts our government has signed with thousands of businesses across the country.
· Details of the Debt Agreement. President Obama said from the start that any solution to avert default and achieve significant deficit reduction had to have the support of Democrats and Republicans. After working toward an agreement for months, bipartisan members of the House and Senate have come to an agreement that includes:
o A down payment on deficit reduction that includes historic long-term spending reductions, including almost $1 trillion in spending cuts. Those cuts are set out in a way that avoids damaging our economic recovery. They are balanced between domestic and defense spending, and they protect essential initiatives like aid for college students.
o An expedited process to achieve balanced deficit reduction. The agreement establishes a longer term process to achieve another $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction with a committee structure that is going to put everything on the table, including reforms to taxes and entitlements. To stop either side from utilizing procedural tricks that would stop Congress from acting, the recommendations of the committee will get fast track authority, meaning they can't be filibustered or amended.
o Setting the stage for a balanced agreement that includes revenues. American families and an increasing number of Republicans are united in agreement that any deficit reduction deal has to be balanced and must include revenue.
§ Even the Speaker of the House was willing to consider an agreement with $800 billion in revenues, and almost 20 Republican Senators lent their support to the Gang of Six framework, which included more than $2 trillion worth of revenue.
§ If the Committee is not able to achieve meaningful balanced deficit reduction that includes revenue-increasing tax reform for the wealthiest Americans by the end of 2012, President Obama can put his veto pen to work to raise nearly $1 trillion from the wealthiest Americans by vetoing any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the most well-off individuals.
o A demonstrated enforcement method. The enforcement mechanism in the agreement will force cuts that are painful enough to both sides that Congress will have to act. By their nature, enforcement mechanisms should include aspects that neither side supports in order to guarantee action is taken.
§ The enforcement mechanism in this agreement does just that. If Congress doesn't act, then beginning in 2013 there are going to be $1.2 trillion in spending cuts through 2021 – 50 percent from domestic spending and 50 percent from defense spending.
§ Low income programs such as Medicaid and Social Security and Medicare benefits would be exempt. Cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side.
§ The last time such an enforcement method was put to use – with 50 percent domestic and 50 percent defense reductions – the threat of defense reductions helped spur the bipartisan budget agreement of 1990 under President George H. W. Bush, an agreement that included revenues as well as spending cuts.
o An agreement in keeping with President Obama's commitment to shared sacrifice. This agreement does not accept entitlement reform without giving equal consideration to revenue-increasing tax reform, and it guarantees that low-income and middle class families won't be forced to carry the burden of deficit reduction alone.
· We haven't put this challenge behind us yet. Leaders of both parties are now taking the framework agreement to their caucuses, and bipartisan members of Congress have to vote on this agreement in the next two days.
· If Congress doesn't act, America could default on its obligations for the first time in our history, not because we aren't able to pay our nation's bills, but because we don't have a Triple A political system to match our bond rating.
· Those who say the tough choices included in the framework agreement aren't good enough should know that a default on America's debt would have catastrophic economic consequences and would lead to real hardship for Americans across the country – with a tax increase in the form of higher interest rates on Americans' mortgages, car loans, and credit cards as well as delays in payments to America's seniors, the disabled, veterans, and small companies that do business with our federal government.
Idaho
Bill Referendums-
Under Senate Bill 1108, your child's teacher can be fired at any time, for any reason, without a fair hearing. If enrollment declines in the fall, teachers can be laid off weeks after a school year starts. Idaho educators no longer have a say over such issues as class sizes, lesson planning, and classroom health and safety issues. Senate Bill 1108 ends four decades of productive collaboration between teachers and their school districts.
Senate Bill 1110 gives teachers bonus pay for test scores (and for taking hard-to-fill jobs and assuming leadership roles). The Idaho Education Association has agreed to merit pay. Unfortunately, it is a mandate with no funding, amid the third straight year of budget cuts to our schools, and at the same time Tom Luna ordered new spending on classroom technology and online classes. This bill could ultimately mean that one in four Idaho teaching jobs will be lost over the next few years as Tom Luna continues to push his online course and "mobile computing device" mandates.
Senate Bill 1184 essentially trades teachers for technology-computing devices for every 9th grader. It ties the hands of local school boards, forcing trustees to fund these mandates by increasing class sizes, cutting pay for teachers and other school employees, shortening the school year, eliminating extracurricular activities, or all of the above. And while lawmakers say they're holding the line on taxes, they're really just forcing local school boards to ask Idaho families to dig deeper for our schools.
_______________________________________
Deborah Silver
Twin Falls County Democratic Chairwoman
2188 Addison Ave. East
Twin Falls, ID 83301
phone 208-420-1663
Confidentiality Notice: This communication is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, then any use, dissemination or copying of the communication is prohibited.
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