Letter from the Chair - July 25, 2022

The Keys Dems Delegation to Leadership Blue returned home late Sunday to a full schedule. No rest for the weary!

Last Monday night was Hometown’s first Candidate Forum of the season. It did not disappoint. Crazy people heckling from the audience and unique candidates on stage. If you missed it, click here.

I hope this helps you decide how to vote. In August, I urge you to vote for Sue Woltanski – School Board and Teri Johnston – Mayor of Key West. Vote for Kim Highsmith in the District 4 City Commission Race. Vote yes on the School funding referendum and Key Westers, please vote yes on the 99 yr. lease for the Botanical Garden. It will help them to obtain grants to make it even better than it is. Read the other ballot initiatives very closely for Key West and use Common Sense.

We, The Keys Dems, are prohibited from endorsing one Democrat over another in a partisan primary. You, the voters must make that decision. You can google the names you see on your absentee ballots and learn about the candidates. Or watch forums or attend meetings where a forum is part of the program, like one listed below later this week. Be informed. Be a voter! You can also look at the voting record of state elected officials at this website: https://www.floridareportcard.com/

The only way to know what our local officials are doing is to attend meetings. Try it, you might be surprised! These local down ballot races have a great deal of impact on your daily life. VOTE!

Government Meetings This Week

Tuesday, July 26 - The Monroe County School Board will meet in City Hall, 1300 White St. in Key West at 5pm. For meeting details and agenda, click here.

Thursday, July 28 - The City Commission of the City of Key Colony Beach will meet at 9:30am in City Hall. For agenda & details, click here.

Activist Events This Week

Wednesday, July 27 - Key West NOW will meet at 5:30pm in the back room of Sally O’Brien’s on the corner of Flagler and Bertha, Key West. If you are ready to fight for women’s rights, you should join. The August March – “We Won’t go Back” organizers will be there to update the progress on this event.

Thursday, July 28 - The Middle Keys Dems will meet at 5pm (new start time) in the Community Room of the Marathon Public Library. This will be a hybrid Zoom/in-person meeting. Zooming in at 5:30pm will be Dan Uhlfelder – candidate for State Attorney General. Next on the agenda will be a forum between our two candidates for Florida House seat #120 – Daniel Horton-Diaz and Adam Gentle.

If you have questions you would like to ask Adam, Dan, or both, please send them to my email – chair@keysdems.com

If you were an election volunteer/ Poll Watcher in 2020, we will be calling you to see if you are willing to do it again. We will retrain you. Please take the call from my assistant, Tricia King.

We are currently mailing postcards to voters to remind them about the August 23 Election. If you are willing to address some, let me know.

The Dedicated Dems of Florida City/Homestead hosted a forum last Friday for Congressional District 28 and Fla. House Dist. #120. If you would like to see it, here is a link to the recording.

The Coral City Elks Club is Collecting School Supplies for underprivileged children in Bahama Village. Please drop items at the Club, 1107 Whitehead St. in Key West before August 1. They open at 4pm everyday! Please help them out!

DEMS Fundraising Events

Sunday, August 14 - After 3 years of almost having this event, we are on track to host out Popular Back to School Social. This year we will be at Mangrove Mama’s on Upper Sugarloaf Key, MM 19.9, bayside. Park in the rear and enter from the rear into the outdoor dinning area where there is shade, fans, and your old friends! There will be candidates to meet and some live music. If you bring School Supplies for us to give to the United Teachers of Monroe, you will get three free door prize tickets! $35 donation per person gets you food and there will be table service for drinks (cash). Reserve your spot in advance at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/back_to_school_2022

If you want to assist us in our efforts to elect good people who will protect and defend our Democracy; volunteer, or donate.

We are still watching a slow-motion coup attempt! Do not assume everything will work out OK. We must WORK to ensure that it does end up OK!

See you in the trenches!

See you soon!

Bert Sise/Chair

KeysDems

“The temptation is powerful to close our eyes and wait for the worst to pass, but history tells that for freedom to survive, it must be defended, and that if lies are to stop, they must be exposed.” Madeleine Albright