Democracy needs you!

Extremist Republicans are right here in Vermont and they are organized. Rutland County officeholders voted against state and local resolutions to condemn the January 6^th assault on the US Capitol. Some repeated false claims about what happened that day and questioned the validity of the November election. We Democrats must be organized and prepared to fight back. We must restore honesty, decency and justice to move Rutland County forward.

Donate online: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/rutland

Or send a check to Rutland County Democratic Committee, PO Box 933, Rutland, VT 05702

Town Meeting Day municipal elections showed what we can do. We pulled out all the stops by supporting candidates in key races across the county. We need to push even harder to win local seats so that we can build the bench of candidates and ensure that our town officials reflect our values.

Republicans take corporate, out-of-town money but Democratic officials work for us, so they need grassroots funding from local Democrats like you.  With your support we can win with strong candidates and effective campaigns. Every dollar stays in Rutland County and every cent helps.

Donate online: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/rutland

Or send a check to Rutland County Democratic Committee, PO Box 933, Rutland, VT 05702

Thank you for your support!

Heather Juliussen-Stevenson, Chair

Your Executive Committee out & about in 2020:

Your Executive Committee: Elizabeth Filskov, Kathy Hall, Scott Garren, Eugenia Cooke, Mary Droege, Carol Wright, and Heather Juliussen-Stevenson

Join the Rutland County Democrats in supporting inclusion!

Tomorrow May 8th at 4 pm Voting Rights Demonstration in Main Street Park in Rutland

Republicans are after our voting rights

Republicans have introduced 361 voter suppression bills in 47 states. If they succeed in taking enough state legislatures, they can call a Constitutional Convention and rewrite the Constitution with new voting restrictions. They could introduce property requirements, as Steve Bannon hoped, or worse.

We may never see another Democratic President in our lifetimes.

The lives of our most vulnerable community members are at stake!

Stand up for voting rights

Castleton Indivisible is inviting the public to join them in a national day of action to fight for voting rights.

When: Saturday May 8th from 4 – 5 pm
Where: Main Street Park in Rutland
What: Hold signs to educate the public and to show our support for federal measures to save voting rights:

On Republican voter suppression legislation: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-bills-tracker-2021

If you can’t make the May 8th demonstration:
Please talk to your friends and family in other states about the importance of these issues. And you can check out the links above for more information from Indivisible. You can record a video about the importance of DC Statehood and more! (Check out this video made by Mary Droege, Rutland County Democratic Grassroots Chair and Castleton Indivisible Co-leader: https://twitter.com/IndivisibleTeam/status/1377761436089389076?fbclid=IwAR1I9SMWjeHeFxP90NjznYwE0RzNfiJRRLxUITPtpS_zI9l0e-lgjaAjrZM)

Event guidelines
Face masks and six foot distancing required. Please stay on the sidewalk. Do not block traffic or passersby. Signs welcome. If you are going to bring a pet, please limit this to service pets only.
By choosing to attend this Event, you are committing to participate non-violently and to work to de-escalate confrontations with others. You are also acknowledging that you are solely responsible for any injury or damage to your person or property resulting from or occurring in the course of your participating in the Event. If you are going to bring a pet, please limit this to service pets only.
More Specifically:
· Avoid profanity (even when we’re subjected to profanity)
· Do not chant or shout.
· Respect each other’s physical space and keep at least 6 feet between everyone. If someone approaches us in a confrontational manner, we will yield the space.
· Ensure your safety
o Don’t go out unless at least one other ally is with you
o Always keeping a look-out for potential threats
o Consider filming but do so in a way that’s not obvious lest the act of filming spark an altercation
· Help us make sure that newcomers are on the same page with us about what we mean by non-violence and de-escalation, and if they aren’t then physically and verbally separate yourself from them so that we are not held responsible for the actions of outsiders.
· Avoid arguments with passersby who engage us; ask questions and try to evoke empathy with personal stories; always end on a good note even if they disagree by wishing them a good day. For tips, see https://indivisible.org/resource/organizing-mainly-about-listening
· Do not stand in front of other groups’ signs because that is a form of escalation.
· If an altercation breaks out, be ready to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable by physically surrounding them or providing them a means of escape from the scene. Remember that people in more marginalized positions than you are not necessarily safe even if you feel safe.
· Remember that you’re not there for yourself. The most effective thing you can do is practice non-violence, showing that you believe in standing up for others even in the face of cruelty and hate, and swallowing your knee-jerk response to act out of anger and hurt.
Hope to see you there!

We stand by VT workers & teachers

As the Vermont legislature works towards addressing the problem of underfunded pensions, the Rutland County Democratic Executive Committee has voted to express its support for Vermont’s state employees and public school teachers and staff.

The pension problem has been growing for decades. We do not need to rush the process. We can afford to slow down until we find a solution that works for everyone. And we should be inviting input from all the stakeholders.

Governor Phil Scott should stop watching from the sidelines. We need bold leadership and solutions. If he can’t provide that, then he needs to get out of the way so that the Democrats can step in and help the people who are counting on us. If Governor Scott thinks that supporting Vermont workers is too radical, then he has no business serving in government office or drawing a salary from our tax dollars.

Historically, Democrats have stood by the working class and many of us are Democrats today for that very reason. We know that Vermont workers were already struggling, even before the pandemic. Workers shouldn’t have to worry about their pensions, especially now. We fear that Vermont will be facing a mass exodus if the underfunded pension problem is not addressed in an equitable way. And this isn’t just an issue of economic justice—it’s a racial justice issue, too, with Black folk, indigenous people, and people of color suffering a disproportionate lack of access to economic resources.

The Rutland County Democratic Executive Committee stands by and supports workers and their right to organize. We support unions. If the Republicans cannot or will not step up and do the right thing, then they should be held accountable for that decision. The vulnerable Vermonters who are relying on us demand our utmost fidelity.

Vermont workers have paid their dues. It’s time that we pay them back.

Our sympathy on the passing of Judge Hall

Our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Judge Hall. We are grateful for his service and grieve his passing.

Read more: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/burlingtonfreepress/name/peter-hall-obituary?pid=198090437

Help VT lower the spread of COVID-19 & win $25

Senator Cheryl Hooker has asked us to share this opportunity to take an online survey from the University of Vermont to provide the state with information that will help them minimize the spread of COVID-19. To take the Survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_bph6Y6koswJ1joh

Complete the online survey and enter for a chance to win one of ten $25 gift cards to a local Vermont business. Total time for participation is approximately 10 minutes.

To participate you must:
• Be at least 18 years of age,
• Be either a Vermont resident OR travel to Vermont from out-of-state during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A group of researchers at the University of Vermont have developed a survey on Vermont’s Covid-19 Guidelines in collaboration with the VT Department of Health (VDH) and Department of Tourism & Marketing (VDTM) and is approved by the UVM Institutional Review Board. We are sharing weekly reports with VDH and VDTM to aid with their pandemic communications and will provide a complete report in April to all interested parties.

For more information and to participate, please visit http://go.uvm.edu/kv7cd

To take the Survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_bph6Y6koswJ1joh

Thank you!

Wish your town was doing more about right wing extremism?

Get your town Select Board to pass a resolution condemning racism

Bob Harnish recently succeeded in having Pittsford pass a resolution condemning racism and welcoming all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, age or disability and will protect those classes to the fullest extent of the law. Read the resolution here.

Encourage your town Select Board to pass a similar resolution. This could encourage conversations that need to be happening more often. It could also be a way for your town to become more organized in electing legislators who will represent our values.

Want some help? Email us RutlandCountyDemocratsVT@gmail.com and we’ll connect you with other people in your town who are interested in working on this project.

Get state resources for organizing your town!

With Rutland County Republican legislators like Rep. Art Peterson and Rutland City Alderman Tom DePoy rejecting resolutions condemning the white supremacist insurrection at the Capitol, we need to start organizing now to elect officials who will represent our values.

The Vermont Democratic Party hasn’t been able to provide much support for town committees in the past. This is changing! With party re-organization quickly approaching in September and a competitive mid-term election in 2022, the Vermont Democratic Party is committed to using its resources to empower towns across Vermont!

The Vermont Democratic Party is calling their new initiative “251 in ’21,” named after the number of the towns and cities in our state.

Whether you’ve been organizing for years or you’re just getting started, please join us for the 1st meeting of 251 in ’21.

When: Tuesday February 2nd at 6:30 pm

Where: Virtual meeting

RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/vtdems/event/371883/

We’re looking for someone like you!

Dear Rutland County Democrat,

Are you committed to your community? Do you want to make a difference?

Have you ever thought of serving on your town’s Board of Aldermen or Select Board?

Are you interested in serving on your local School Board?

Do you know someone else who is?

Why? The Rutland County Democrats are here to help community members run for local seats. Too many towns are stagnating under the leadership of do-nothing politicians who still believe in outdated and ineffective trickle-down economics.

Who? We need people just like you—people who are willing to invest their time and effort in their communities. Together, we can build the kind of inclusive-minded region that works for everyone and brings in new opportunities.

When? Local elections are in early March, so it’s time to get to work!

Why now? We are facing unprecedented challenges. We need local government offices to be filled with people who represent our values.

Next steps: If you are interested or you know of someone who may be interested in running for a seat in the March elections please reach out to RutlandCountyDemocratsVT@gmail.com

Write-in Tabitha Moore for High Bailiff

In November, put the power back in the hands of the people!

We need a civilian with experience working in and with law enforcement serving as High Bailiff. As the one person in Rutland County who has authority to arrest the sheriff on state warrants, the High Bailiff has an important role in safeguarding our rights! But when this position is held by an acting member of law enforcement, a rivalry between the sheriff and the High Bailiff could lead to a misuse of power that undermines our safety. The opposite is just as dangerous—when the High Bailiff is just waiting his turn to become sheriff, it could lead to cronyism, with law enforcement escaping oversight as the sheriff and High Bailiff close ranks.

The High Bailiff’s position exists so that we can avoid that problem. The people chose to reserve oversight of the sheriff so that they would never be put in the position of being at the mercy of a corrupt system. So it only makes sense that we elect a civilian.

But this civilian needs to have experience working in and with law enforcement. They need to understand the demands of the job while never losing sight of what’s best for their community. Tabitha is that person.

At the Onondaga County Probation Center, Tabitha served as both the Assistant Director of Juvenile Detention Services and as a Probation officer. In these positions, Tabitha prepared social investigations and pre-sentence reports for the court; coordinated with families to divert youth from the justice system; acted as a liaison between families, judges and county attorneys; developed emergency safety plans; and supervised training for staff. She also delivered training to law enforcement in Tompkins County, NY on serving populations that do not receive the same level of service as other populations, including immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ community, Blacks, indigenous people, and people of color.

Tabitha is currently collaborating with law enforcement through her work on the Vermont State Police Fair and Impartial Policing Committee and the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council Fair and Impartial Policing Training Committee. And she is contracting with the Department of Corrections and the Town of Essex and Essex Police Department on community relationships and policing. In the past, she has also collaborated with:
* Vermont legislators working on several legislative items to improve policing in Vermont
* Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Michael Schirling, on the development of his 10 point plan
*Rutland City Police on efforts to improve community outreach and service.

But Tabitha’s qualifications don’t stop there. Her training and work in psychology and therapy make her well-qualified for de-escalating crises and mediating between various parties. As President of the Rutland Area NAACP and Training Coordinator at the University of Vermont, Tabitha has the administrative and leadership experience to step in temporarily for the sheriff if they’re incapacitated (until the Governor appoints a replacement). And as a mother with strong roots in the community, Tabitha will always prioritize the safety and well-being of the people of Rutland County.

Tabitha for High Bailiff!

Follow Tabitha on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TabithaMooreForHighBailiff

And learn more about her qualifications and the role of the High Bailiff: https://tabitha4rutland.wordpress.com/

Shorter election season – Volunteer now!

A shorter election season means we need to donate & volunteer for candidates now!

In the Vermont Primary, voters returned their mail-in ballots quickly!

• 10% were returned within 2 days of the voter receiving the ballot
• 25% were returned within 5 days of the voter receiving the ballot
• 50% were returned within 12 days of the voter receiving the ballot
• 75% were returned within 20 days of the voter receiving the ballot

Everyone in Vermont will automatically receive a mail-in ballot for the general election. And these mail-in ballots will be sent out in mid-September. So we need to be campaigning hard in September and October!

Tell your friends and family

Share this post with 10 of your friends and/or family members in Rutland County to make sure they got it. 

Share on social media

Are you on social media? Be sure to follow the candidates and the Rutland County Democrats:

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rutlanddems/
• Twitter @RutlandDemocrat
• Instagram rutlanddemocrats
• SnapChat – The Rutland County Democrats are also on SnapChat but they can’t figure out how to use it effectively. So if you or someone you know can help, send them our way.

Like and share posts. Write your own posts and tag the candidates and/or the Democrats and we’ll boost them!

Donate

Links to the candidates can be found at
https://rutland-democrats.org/candidate-resources/

Volunteer

Be on the lookout for details about doing a literature drop. We would be leaving literature at people’s doors, not knocking on the doors or having a conversation. We would be wearing masks and practicing social distancing. If we do this, we will be trying to hit the entire county by October 10^th. So we need a lot of volunteers!

Write postcards, make phone calls, and/or put out lawn signs for your favorite Rutland County candidate. Or join a Rutland County candidate in holding signs and waving at passersby! (While wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, of course.) This is a great way to boost visibility and name recognition for your candidate.

For Rutland County candidates, see the list of Events in our calendar or contact the candidates directly through the contact information listed here:
https://rutland-democrats.org/candidate-resources/

Phonebanking with the Vermont Democratic Party has already begun! Right now, they’re focusing on initial outreach to voters about the issues that matter to them. There will be more opportunities to phonebank for state-wide candidates in the future. To find an event, go here:
https://www.vtdemocrats.org/events

Letters to the editor

Write an op ed or a letter to the editor supporting your favorite candidate. Or share your reasons for not voting for their opponent – help inform the public! (for an example, see https://www.rutlandherald.com/opinion/letters/nix-peterson/article_dc483eba-6020-5131-bb33-8c5c1a230a05.html)

• Rutland Herald – https://www.rutlandherald.com/site/forms/letters
  • They’re now charging for letters to the editor in support of a candidate, and the letter is treated like an advertisement, and printed randomly throughout the paper rather than with the letters to the editor. Depending on length, the cost varies between $15 – $75. But we think that they’re still treating criticism of a candidate as a regular letter to the editor – printing it with the letters and not charging.
  • But it appears that the Rutland Herald is still treating letters that question a candidate’s qualifications as a regular letter to the editor. It looks like they’re being printed with the letters and I don’t believe that they’re charging.
• Mountain Times https://www.mountaintimes.info/contact-us/
• The Lakes Region Free Press  https://manchesternewspapers.com/contact-us/

Let us know if you need tips on what to write or want someone to proofread your letter. And if you’re not comfortable writing the letter yourself, but would be happy to put your name on a letter that someone else writes if the content strikes your fancy, we can help with that too!

The below tips for writing letters to the editor were derived from https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/write-letters-editor-really-get-attention/

WHY WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

• Newspaper editors see your letter, and editorial boards are important local institutions. They interview and endorse candidates during campaign season, and their opinions carry a lot of weight.
• Seniors see your letter. Seniors are seen as one of the big audiences for letters to the editor. They also vote in big numbers, something Legislators are also very aware of.

WHAT IF YOU’RE NOT COMFORTABLE WRITING?

Ask party leadership if they have letters that have already been written that you can submit under your name. Many election committees have volunteers churning these letters out. They will probably have a letter that really speaks to you and seems perfect for submission under your name.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR LETTER

1. Find your local newspaper’s Letters to the Editor submission email on their website.
2. Check the newspaper’s word limit, sometimes as low as 150-200 words.
3. Focus on 1 topic. If you have 2 points or your letter gets long, write a second letter. Be clear and concise.
4. Be yourself. You don’t need to talk like an academic or a policy expert. Remember, you’re a passionate constituent who other constituents might identify with—and that’s the most powerful thing you can be.
5. Include a couple of points, a statistic and a personal note.
6. Submit to smaller local papers, not just the nearest big city paper. You’ll have a better chance of getting published. And, it maximizes that feeling that the whole district is paying attention!
7. Many newspapers require a phone number. It won’t be published. This is just to verify your identity.

GET ATTENTION

1. QUESTION A BAD CANDIDATE’S “BRAND.” Pull from the “Biography” page of the candidate’s website.

• “Congresswoman Sara prides herself on being an independent voice that’s above the fray in Washington. But so far this year, she’s been a rubber stamp across the board…”  
• “Congresswoman Sara ran for office as a fiscally-responsible conservative. That’s why it’s ironic that she’s considering voting for this bill, which  ___.”

2. KNOW THEIR RECORD. Research a candidate’s record on their website, in the news or in the legislature.

• “Congresswoman Sara said that she would only vote for a bill that ___. Her record shows the opposite.”

3. CALL A BAD CANDIDATE OUT-OF-TOUCH WITH THE DISTRICT.

• “Does Congresswoman Sara think that (residents) are all ____?  What she doesn’t seem to realize is that we are also __.  Her decision to ____ was extremely out-of-touch.”

4. SHOW THEM YOU HAVE A LONG MEMORY. Talk about an issue that’s not in the headlines.

• “This Fourth of July, I am still shocked remembering Congresswoman Sara’s un-American comments on the Muslim ban, and I’m disappointed she has never apologized.”

5. PUT YOUR LETTER IN LOCAL TERMS… AND PUT A CANDIDATE ON THE SPOT.  

• “My family has always gone to ____ Hospital. I’m really concerned about what would happen to it under the new bill Congresswoman Sara is considering.”
• “With this spring’s flooding, (Town) is already feeling the effects of extreme weather. It’s amazing that Congresswoman Sara still raises any doubts about the science behind climate change.”

6. DEFY STEREOTYPES. Papers receive many letters from strong liberals/conservatives. Show you’re different.

• “While I may not always agree with Congresswoman Sara, I have always admired her commitment to making herself accessible to constituents all around the district. That’s why I’m so disappointed that___.”
• “I’ve supported candidates from both parties in the past. But Congresswoman Sara has really lost my respect with her steady shift towards ___.”

WHAT IF YOUR LETTER ISN’T PRINTED?

Don’t sweat it! It’s not personal. Newspapers get hundreds of submissions. They may print your next letter.

Your letter may help boost the signal on others’ letters even if it wasn’t published. When editors see a lot of letters coming in on a particular topic, they are more likely to print at least one on the topic.

You should still post the content of your letter on social media, tagging candidates you’re boosting. And email the content to RutlandCountyDemocratsVT@gmail.com to share on the Rutland County Democrats Facebook page.

Ultimately, letters to the editor are a long game. Keep trying. Your voice makes a difference.