September Link-up: The State of Education in Indiana and the MCCSC School Board

We have invited the candidates for MCCSC School Board to come and talk to us about themselves, their reasons for running for this office, and their views about the state of Public Education in Monroe County and Indiana in general.

Date: September 6, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Nick’s English Hut – 423 E. Kirkwood Av

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Sixth Annual DFMC Picnic and Disc Golf Tournament

Get out your discs and start practicing for the Sixth Annual Democracy For Monroe County Picnic and Disc Golf Tournament. Enjoy good food, good music, and good friends while helping support Democracy for Monroe County (DFMC) in its mission to recruit, train, and support socially and economically progressive candidates at the local, state, and federal levels.

Date: Sunday, September 30, 2018
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Location: Karst Farm Park, Shelter #2

Tickets are $15 per person and $25 per family (one or two adults with children 17 and under), and you can purchase them on line by clinking on the link below,

or by asking one of our Board Members.

The the entry fee to the Disk Golf tournament is $10, and the winner will receive a $50 BloomingBucks certificate, redeemable at many of our fine local establishments.

There will also be a silent auction of fine gifts.

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August Link-up: Passing the Microphone to the Youth: The Bloomington South Young Democrats

Join DFMC as we host Nidhi Krishnan, Co-President of the Bloomington South Young Democrats and Vice Chair of the Ninth District Indiana Young Democrats; and Darby FitzSimmons, a member of the Bloomington South Young Democrats, and a volunteer for the Liz Watson campaign.  These two young activists will talk about their experience in navigating their way into political activism, and about the actions they have taken. Some topics will be gun violence and youth, working with school administration, and volunteering on local and statewide campaigns.

Date: August 2, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Crazy Horse – 214 W. Kirkwood Ave

 

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June Link-up

Charles and David Koch are two of the most dangerous men in America. They don’t threaten us with guns or bombs or anything like that.  Their weapon of choice is money.  For our June Link-up, we are going to show a documentary about these two men and how they use their vast wealth to subvert and, if they get their way, destroy our American Democracy.

Date: Thursday, June 7, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location Crazy Horse – 214 W. Kirkwood Ave

After the documentary, we will hear from Victoria Lincourt from the student organization Un-Koch IU who will tell us about the dangerous influence they have here at IU.

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Responses by our Endorsed Candidates to our 2018 Questionnaire

As part of DFMC’s Endorsement Process, we send all candidates Questionnaires for them to fill out and send back to us.  Their responses are then shared with our members. Click on the link below to read the responses of our Endorsed Candidates who are currently involved in contested primaries.

DFMC Endorsed Candidates Responses to the DFMC Candidate 2018 Questionnaire

After the Primary Election, we will post the responses of those Endorsed Candidates who have Republican opponents in the General Election.

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May Link-up: May Day and the Workers Project

In honor of May Day our May Link-up will be on May 1 instead of our usual first Thursday. Jobs with Justice is co-hosting this event.

Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Upland Brewing Co. Reception Room – 350 W. 11th St

Our guest speaker will be Tom Lewendowski co-founder of the Workers Project in Fort Wayne Indiana. This project seeks to create a bond between union members and non-union members – workers of all stripes – white, Latino, black, Asian, undocumented, unemployed – and to organize them all into one community. Long before Trump came along with his bigoted fear mongering which pitted union workers against non-union workers, whites against people of color, and everyone against undocumented people, the Workers Project was working on the premise that they all are in the same boat and that, as Tom so colorfully put it, “if they’re f—d, we’re f—d.”

Free beer and hors d’oeurves will be served.

For more information about the Workers Project go to:
https://www.thenation.com/…/in-gop-country-a-small-labor-o…/
and
https://www.nytimes.com/…/american-working-class-future.html

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DFMC Candidate Endorsements


The members of Democracy For Monroe County met tonight at our April Link-up and voted to endorse the following candidates:

E. Thomasina Marsili for State Representative, District 46
Penny Githens for State Representative, District 60
Amy Swain for State Representative, District 62
Jared Stancombe for State Representative, District 65

Nicole Browne for County Clerk
Erika Oliphant for Prosecuting Attorney
Eric Schmitz for County Recorder
Brad Swain for Sheriff

Lee Jones for County Commissioner, District 1
Shelli Yoder for County Council, District 1
L. Kate Wiltz for County Council, District 2
Eric Spoonmoore for County Council, District 4

Chris Gaal for Circuit Court Judge, Division 6, Seat 2
Catherine Stafford for Circuit Court Judge, Division 6, Seat 3
Darcie Fawcett for Circuit Court Judge, Division 9, Seat 8

Michelle Bright for Benton Township Trustee
Kim Alexander for Bloomington Township Trustee

Congratulations to all of these candidates!

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April Link-up: Endorsements

In April of every election year, DFMC Members meet at our monthly Link-up to determine which candidates we will endorse.  This year we have an overabundance of good candidates, and in some of the contested primary races choosing which candidate to endorse will be difficult.  We may even end up remaining neutral.  What’s really great about our endorsement process is that, while the Endorsements Committee may make recommendations, you, the members, will make the final decision.

If you have joined before March 6, at 11:59 PM you are qualified to vote.  Non-members, however, are most welcome to attend.

Date: April 5, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
LocationCrazy Horse, 214 W. Kirkwood Ave

This past month, DFMC hosted three candidate forums. For one of them we partnered with the Monroe County Democratic Black Caucus.  You can watch them on CATS at the links below

County and Township Offices Forum

Justice Forum

Legislative Forum

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DFMC Legislative Forum

Our third and final Candidates Forum will feature the candidates for Indiana State House of Representatives whose districts intersect with Monroe County. These are E. Tomasina Marsili (District 46), Penny Githens (District 60), Matt Pierce (District 61), Amy Swain (District 62), and Jared Stancombe (District 65).

Date: Monday, March 26, 2018
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location:  Bloomington City Council Chamber, 401 N. Morton St.

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Justice Forum

Join Democracy For Monroe County and the Monroe County Democratic Caucus for a forum featuring the candidates for Monroe County Sheriff, Prosecutor, and Circuit Court Judge (Division 2, Seat 2; Division 6, Seat 3; and Division 9, Seat 8).

Date: Monday, March 19, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Monroe County Library Auditorium, 303 E Kirkwood Ave

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