Livingston Dems' 'Defend the Dream' Winans Dinner Kicks off 2012 Election Season

The American Dream -- we all know what it is, but President Barack Obama has put it into words for us. In his 2011 State of the Union speech, President Obama told Congress and the nation:

"As contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, I know there isn’t a person here who would trade places with any other nation on Earth. We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our Constitution. We may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. We may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dream that says this is a country where anything’s possible. No matter who you are. No matter where you come from."

But since 2010, from Washington to Lansing, the American Dream has been under vicious attack. The idea of America as "a place where you can make it if you try" is eroding, as more and more protections for working families are dismantled. Livingston County Democrats know that the future of working people will be on the line in the November election and we are gearing up to Defend the Dream during the 2012 election campaign.

Livingston County Democrats will kick off the 2012 election season next month with their 29th annual Winans Dinner with the theme "Defend the Dream." A great line-up of invited guests highlights the evening.

The event, set for Friday, May 11, includes U.S. Sen. Carl Levin as the top invited guest, as well as Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer. Democratic nominees for the Michigan Supreme Court, Bridget McCormack and the Hon. Shelia Johnson have confirmed that they will attend, as well as Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing.

Candidates for state and local office will also be on hand, including Shanda Willis, candidate for the state House from the 42nd District, and Shawn Lowe Desai, candidate for the state House from the 47th District, as well as Matt Evans, candidate for Livingston County Prosecutor.

The event is the Livingston Dems' most important fund-raiser of the year. Funds from the dinner will help support Democratic candidates up and down the ticket Defend the Dream of America as a place where "you can make it if you try."

Tickets are $50 per person through April 30 and $60 per person after that. The event, which begins at 6 p.m., includes a cash bar, snacks, dinner, and a silent auction. Vegetarian options are available with advance notice. You can order tickets on-line through ActBlue.

Call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@gmail.com for more information.

Biggest Phone Booth in the World

Years ago, a local newspaper in Livingston County thought it would be cute to depict the size of the Livingston County Democratic Party by photographing three of its members in a phone booth. Yeah, a phone booth, that's how long ago it was.

More proof that the analogy is out of date came Friday night at Lakelands Golf and Country Club where local Democrats packed the dining room to hear U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, and United Auto Workers Vice President Cindy Estrada.

Not only was the turh-out great, it was also an enthusiastic crowd, which buzzed with conversation all night long and gave Stabenow a standing ovation.

As I looked around the room, all I could think of was, "This is the biggest phone booth in the world."

John Conyers Joining Line-Up at Livingston Dems' Dinner

U.S. Rep. John Conyers is joining the line-up of speakers at the Livingston County Democrats' 28th annual Winans Dinner on Friday.

The Detroit Democrat, serving his 23rd term in the House, joins U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada as speakers for the event at Lakelands Golf and Country Club in Hamburg Township.

Conyers is the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, which overseas the Department of Justice, including the FBI, and the federal courts, and has jurisdiction over matters including civil rights, consumer protection, and constitutional issues. He is one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Friday's event begins with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. A few tickets remain at $60 and can be reserved by emailing livcodems@sbcuc.net or calling (810) 229-4212. The event includes snacks, a cash bar, dinner, and a silent auction.

Dinners, Golf, Drummond Island Stay All Up for Bid On Line

If you like good food, golf, concert tickets, political memorabilia, and more, there is something for you in the Silent Auction for the Livingston County Democrats' upcoming Winans Dinner fund-raiser.

The May 20 event at Lakelands Golf and Country Club in Hamburg Township will feature U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow as the guest speaker. Tickets are $50 per person through May 9, and then $60, which covers not only dinner but snacks, a cash bar, and the silent auction. Still in school? Student tickets are just $20 each.

But if you can't make the dinner, you can still have part of the fun! For the first time ever, Livingston County Democrats have put their silent auction on line. A growing list of items is available here. You can look over the list of items, with the minimum bidding requirements, and then just email your bid to winansdinner@gmail.com.

Livingston County Dems are still looking for items so if you have something to donate, call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net.

So start shopping, Democrats! It's a great way to help a small Democratic party in Michigan get ready for 2012!

Come Hear Senator Stabenow in Livingston County!

Sen. Debbie Stabenow has been standing up for us in Washington, D.C., for years now -- fighting for children, women, and working people. Just recently, she demanded that members of Congress forfeit their pay if they failed to avoid a government shutdown. There has been no stronger voice against the Republican extremists than Debbie Stabenow.

So you won't want to miss a chance to hear Senator Stabenow right here in Livingston County. Senator Stabenow is the featured speaker at the Livingston County Dems' annual Winans Dinner on Friday, May 20, at Lakelands Golf and Country Club, 8760 Chilson Road, in Hamburg Township.

The event begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 at the early bird rate, good through May 9, and $60 after that and at the door. Student tickets are available at $20. The price includes snacks, cash bar, dinner, and a silent auction.

Come hear Senator Stabenow update us on the battles in Washington to preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, programs to protect women's health, and other progressive priorities.

You can reserve your tickets by calling Livingston County Democrats' headquarters at (810) 229-4212 or emailing the party at livcodems@sbcuc.net. You also can mail a check to Livingston County Democrats, 10321 Grand River Road, Suite 600, Brighton, MI 48116. Be sure to tell us how many tickets you would like and the names of the attendees.

Don't wait! Reserve now to hear Senator Stabenow right here in Livingston County!

Cherry, Conyers Highlight Dems' Dinner

A pair of top political leaders – Lt. Gov. John Cherry and U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Detroit – will keynote the 27th annual Winans Dinner sponsored by the Livingston County Democrats next week.

Cherry and Conyers will be the highlight of the event being held Friday, May 7, at Lakelands Golf and Country Club in Hamburg Township.

"We are honored to have two speakers coming to our event who have such distinguished records of service to the people of Michigan. Each one is inspiring but the two together will deliver a powerful message designed to drive us to continue fighting for change in November," said Judy Daubenmier, chair of the Livingston County Democrats.

The theme of the event is, "We don’t quit," based on a line from President Obama’s 2010 State of the Union speech.

The event will allow attendees to meet the candidate for the Democratic nomination for 8th District Congress, Kande Ngalamulume of East Lansing, as well as Democratic candidates for the state Senate, state House, and county commission.

John Cherry is in his second term as lieutenant governor under Governor Jennifer Granholm. Prior to being tapped as her running mate, Cherry served more than 20 years in the Michigan House and Senate, where he was minority leader. He was named one of Michigan’s Most Effective Legislators by The Detroit News and in 2005 was named the Conservationist of the Year by the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC). He is the immediate past Chair of the Great Lakes Commission and also has served as Chair of the National Lieutenant Governor's Association.

Throughout his career, Cherry has focused on families and education, including heading a commission on higher education and economic growth which underscored the role of higher education in creating and keeping jobs in Michigan. As a legislator, he wrote or co-sponsored several important laws dealing with workers’ rights, environmental protection, and conservation. He and his family live in Genesee County.

John Conyers, who represents Michigan’s 14th Congressional District, is the head of the House Judiciary Committee. Elected to Congress from Detroit in 1964, Conyers is the nation’s second-longest serving member of Congress, behind fellow Michigan Congressman John Dingell. He was present in Selma, Alabama, in 1963 for Freedom Day, was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus and was one of the original members of the Nixon Enemies List.

As the head of the House Judiciary Committee, he has worked for national health care, has investigated torture in Iraq, and fought the abuses of the George Bush administration.

Ngalamulume, 31, grew up in East Lansing and is a graduate of Michigan State University. He left Michigan after graduation to work for a health insurance company in Philadelphia, but quit his job to return to Michigan and run against Republican Mike Rogers.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour featuring a cash bar. Besides dinner, the event will include a silent auction. Tickets are $50 per person until April 30 and then $60.

Please contact the Livingston County Democrats at 810-229-4212 by email at livcodems@sbcuc.net, or by mail at Livingston County Democrats, 10321 Grand River Road, Suite 600, Brighton, MI 48116 for more information. Checks may be made out to Livingston County Democrats.

The Winans Dinner is named in honor of Michigan’s first Democratic governor after the Civil War, Edwin Winans of Hamburg Township, who served in Congress before being elected governor in 1891.

Benson Has Makings of Dynamite Candidate

Theoretically, the race for secretary of state is in danger of being overshadowed during the 2010 campaign by all the other important races on the ballot -- the governor, key state Senate races, attorney general, and Supreme Court.

But a woman seeking the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State will have no problem breaking through the clutter and attracting attention to the race. Jocelyn Benson is an energetic candidate who already has deep knowledge of the role of secrtary of state and passionately believes in the right to vote and the state's obligation to proactively protect it and even promote it.

Benson spoke at the Livingston County Democrats' 26th annual Winans Dinner on Sunday (May 3, 2009) at Lakelands Golf and Country Club, south of Brighton. She was a hit. And so were her ideas, including no reason absentee voting and audits of voting machine performance.

Benson is not a politician looking for a promotion, but a law professor with a background of working on voting rights projects.

She already is putting together a strong campaign, including working on getting coordinators in each of Michigan's 83 counties. Jordan Genso has the job in Livingston.

If Benson gets the nomination, she will be hard to beat.

Freeman Launches Website; Will Gubernatorial Bid Follow?

John Freeman, a former member of the Michigan House, has a new website up: johnfreeman.org.

Freeman is using it to solicit ideas about ways to improve Michigan.

Often mentioned as a likely candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010, Freeman is now leading the Michigan chapter of Health Care for Michigan Now.

You'll get a chance to meet him at the Livingston Dems' 26th annual Winans Dinner coming up on Sunday, May 3.

Tickets are available by calling (810) 229-4212 or emailing livcodems@sbcuc.net.

Second Great Speaker Confirmed for Winans!

Not one, but two, potential statewide candidates in 2010 are now confirmed for the Livingston Dems' 26th Annual Winans Dinner.

John Freeman, a possible candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, is joining Jocelyn Benson, a likely candidate for Secretary of State, in speaking at the Sunday, May 3, event at Lakelands Golf and Country Club.

Freeman served in the Michigan House from 1992 to 1998, representing Madison Heights, Hazel Park, and Royal Oak before being term limited. In the House he worked on bills creating a State Earned Income Tax Credit, expanding the bottle deposit law to cover juice and water drinks and amending the Clean Air Act to prevent new incinerators from being located near schools, neighborhoods, hospitals and nursing homes.

Freeman now is director of Health Care for America Now, which recently issued a report warning that health care costs are ruining Michigan’s manufacturing base and suggesting that national health care reform will boost the nation’s economy.

He has worked on other issues, too -- organizing home health care workers, fighting to raise the minimum wage, and working with the poor as a community organizer for ACORN in Louisiana and other states.

Make sure you hear what John has to say about health care reform -- and about 2010.

Call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net for more information.

Michigan's Next Secretary of State Speaking at May Dinner

The person who wants to be Michigan's next secretary of state will be one of the speakers at the Livingston County Democrats' annual Winans Dinner.

Jocelyn Benson, election law professor at Wayne State University and founder of the Richard Austin Center on Election Law and Administration, will speak at the event scheduled for Sunday, May 3, at Lakelands Golf and Country Club in Hamburg Township.

Benson has recently opened an exploratory committee to seek the Democratic party nomination for Michigan Secretary of State in 2010. And she has a website up.

Benson has made protecting and advocating for fair elections an important part of her life. In 2005, she helped the Democratic National Committee establish its first nationwide Election Protection effort.

Announcements on other special guests for the evening are coming soon so be sure to make your reservations. Early-bird tickets are $50, a $10 savings off the regular price. Call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net for more information.

Gettelfinger at Winans Dinner on Video

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger gave a rousing speech at the Livingston County Democrats' 25th annual Winans Dinner last month.

Now everybody in Michigan can see Gettelfinger for themselves, thanks to the magic of youtube.

Click on our link to youtube on the right of the page. There are several videos of the evening to choose from.

Enjoy!

Gettelfinger on Video

Did you miss UAW President Ron Gettelfinger Saturday night at Livingston County Democrats' 25th annual Winans Dinner?

The Livingston Press and Argus has a few video snippets up from our videotape of the event available here.

Livingston Democrats will have the full video up in a few days.

Gettelfinger: Joining Union Is Not Enough

Anyone would expect UAW President Ron Gettelfinger to talk about the importance of being a union member. But when he spoke to the Livingston County Democrats' Winans Dinner on Saturday (April 19, 2008) he told unions members not to stop there.

He spent the earlier part of his day attending his 11th District Democratic Convention, where he was elected an uncommitted delegate to the Democratic National Convention, even though Michigan's delegates remain barred from being there.

"To me, it's like going to a union meeting," Gettelfinger told the crowd at the Hamburg VFA Hall, adding that's because Democrats and union members both are interesting in "reaching out and taking care of people in need."

"We have a lot of the same philosophies. We value each other," he said.

"I love being a Democrat. I love being a union person," he said. "It's wonderful to see people come out on a Saturday night to functions like this and help the party grow."

Gettelfinger thanked people like Bob Alexander, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional seat, and Donna Anderson, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the 66th District in the Michigan House, for taking on the grueling task of running for office.

"It's so important that people get involved. I thought I'd come in here and there'd be three of us. But you can see something's happening out here," he said.

But Gettelfinger challenged the audience to do more.

"It's important for all of us, not to stand up here and give a talk and leave. That's not what it's about. It's about being willing to go out (and work). What's more important than registering another voter? What's more important than talking to a voter about the issues?" he said.

Gettelfinger dismissed suggestions that unions tell members how to vote. "We want to let people know what the issues are and then if they want to vote against themselves, they can do it," he said.

While some union members might be concerned about moral issues, Gettelfinger said moral issues should not stop with matters such as sexuality. Homeless veterans, people without jobs, and seniors needing prescription drugs are all moral issues, he pointed out.

And he said people should remember to vote the full ballot, not just the top of the ticket, because races such as the Michigan Supreme Court are critically important for working people, too.

"We're going to win. Yes we are. We're going to win," he said. "There's no greater equalizer than the voting booth. There's power in that voting booth, only if you use it."

(Above, Ron Gettelfinger talks to UAW retiree JoAnn Murphy and others at the 25th annual Winans Dinner.)

Gettelfinger's Message: Everybody Is Just As Important As the Next Person

Ron Gettelfinger, who rose from the assembly line to the head of his union, has never forgotten where he came from.

That was obvious Saturday (April 19, 2008) when Gettelfinger spoke to Livingston County Democrats at the 25th annual Winans Dinner.

"Everybody is just as important as the next person," Gettelfinger told the more than 150 people at the event at the Hamburg VFW Hall, in Michigan's Livingston County.

Based on his behavior, Gettelfinger believes it. The president of the UAW arrived for the 6 p.m. event, stayed the entire evening, and mingled freely with everyone in the crowd, working his way from table to table to shake hands with anyone who wanted to visit with him. Above, he introduces his wife, Judy, to guests at one table.

And after downing his dinner, he sat for a lengthy interview with reporters.

Then in a rousing keynote speech, Gettelfinger laid out his belief in the fundamental equality of all human beings.

When the United Auto Workers lobbies for measures such as an increase in the minimum wage, it's not UAW members who benefit, he said, since its members make more than that. Millions of non-represented workers benefit. And improvements in worker safety laws benefit all people, not just union members, he said.

"We're proud of who we are and what we stand for," the UAW president said.

Recently, he said, a fellow union employee told him of stopping to fill up for gas at a gas pump and noticed the total left on the pump from the previous customer -- $1.79. "That's a world a lot of people don't see," he said.

Gettelfinger also justified the union's support for single payer, universal health care that covers everybody.

"Why shouldn't the person who comes to my home and picks up my garbage have the same health care as a CEO? Their life is just as important," Gettelfinger said.

Concern over UAW retiree benefits is what prompted the UAW to want to take over administering health benefits for Delphi Automotive Systems workers in 2005, he said, noting that employers have figured out how to declare bankruptcy, move operations overseas, rake in millions of profits, and walk away from their obligations to past employees.

In its 2007 contracts with automakers, the union also agreed to administer health care, and Gettelfinger promised, "You don't have to worry about your health care ... There will be health care for every retiree who is retired today and into the next 80years. We're confident of that."

Gettelfinger stressed that the UAW values the auto industry and wants to see it survive because of its importance as an economic engine. As a result, he said the union had made many recent sacrifices in order to preserve jobs.

Yet he said those sacrifices seem to go unnoticed by news reporters who focus on "greedy unions" while ignoring excessive executive compensation.

While Gettelfinger mentioned the head of American Axle, who made $258 million between 1997 and 2007 and now "wants workers to work for nothing," he made it clear that the problem is broader than that. In 1976, the average chief executive officer's salary was 36 times the average worker's salary. In 1993, it was 131 times as great. But by 2005, the average CEO was making 369 times the average worker's pay.

"Why is somebody not talking about that?" he asked. "It does make my blood boil when I see what these executives are rewarding themselves with based on the performance of their workers."

Gettelfinger said he was willing to take criticism in the media for bringing up those issues.

But he got little criticism from Saturday's audience, which interrupted him several times with applause.

Stay tuned for more posts on other themes in Gettelfinger's talk

Oh, What a Night!

Oh, What a Night!

Only the words of the Frankie Vallie classic capture the rush I felt last night at the Livingston County Democratic Party 25th annual Winans' Dinner.

We had a great crowd. No more jokes about Livingston County Democrats meeting in phone booths, please.

And we had a tremendous speaker -- UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who let everybody know that he, the UAW, and the Democratic Party care about all working people, not just union members.

Several news organizations turned out to cover Gettelfinger, as shown by the news conference captured in the accompanying photo.

We'll have more coverage to come, but in the meantime, you can catch traditional media's coverage.

The Ann Arbor News stressed on-going strike negotiations. Local Michigan television did the same.

And so did The Associated Press coverage, which showed up many places:

International Herald Tribune.
Minnneapolis Star-Tribune.
San Francisco Chronicle.
Lexington Herald Leader.
Boston Herald.
Toledo Blade.
Yahoo News.

Gettelfinger had a lot more to talk about than local strikes. That's why we can't depend on just traditional media to find out about Democratic politics. Check back for more soon!

Tickets for Gettelfinger Going Fast -- Don't Get Left Out!

Only a few tickets remain for the Livingston County Democratic Party's fund-raiser with UAW President Ron Gettelfinger this Saturday (April 19, 2008).

This is an event that you won't want to miss. Not only did Gettelfinger negotiate labor contracts with the Big 3 auto companies, but he also has been in the thick of negotiations over the fate of Michigan's delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

Besides Gettelfinger, other honored guests at the 25th annual Winans Dinner include state Sen. Hansen Clarke of Detroit, state Rep. Anna Wheeler Smith of Salem and Bob Alexander, candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House in the 8th Congressional District.

The event begins at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m., at the VFW Hall in Hamburg, 8891 Spicer Road. (See the livcodemocrats.org website for a map.) Tickets are $60 a person, or free for monthly pledgers.

Call 810-229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net today to reserve your seat. This event may sell out so don't delay!

UAW Leader Gettelfinger to Speak in Livingston

Ron Gettelfinger, an advocate for working men and women and the head of the United Auto Workers, will be the featured speaker at the Livingston Democrats' annual Winans Dinner, set for April 19.

Gettelfinger is a strong backer of universal health care and of a program to re-industrialize the nation with a modern-day domestic "Marshall Plan" to build energy-saving vehicles. He also has been a critic of international trade agreements that fail to protect workers' rights and the environment, and of the corporate drive to scour the globe for the lowest possible wages.

"Ron Gettelfinger is the ideal speaker to address many of the pressing issues that are worrying Livingston County residents -- good-paying jobs, health care, energy-efficiency, and globalization," said Donna Anderson, county vice-chair and chair of the Winans Dinner commuittee.

"Mr. Gettelfinger's appeal extends beyond union members to all of us who work for a living or care about someone who does."

The Winans Dinner, Livingston Democrats' most important annual fund-raising event, will be Saturday, April 19, 2008, at the Hamburg VFW Hall. The event begins at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $60 a person (or free to monthly party pledgers.)

Anderson said that Gettelfinger is known as an excellent speaker and tickets are expected to go quickly. Invitations to the event have been mailed to some 1,100 Livingston Democrats. Anyone wishing to receive tickets may call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net.

Earlier this year, Automotive News named Gettelfinger its Person of the Year for his leadership during delicate contract negotiations with automakers during 2007.

A one-time chassis line repairman at Ford's Louisville Assembly plant, Gettelfinger has been a member of the UAW since 1964. His co-workers elected him to represent them as committeeperson, bargaining chair and president.

Gettelfinger served as the elected director of UAW Region 3, which represents UAW members in Indiana and Kentucky, for six years before being elected a UAW vice president in 1998. He was elected president in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.

Gettelfinger is a graduate of Indiana University. He is married and he and his wife, Judy, have two adult children and four grandchildren.

Save the Date! Winans Dinner Coming in April

Get out your red pens and circle the date, Democrats. Livingston County Democrats will party-down at their annual Winans Dinner on April 19. The event, beginning at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m., will be held at the Hamburg VFW Hall. The site is entirely proper because Gov. Edwin Winans, the first Democrat elected governor of Michigan after the Civil War, was from Hamburg Township.

Tickets will be $60 apiece, the same as last year. People who have made monthly pledges, however, will receive up to two free tickets, based on the amount of their pledges.

We are working to line up two exciting speakers whom you won't want to miss.

The Silent Auction also will return. The party is looking for donations of new or like-new items, as well as services, that can be featured in the auction. Can you cook a special dinner for six? Or deliver a freshly-baked pie to an auction winner every month for a year? Be creative!

As time goes on, we'll feature posts on some of the items in the silent auction so you can plan your bidding strategy in advance. Or just save your money so you can bid on everything.

After all, the money goes to a good cause -- Livingston County Democrats!