I’m sure that most, if not all, of us support Amendment 2 on November’s ballot that would gradually increase Florida’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. I’m also sure that most of us aren’t content to simply vote for the people and constitutional amendments that will benefit our families, communities, and economy. We want to
By Catherine Baxter, Charlotte Dems writer Editor’s note: Adapted from articles by Nick Hanauer and David M. Rolf for Time, and Rick Wartzman for Fast Company Most of us have heard the news that 39% of Americans lack the ability to pay a $400 emergency bill, either at all or without borrowing. This fact
By Alex Schiller, Lehigh Acres, FL. Editor’s note: On October 2nd Alex Schiller published the following commentary on Facebook. Alex lives in Lehigh Acres, FL. Follow him if you like his writing. “Y’know it’s odd. The Barrett nomination ceremony was such an unnecessary spectacle. Almost exclusively attended by Republicans, in close proximity, with few masks.
By Joe Pennisi, Charlotte County Dems writer If you’re like me and most Floridians, you believe that governing is most efficient, and its policies are most responsive to our needs when it is conducted at the local level. Unfortunately, our Republican-controlled state legislature and Governor don’t agree. Together, they have accelerated a disturbing trend in
By Michele Moe, invited guest writer In the November 2018 election, Amendment 4 passed with 65% of the votes. Effective January 8, 2019, it restored ‘…voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions (except murder and sexual assault) after completion of all terms of sentence including parole or probation’ to 1.4 million ex-felons in Florida which
Editor’s note: This story appeared in the September 24, 2020 issue of New York Magazine. Charlotte County has reported over 3000 cases and 135 deaths attributed to COVID-19. By Zak Cheney-Rice Florida governor Ron DeSantis is pushing an anti-protest bill that would shield people who use their cars to kill demonstrators from legal liability, among other provisions.
By Catherine Baxter, Charlotte County Dems writer The latest threat to the health of millions of Americans is looming large – the death of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Enacted in stages from 2010-2014, the ACA required employers with over 50 full-time employees to provide health insurance. It subsidized coverage for those who earned under
On March 2, 2020, there were 102 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. There now have been more than 7 million cases resulting in over 200,000 American deaths. Over 200,000 Americans dead. Read that line again … By Sarah Lewerenz, Attorney at Law and Charlotte County Dems writer Over 200,000 Americans have died of
By Catherine Baxter, Charlotte County Dems writer It’s a confusing and frustrating sequence of events surrounding Florida’s unemployment payments. The extra $600 per week in benefits provided by the Federal Government expired in July, and Congress has been unable to come to an agreement on further federal aid. In the meantime, Florida’s unemployment payouts shrunk
By Denise Candea, Charlotte County Dems writer The Charlotte Sun newspaper recently featured a full-page story about cosmetic Botox. It seems that our COVID-induced “quarantine” has some folks unhappy with their Zoom faces. Since we’re wearing masks in public anyway, this may be the ideal time for secret cosmetic surgery. It’s expensive and not
By Linda Porterfield, Charlotte County Dems writer A recent executive order could seriously alter your retirement plans and income, as well as critical income for children and persons with disabilities. Under the guise of stimulating our struggling economy, Trump’s recent executive order to temporarily eliminate the payroll tax could turn into a permanent action if
Dr. Joseph Pepe, the Administrator at the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County, will be the program speaker at the Charlotte County Democratic Women’s Club Zoom meeting on September 14 at 4:00 p.m. A short business meeting will follow the program. More information is available by emailing dwcofcharlottecounty@gmail.com. Please register at least 24
State Committeewoman at Charlotte County Democratic Party and Precinct Captain #38 at Charlotte County Democratic Party – Dr. Lucy Huyke Garner Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a Charlotte County Dems Profile series, Influencers, by Linda Conklin, a Charlotte County Dems writer. Dr. Lucy Huyke Garner demonstrates her influence by listening. When talking with
Denise Candea, Charlotte County Dems writer Last Saturday I participated in a sign-waving event for the Biden/Harris presidential ticket at the Charlotte County Democratic Offices at 3596 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte. Most cars passed peacefully, many waving and honking support. As is typical, some expressed their disapproval with the upraised middle-finger salute. Or one
By Nikki Fried, a Democrat and Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Editor’s note: This is an August 27th article previously published at https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/trump-economy-keeping-america-great At this week’s Republican National Convention, President Trump is focusing on the economy as a way to distract from his scattershot response to COVID-19. If Trump wants to talk about the economy, that’s fine
Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a Charlotte County Dems Profile series, Influencers, by Linda Conklin, a Charlotte County Dems writer. Florida Democratic Party State Committeeman representing Charlotte County-Tom Garner Growing up in a small community seemed idyllic to Tom Garner. “I felt everything I could ever want was right there in Gritney, Florida”,
by Charlotte County Dems The Labor Movement built the American middle class. We enjoy the end to child labor, better pay, 40-hour workweek, overtime pay, health insurance, family and medical leave, worker safety, and much more because workers fought for their well-earned and fair compensations. Labor Day celebrates these hard-fought gains. According to the U.
By Denise Candea, Charlotte County Dems writer Many American employees have nothing to celebrate this Labor Day. They are the hourly, low-wage workers that makeup almost 50% of the American workforce. While the unemployment rate had been low at 3.5%, there was a caveat: 63% of all new pre-pandemic jobs were low-wage, low-hour jobs; with
Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, healthcare workers are putting their lives on the line as they take care of their patients. Who is taking care of healthcare workers? The answer is the same now is it has been for over 100 years: workers organizing and uniting to demand better pay and working conditions. A strong
By Linda Porterfield, Charlotte County Dems Writer On August 31st, the 19 Charlotte County public schools were originally scheduled to officially open for a full school week as mandated by an executive order declared by our governor. Now on hold, an unknown number of the county’s 12,000 students and 1000 teachers protected by no clear
By Denise Candea, Charlotte County Dems writer Donald J. Trump is not as smart as he and his base think he is. Trump; the businessman who wrote, The Art of the Deal, and convinced a sizable percentage of the electorate that he “alone could fix it”. Trump; the president who has politicized, weaponized, or monetized