THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE OUR GALA POSSIBLE

Our 2025 Democracy Dinner was a complete success! As I mentioned last week, we sold every ticket. Preliminary accounting indicates we took in more than $25,000. I am unable to fully express my gratitude for all who made our annual Gala such a huge success. However, I would like to make a few acknowledgements.

Thank you to all the ticket holders, donors, and volunteers (especially whoever stuffed all the fudge into those party favor bags). You made it possible for us all to enjoy the evening with our keynote guest, the Honorable Jim Jones.

I would also like to thank Sarah Andrews for a beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner which opened our event.

We saw people we had not seen in a while and enjoyed good hearted commentary from our host Brian Seguin. We were also graced with the presence of former Idaho State Senators Mary Lou Reed and Mike Blackbird, as well as former Idaho State Representative George Saylor. In addition to our local contingent, Democrats from Boundary, Bonner, Benewah, Clearwater, and Latah Counties all showed up. And, for the second year in a row, the Spokane County Democrats bought a table.

Representatives of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations and the Democrats and Republicans Together (DART) were also in attendance. Moreover, several well-known Republicans, who wished to remain unnamed, were present. (Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us).

And finally, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea flew in and closed out the evening with a fine sendoff message to keep the faith.

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Many of you have contacted me to express your dismay over the current crisis in our nation’s capital and I certainly share your feelings. Consequently, I reached out to one of my mentors for any advice he might offer. To my surprise, he sounded almost gleeful, saying: “How do you like having the chance to save our entire Nation?”

It took a moment for me to comprehend his remark. What he was implying was that in times of crisis and uncertainty, “We the People” are given the responsibility to step forward and do something about it. Therefore, we must not allow the Republicans to grind our Democracy to dust. Their malfeasance is not just a “Constitutional Crisis,” it is criminal. In other words, if left to their own devices, they will likely succeed in accomplishing an administrative coup.

It is true that the Democratic Party has limited political power in Washington DC right now. As Idaho Democrats, we know what that is like for it is exactly the situation we have faced in Boise for decades. But that does not mean that Democrats are without influence.

First, we can raise our voices. Yes, this includes protest marches which are beginning to take shape. However, what is most impactful is our persistent commitment to messaging our elected representatives. Making constant and repeated phone calls and emails are essential.

Adam Bennet, who received this year’s “Rising Star Award” pointed out that Reclaim Idaho is in the Idaho Capitol monitoring the Legislature every day during its three-month session. Reclaim issues regular calls-to-action. So please sign up to receive the Reclaim Idaho Newsletter to stay in the loop.

And don’t forget to add the names and contact information for all your elected representatives to your contact list. If you still don’t know who your representatives are, please go to the Take Action page on our website. Then, each week (or more often as needed), send a message politely explaining your objection to the Republicans’ latest heinous legislation, or Trump’s latest executive order, or Musk’s latest government intrusions and over-reaches. If you need help composing your response, take your wording directly from your favorite news source. The point is to voice your opposition now, before these horrendous actions are allowed to take hold.

Secondly, I want to talk to you about financial support. As I said in my opening remarks, the funds we raised at the Democracy Dinner are deeply appreciated and they will give us a big shot in the arm. The fact is, we currently depend on social events like this for almost all our income. Yet, that’s not really the way a political organization like ours is supposed to work.

Ideally, we need a steady stream of income to strengthen and build our political movement. Recurring and reliable giving also allows us to budget and plan more confidently. So, if you believe in what we do and have the means to help, I ask that you please pledge a small amount to the Kootenai County Democrats on a monthly basis. Frankly, not enough of us are doing that right now and we need more of you to step up. The point is that if more local Democrats were to pledge $5-$10 a month, we would be able to more than meet our monthly expenses.

Then, we could use our event income to achieve broader goals that would help elect Democrats. We may have to start small, by focusing our efforts on gaining seats on school and library boards, but with consistent effort, we can build the political base to elect candidates to higher offices. This vision for our local party is possible, but it requires sustained financial support. So, make a pledge today at Act Blue.

Thank you for being loyal Democrats.