Thursday, September 11, 2008

ONLY 2 MORE MONTH UNTIL ELECTION!

COORDINATED CAMPAIGN NEWS AND EVENTS

Come to a Weekend Picnic with
Jeanne Shaheen
Candidate for US Senate

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 14th, 12 noon
WHERE: Horseshoe Pavilion at Wheelock Park
101 Park Avenue, Keene, NH

To RSVP, or with questions, please call Al Killeffer at 603-617-2139
or email akilleffer@nhdp.org



Thank you everyone for helping on Primary Day!

We are over one hurdle but we still have a lot to do before November. We have volunteer activities every day. If you don't like the phones, we have canvass packets all ready for you, if you don't like knocking on doors there is always data entry to do, click HERE
for more information or call 965.2575 Even an hour will make a difference!

If you pledge to volunteer for 5 hours you will receive an eco-friendly Molly Kelly for State Senate shopping bag!

It is also lawn sign season here at 2 Eagle Court and we have been making the rounds dropping Molly Kelly lawn signs off to anyone who wants one. If you would like us to drop one off to you, click HERE and we will be in touch!

Thank You from the Molly Kelly Campaign!

Jamie Judd & Lauren Scannell

2 Eagle Court in Keene 603.965.2575
MollyKelly.com



The Barack Obama campaign in Keene will be running canvasses every weekend from now until November out of the Keene office at 305 Park Avenue.

This office is located across from Dube's Tire on Park Ave.

There will be two canvass shifts:
When: Saturdays, at 10:00 am and another at 1:30 pm
Sundays, 12 noon.
Where to meet:
305 Park Avenue

We are attempting to identify all voters in an effort to more effectively target our message to voters.

We are also running phonebanks from the office all day, every day. Barack Obama and John McCain are currently polling at a dead heat in New Hampshire; every personal contact with undecided voters in this state is crucial to our victory.

We need as much as help as we can get!

Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering! My contact information is listed below.

Thanks,
Samantha

Samantha Cotter
305 Park Avenue
Keene, NH 03431
scotter@nhforchange.com
603-438-4796

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Cheshire County Democrats Book Club

Hello Everyone,

We had a good meeting last week. Everyone enjoyed Three Cups of Tea. It was a good read, full of insights about the Pakistani people, and very inspiring.. There were nine of us at the meeting., so a good turnout for a good book. Panera's turned out to be too loud for the meeting, so we are going else where next month.

For May, we are reading Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World, by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Tracy Kidder. In the NY Times Sunday Book Review, Abraham Verghese said, "Mountains Beyond Mountains is inspiring, disturbing, daring and completely absorbing. It will rattle our complacency; it will prick our conscience." Sounds like just the kind of book we like. Dr. Farmer's work takes him to Haiti, Peru and Cuba, a part of the world that we haven't read much about.

We will meet on Wednesday, May 7th, 6:30 PM at the Food Court at Colony Mill Marketplace. Kay has checked with management at the Food Court and we are welcome and under no obligation to buy anything.

Come and join us as we read our way around the world. I hope to see you there.

Linda

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Cheshire County Democrats Monthly Meeting

Please join the Cheshire County Democrats for our Monthly meeting Sunday April 6th at 5:30pm.

The meeting will be held at our headquarters located at 2 Eagle Court in Keene.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Canvass For Governor Jeanne Shaheen

Please join GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN’s campaign for U.S. Senate
For OUR FIRST STATEWIDE CANVASS! Hit the streets to make sure Keene residents know they can count on Jeanne Shaheen!
WHEN: Saturday, April 5
10 am
WHERE: Elm City Bagels
255 West Street
Keene With questions or to RSVP call Al Killeffer at 203-247-5640 or email akilleffer@nhdp.orgPaid for by Shaheen for Senate

Friday, March 28, 2008

Education Funding in New Hampshire and its effect on Keene

“Education Funding in New Hampshire and its effect on Keene”

will be discussed in a roundtable forum at Heberton Hall, Winter Street, in Keene on Sunday , March 30, at 7pm. The panel will include the complete Keene house and senate delegation:
Representatives Charles Weed, Kris Roberts, Tim Robertson, Tim Dunn, Suzanne Butcher, Peter Espiefs, Delmar Burridge, and Senator Molly Kelly.

The public is encouraged to attend and opportunity will be allowed to submit questions to the panel relative to education funding.

This is an open forum open to all political affiliations and those from surrounding towns as well.

Sponsored by the Keene City Democrats, for further information please contact Kathleen O’Donnell 357-6103 or kodonnell@ne.rr.com

Monday, March 24, 2008

New Hampshire State Democratic Platform

There has only been one e-mailed comment thus far from Cheshire County regarding the 2008 Platform. There may be more people who want to weigh in via e-mail or letter might have been The hope is to include as much input as possible in the material for the whole committee. People are welcome to e-mail Jay personally or the Office@NHDP.org (attn: Platform) address. We really want to hear from everyone who wants to have their voice heard. Our first meeting to discuss what Democrats would like to see based on the hearings and feedback is Tuesday night, the 25th. We will be writing in the next several weeks and posting the draft on or about April 17. And then of course it will be open for amendments.

The platform is posted on this web, and is available from the NHPD.

Monday, March 03, 2008

New Hampshire State Democratic Platform Information

Dear Cheshire County Democrats, Thank you so much for meeting with us and for a lively Platform Committee Hearing. We have many pages of notes as well as your written suggestions and 2nd Congressional District At-Large Member Amanda Grady is typing everything up for the full Committee to study. We welcome any additional comments and draft planks. The whole month of March we are listening all over the state and we want to hear more from you. Please feel free to forward this message on to all your friends and neighbors in Cheshire County and beyond. In 2006, our party made history by taking the majority in Concord for the first time in thirteen decades. While our representatives have made great headway, the truth of the matter is that the New Hampshire Democratic Party has never held the Statehouse for back-to-back terms. We want to hear from you about the 2008 Party Platform. Because the voters have entrusted state government to our party for the first time in living memory, this year’s Platform takes on extra special importance. For the first time this Platform is not the Platform of a minority in the wilderness. It is the Platform of the governing majority. It is the Platform we will go to the citizens of New Hampshire with this year as we face the biggest test in the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s history: whether the voters will trust us again by returning our majority to Concord. To put in simply, what should we stand for as a Party? This year the stakes are especially high in answering this question. You can write to us by e-mail: office@NHDP.org “Attention Platform Committee.” You may also mail or deliver materials to 2 1/2 Beacon Street, Concord, NH 03301. Finally, as a Co-Chair of the Platform Committee, I personally welcome e-mails as well and will be printing out and sharing everything you take the time to write to me. My e-mail address is: Surdukowski@hotmail.com. With appreciation and respect, Jay SurdukowskiPlatform Committee Co-ChairNew Hampshire Democratic Party \








REP. BETTE LASKY
Co-Chair

JAY SURDUKOWSKI
Co-Chair


MARTIN HONIGBERG
for Governor John Lynch


CAROLE APPEL
for U.S. Representative Carol Shea-Porter


REP. DAVID PIERCE
for U.S. Representative Paul Hodes


JENNIFER FRIZELL
for Senate President Sylvia Larsen


REP. TOM BUCO
for Speaker of the House Terie Norelli


TOM CURTIN
At-Large, 2nd Congressional District


LARRY DRAKE
At-Large, 1st Congressional District


AMANDA GRADY
At-Large, 2nd Congressional District


CINDE WARMINGTON
At-Large, 1st Congressional District

Overview: 2008 Platform Process

The New Hampshire Democratic Party Platform Committee met on February 13, 2008 in Concord and approved the following:

1. The Committee will prepare and publish a DRAFT PLATFORM on the State Party Website by April 17, 2008.

Democrats who desire to submit an amendment to the Platform Committee must do so after April 17, 2008 and before May 1, 2008. Any proposed amendment must be received at NHDP Headquarters no later than 5:00 PM by fax, email, delivery or surface mail on May 1, 2008.

Proponents of amendments may be scheduled to meet with Platform Committee members if the proposed amendment is germane and relates to the functions of State Government. Amendments that do not technically qualify for inclusion in the Platform will be referred to the Chairperson of the Committee on Resolutions for disposition. Any amendment referred to the Committee on Resolutions shall be regarded as finally disposed of for purposes of the Platform Committee. Proponents of amendments that are not adopted by the Committee will receive a notice of committee action and an invitation to resolve the differences between the committee and the proponent. Amendment proponents are urged to note that an amendment that fails to pass the Platform Committee may go to the floor of the convention, but that the Platform Committee reserves the right to dispose of amendments that are repetitious or not designed to advance the principles of the NHDP as noted in the party Constitution or amendments that fail to receive at least one vote in favor of the amendment by a member of the Platform Committee.

Amendments shall be in writing and signed by the proponents. Proponents must be members of the NHDP.

The Platform Committee, consistent with the NHDP Constitution, will conduct hearings on Platform matters around the State beginning February 25, 2008 and give notice to County and Local organizations in advance of such hearings.

6. The Platform Committee voted to work with Blake Roter and Pia Carusone of the State Party staff regarding limited logistics (including communications regarding the hearings and like matters, advice on drafting, and collaboration on press releases to local media about the hearings).


NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM COMMITTEE
2 1/2 Beacon Street – Concord, NH 03301
Fax number: (603) 225-6797 - Office number: (603) 225-6899 - office@nhdp.org
I. Hearing Procedure



adopted by the Platform Committee February 13, 2008


1. Democrats are invited to attend open hearings around the state to provide representatives of the Platform Committee with comments on what the Platform should include. The 2006 Platform is available on the State Party website for reference and will be available at hearings.

2. Proposed planks must address State of New Hampshire matters. National matters will be referred to the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention.

3. The Committee requests that any proposed planks be in writing, one plank per page, so that it may give all plank ideas careful consideration during the drafting stage.

4. The following is a sketch of broad themes and planks the platform might include which are meant to promote thought and discussion. This list is not final or all-inclusive and is provided as an outline of possible topics Democrats may want the Platform to address.


Possible Themes and Planks


1. Strong Families
§ Education
§ Healthcare
§ Childcare
§ Housing
§ Retirement Security

2. Strong Economy
§ Jobs
§ Diversification
§ Rural Development
§ Business Investment

3. Strong Communities
§ Energy Policy
§ Emergency Preparedness
§ Public Safety
§ Environment

4. Live Free or Die Tradition
§ Civil Rights
§ Equality
§ Privacy
§ Reproductive Rights
§ First in the Nation Primary


II. Amendment Procedure



adopted by the New Hampshire Democratic State Committee March 1, 2008


Amendments may be submitted using any one of the following methods:

Standard Mail or Delivery: NH Democratic Party
Attn: Platform Committee
2 ½ Beacon Street
Concord, NH 03301

Fax: 603-225-6797, Attn: Platform Committee

E-mail: office@nhdp.org, Attn: Platform Committee


1. Amendment submissions should specify the section of the platform sought for amendment or note that the amendment is proposed as a new section.

2. The written submission should identify the proponent of the amendment and the fact that the proponent is a delegate to the convention. Thereafter, the amendment should contain the exact language. The Platform Committee will not edit the amendment, but consider it as submitted.

Example:

Proposed Platform Amendment to the Silly Examples Plank, Submitted by John Doe, delegate from Anytown, New Hampshire:

Please add the following paragraph:

The State of New Hampshire through the Legislature should adopt a Resolution calling for a speed limit on speed skaters.
New Hampshire Democratic Party 2006 Platform
PREAMBLE
We, the Democrats of New Hampshire, united in common purpose, proudly proclaim and affirm our Leadership and Vision for our Communities, our State and our Nation.
We hereby affirm our courage, conviction, and commitment to the principles that have sustained us as a Party and as free peoples:
Hope and opportunity for all people; individual freedom, liberty, privacy, and responsibility free from unwarranted Government intrusion; equality and political freedom that encourages, and guarantees, the opportunity for meaningful participation and fundamental fairness for all of our citizens in a just society; trust in these free peoples; and ethics that shall promote the fairness, equality and justice demanded by, and worthy of, our obligations as a Community of Leaders and Citizens;
We embrace, celebrate, and shall defend and preserve the enduring strength, diversity, and vitality of our beloved Granite State's heritage and traditions to include our First in the Nation Primary and the right of self governance and participation by our citizenry; and
For these ends, upon these principles and with Pride in our heritage, Hope for today, and Optimism in our future, we hereby adopt and establish the following Platform of the Democratic Party of New Hampshire.
LEADERSHIP
We hereby affirm that we are, as New Hampshire Democrats, a Community of Leaders.
We believe that our obligation, and empowerment, as a Community of Leaders requires us to stand up, speak out, participate fully, right wrongs, and encourage, respect, and support all others in their efforts and right to do so.
We believe that our obligation as a Community of Leaders requires us to act in a just and ethical manner that is demanded by, and which shall promote, a fair, honest, responsible, and just society free from corruption.
We believe that our obligation as a Community of Leaders requires us to listen to all persons. We likewise believe that this obligation can be no more stringent than in regard to those amongst our citizenry who are not, or can not be, heard.
We believe that our obligation as a Community of Leaders includes the obligation to act and participate as fully as we are each respectively able to include, but not be limited to, the honorable calling of public office or public service at the local, County, State, or National level.
We believe that voting is a fundamental right that must be guaranteed. We believe that it is our obligation as a Community of Leaders to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of New Hampshire and protect the right of all citizens 18 years old or older to vote. We oppose any and all attempts to create unnecessary and unjustified obstacles to the fundamental right to vote.
We hereby affirm and are committed to being, and providing, a Community of Leaders for today and developing such a Community of Leaders for tomorrow.
FIRST-IN-THE-NATION PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY New Hampshire is time proven and well qualified to test and prepare those who would be President of the United States. With approximately 80 percent voter turnout in the 2004 Primary and New Hampshire's long standing and unique political traditions, our State has a position of responsibility among our sister states with its First in the Nation Presidential Primary. Media events and large advertising budgets are simply no substitute for New Hampshire's personal connection with candidates. Where the young and old alike, take up the charge and responsibility of questioning and preparing those that seek the Presidency in town halls, schools, American Legions and living rooms all across our State.
As one of the original thirteen colonies, New Hampshire and its proud citizenry created its political traditions and the New Hampshire Primary that promotes and provides a unique and fair opportunity for anyone to become President of the United States.
New Hampshire's position and responsibilities as the First in the Nation Primary must, and shall, be preserved.
EDUCATION
We believe that supporting free, equal public education strongly contributes to New Hampshire's greatness and prepares future citizens for the responsibility of democracy. As such, we believe that all citizens should have a stake in the quality of our schools and that teachers should be recognized as indispensable within our society and receive fair compensation. We believe the sweep of education should be broad and include physical education and wellness, as well as critical appreciation for the arts and for literature.
We recognize the value of early learning and believe the State must extend the benefit of kindergarten to all communities. We believe in fostering in our students the development of competitive, cooperative, and cognitive abilities which will enable our graduates to successfully compete in the global society in which we live.
Our University and Technical Community College Systems should enrich New Hampshire's communities and support the State's economy. The post-secondary education system should challenge all citizens to a lifetime of learning at tuition and expense levels accessible to all. The State should provide adequate economic support to the University and Technical Community Colleges to ensure this accessibility.
The State should meet its Constitutional requirements to adequately fund our schools considering all sources of revenue. Additionally, the State Board of Education must develop policies for the benefit of our local school boards outlining our collective concept of adequacy in public education.
We support local control through local school boards and oppose federalization of our schools through programs such as the No Child Left Behind Act or any other unfunded federal mandates.
HEALTHCARE
We believe that access to affordable and quality healthcare is a right that should be available to all citizens. We believe that this right should include, but not be limited to, preventive care, mental health services, and dental care. We further believe that universal access to healthcare in our country cannot be adequately achieved through market forces alone. We believe in and encourage the concept of community-based healthcare. We recognize and fully support the principle that people challenged with disabilities are entitled to full access and participation in our State healthcare system.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & PUBLIC SAFETY
The New Hampshire Democratic Party offers its full support to all Emergency Preparedness and Public Safety personnel that serve to protect the citizens of our State. We recognize the paramount importance of the provision of security and safety to our State's citizens as a fundamental responsibility of State Government and will advocate for adequate resources to support this core mission of government.
The present environment of elevated terrorist threats underscores the urgent need for the proper training and staffing of emergency preparedness personnel, including National Guard members, firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians, and hospital workers. We believe in the adoption of training and safety standards for all emergency preparedness and pubic safety personnel. We strongly support the providing of all available federal aid to assist in strengthening the State's readiness in the face of public health emergencies such as natural disasters, bio-terrorism, pandemic disease, and hazardous materials emergencies.
New Hampshire enjoys a low crime rate and ranks high in terms of the capacity of our emergency preparedness and public safety personnel to react to unexpected events. We believe this success is supported by:
A 911 emergency response system that is nationally recognized as state-of-the-art and a model for other states and localities to emulate.
A Community-based approach to policing and the prosecution of crimes.
Creative prevention, rehabilitation, and educational programs which promote the reduction of crime at home, at work, at school, and on our streets.
Just Punishment for those convicted of crimes in New Hampshire's judicial system.
Protection of citizens , particularly children, through reasonable gun safety measures while ensuring and respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
Ensuring the Rights of Victims of Crimes , including the ability to attend court proceedings and the opportunity to address the Court at sentencing proceedings.
JOBS AND THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ECONOMY
We believe each citizen should have abundant opportunity to have a meaningful job and to be paid a living wage. We believe the State must be vigilant to ensure the economic conditions that allow for full employment of our citizens at all times. We believe in the linkage between good schools and good jobs. The minimum wage must be increased in New Hampshire. Despite the contention of opponents that most of the workers receiving minimum wage are teenagers, data demonstrates that the majority of minimum-wage earners are adults who are supporting families. We believe in New Hampshire's long history of small and family-owned businesses and support policies that expand opportunities to start or sustain small businesses in addition to larger business. We believe our State Government should be an active participant with private industry in ensuring that economic growth proceed and develop around the principles of providing all willing citizens a living wage; protecting our State's environment and recognizing the role it plays in our economy; initiating a new approach to public transportation that increases collective transit capacity within the State; providing affordable workforce housing; and protecting the quality of life of our citizens and our State. We reaffirm our historic belief in the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain for wages and conditions of employment. We reaffirm our core belief in the right to privacy-both on and off the job.
Workers should be able to exercise the right to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation. Mediation and arbitration should be required for first-contract disputes, and stronger penalties for the violation of workers' rights must be established. We believe that the public business ought to be contracted to responsible employers who provide apprenticeship programs, pay living wages, and provide health insurance and workers' compensation coverage. We oppose the award of any contract or benefit to employers who violate civil rights laws, sexual harassment laws, or environmental and worker protection laws. We oppose the award of any contract to those who engage in behavior that raises the appearance of impropriety or favoritism. We oppose the award of any contract that out-sources jobs from the State of New Hampshire. We recognize the special contribution and value that State employees contribute to the success of our State and require our State compensate them according to the expertise they possess. We regard them as the trustees of our future.
The loss of jobs for many longtime employees of New Hampshire underscores the need to reframe and diversify our economy, particularly in the North Country. We support providing affordable and unrestricted high speed internet service to all regions of the State. We believe that there is a critical need for infrastructure to support public transportation and affordable housing throughout New Hampshire.

ENVIRONMENT
We reaffirm and continue to celebrate our core beliefs regarding conservation and the environment. New Hampshire is blessed with open space, farmlands, mountains, forests, and water resources that are the aesthetic envy of the region and the nation. We believe our public policy should always operate to protect our natural heritage and that in all of our activities we should act as responsible stewards for the benefit of future generations. We recognize that our economy is linked to our natural splendor.
Groundwater. Water is vital to public health, agriculture, economic development, recreation, and life. Drinking water is a finite resource that must be carefully managed and protected. We call for augmented legislation to protect groundwater within New Hampshire and the preparation of a statewide water use strategy to ensure that this major natural recourse is adequately preserved for our citizens.
Development. We call for the reestablishment of the Office of State Planning as a resource for municipal officials seeking strategies to foster thoughtful development. We urge particular care in safeguarding New Hampshire lakes and rivers and oppose efforts to decrease standards for development along shore lands or riverbanks.
Pollution. We demand that State and Federal officials focus on the dangers of carbon and lead emissions and strengthen standards for protecting our air and water. We denounce efforts to allow antiquated facilities to make New Hampshire or New England the nation's tailpipe. We urge that mercury dumps be consigned to history. We call for legislation granting local or community control over the siting of sludge or undesirable land uses.
Preservation. We believe that preserving the historic heritage of New Hampshire and fully funding LCHIP, and like programs, is essential to the State's economic viability and prestige.

ENERGY
We regard a sound energy policy as an indispensable element of environmental and economic policy. We continue to call for the development of alternative and renewable energy resources for the public good and to strengthen our national security. We call for increased efficiency in costs associated with State buildings and vehicle use. We encourage the development of environmentally sustainable standards for construction and renovation. We require the implementation of higher standards for the reduction of greenhouse emissions to eliminate the harmful threat to climate change in our State. We call for the preparation of a statewide transportation policy that at long last increases public access to public transportation.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
We believe our children are our future and families are the foundation for their development, safety, education, and well being The State must increase funding of vital child and family services and resources in order to support healthy families.
Early Childhood Education and Development. Quality, affordable pre-kindergarten education and child care should be available to all families to help them balance their work lives with their family lives. Sufficient work release time must be granted expectant and new parents, and after school programs should be both affordable and accessible.
Preventing Child Abuse. The State must provide funding for programs that strengthen and support New Hampshire families and seek to alleviate conditions that lead to child abuse and neglect.
Prosecuting Child Abuse. Child protection laws must be strictly enforced to maximize the protection of children and hold those that would harm children accountable for their offenses.
Child Support. State child support enforcement services must be adequately funded in order to enforce existing child support laws. The State's Child Support Guidelines should reflect the best interests of the child.
Relationship Rights. We believe the concept of relationship rights should be authorized by law to assure that all committed couples and families have equal standing.
Preventing and Prosecuting Domestic Violence. Domestic violence laws must be aggressively enforced and prosecuted to provide maximum protection to families. We are committed to stopping the cycle of domestic violence through education and support services for victims and education and intervention programs for abusers.
Seniors. Programs should be supported that seek to enhance the quality of life for our senior citizens so they may retain their independence, remain in their homes, and avoid unnecessary nursing home care. Physical, emotional, financial, and other abuse of seniors should not be tolerated and efforts must be made to protect seniors and prosecute their abusers.
The Working Poor. The goal of welfare reform is to enable families to lift themselves out of poverty by providing them adequate opportunities to work. The State's minimum wage must be sufficient so as to provide a living wage for the wage earner and his or her family. Low-income working families must be able to access supports such as child care, medical care, transportation, education, and job training. We believe that we must lead enact adequate minimum wage legislation to help provide that necessary access.
Military Families. The State must implement policies that assist the families of the servicemen and servicewomen who are deployed in service to our country.
HOUSING
We believe that every person has a right to safe, decent, and affordable housing. Having a home is the key to success in school, finding and keeping a job, and being healthy both physically and emotionally. An adequate supply of housing is essential to the continued growth of our economy. Land use and housing policy decisions must increase the stock of homes affordable to those who make less than the median income as it is workers who are at the heart of our economy. We believe that it is unacceptable that homelessness continues to grow in New Hampshire and endorse the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.

RETIREMENT / SENIOR CITIZENS
A just society respects and encourages contributions from all its members. With the changing nature of work and careers, combined with the fact that we are living longer and more productive lives, we encourage policies that use the wisdom of one of our most precious resources - our retirees and senior citizens. Those policies include: continued gainful employment without reduction in other benefits, opportunities to volunteer in the community, and to train and mentor the leaders of tomorrow. We are indebted to our retirees and senior citizens and must support them as they face new challenges, including access to affordable health insurance, disability insurance, housing, prescription drugs, and long-term care. We oppose privatization of Social Security as a costly and risky proposal that threatens to undermine economic security for the nation's seniors and their families.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
We believe in equality for women and freedom for all individuals from government intrusion in private medical decisions. The fundamental right to reproductive choice should be guaranteed to all women. We believe in confidential, unrestricted access to affordable, quality health and reproductive services to women of all ages. We continue to believe and support efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies through age-appropriate, medically accurate comprehensive sexuality education, family planning, birth control, counseling for reproductive health, adoption rights, and maintenance of community support mechanisms and agencies.

PRIVACY
We believe in individual liberty and the protection of personal privacy. We continue our historic commitment to open government and also strongly support policies that protect the privacy and identity of our citizens. While advances in technology are invaluable to our ability to communicate, the same technology should not be employed to interfere with the private lives of individuals or families.

CIVIL RIGHTS
We affirm our belief in the inherent dignity of all citizens and believe that all possess inalienable rights. We believe in a government that actively pursues fairness and freedom for all regardless of race, religion, gender, age, place of origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
We affirm our historic commitment to fight discrimination in all its forms, including laws that deny individuals of the same gender the right to form relationships that they choose or the right to establish families with the full rights, responsibilities and equal protection of our laws.

FOREIGN POLICY
We believe one of the most urgent problems facing the world today, which affects every individual in our State and nation, is the relationship of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, living in the Near East. We demand that our national administration devise a plan that is free from killing and destruction that enables these groups to sit down together under skilled, professional leadership and work out ways to cooperate and live in peace. Our national resources should be spent on peacemaking.

THE ARTS
The New Hampshire Democratic Party recognizes the importance of the Arts in a democratic society. We support the advancement of the Arts, and recognize its importance to the social and economic well being of the citizens of our State. The Arts bring together people of various ethnic and racial backgrounds for a shared creative endeavor. The Arts are a unifying force and create community and ethnic understanding while encouraging a civil society. The New Hampshire Democratic Party proudly supports the continued public funding of the Arts.

Cheshire County Democrats Book Club

We met on Wednesday night to discuss The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, by Jeffrey Toobin. Everyone enjoyed this book and I hope you all got a chance to read it.

For April, we are reading Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time, by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin. The book gets excellent customer reviews on Amazon. Here's an excerpt from Publishers Weekly. We are going to meet at Panera Bread on Wednesday evening, April 2nd at 6:30 PM. I hope you can join us.

Linda

From Publishers WeeklySome failures lead to phenomenal successes, and this American nurse's unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, the world's second tallest mountain, is one of them. Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe; in return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school, a project that grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Coauthor Relin recounts Mortenson's efforts in fascinating detail, presenting compelling portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, mujahideen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls and upright Muslims Mortenson met along the way. As the book moves into the post-9/11 world, Mortenson and Relin argue that the United States must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls. Captivating and suspenseful, with engrossing accounts of both hostilities and unlikely friendships, this book will win many readers' hearts.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Cheshire County Democrats Monthly Meeting/Voter List Training and Platform Committee Meeting

Please join the Cheshire County Democrats for our monthly meeting this coming Sunday at 5:00 (EARLIER TIME)! We will first meet with Esther Kane Dickinson--who will be teaching us to use the voter file. It is very important that we have as many of the Town Chairs and committee members as possible attending as this is very important information that we will need to use in the upcoming elections.

From 6:00 until 7:00, we will be meeting with the New Hampshire Democrats Platform Committee. The platform committee is trying to get as many people to come their hearings and propose ideas as possible and in order to help you prepare I have included the Platform procedures in the body of this email. 2008 Platform Process The Platform Committee of the New Hampshire Democratic Party has created the following procedure to bring forth ideas for the 2008 Party Platform. The Committee will hold hearings around New Hampshire to gather possible planks from as many Democrats as possible. The Committee will then draft a Platform, which will then be voted on at the State Convention in May.

Below are the scheduled dates and locations for Platform Committee Hearings.

Procedures for proposing amendments to the Platform will follow.
I. Hearing Procedure ™ adopted by the Platform Committee February 13, 2008
1. Democrats are invited to attend open hearings around the state to provide representatives of the Platform Committee with comments on what the Platform should include. The 2006 Platform is available on the State Party website for reference and will be available at hearings.
2. Proposed planks must address State of New Hampshire matters. National matters will be referred to the Resolutions Committee of the State Convention.
3. The Committee requests that any proposed planks be in writing, one plank per page, so that it may give all plank ideas careful consideration during the drafting stage.
4. The following is a sketch of broad themes and planks the platform might include which are meant to promote thought and discussion. This list is not final or all-inclusive and is provided as an outline of possible topics Democrats may want the Platform to address. Possible Themes and Planks
1. Strong Families
§ Education
§ Healthcare
§ Childcare
§ Housing
§ Retirement Security
2. Strong Economy
§ Jobs§ Diversification
§ Rural Development
§ Business Investment
3. Strong Communities
§ Energy Policy
§ Emergency Preparedness
§ Public Safety
§ Environment
4. Live Free or Die Tradition
§ Civil Rights
§ Equality
§ Privacy
§ Reproductive Rights
§ First in the Nation Primary

We look forward to a good attendance at the Cheshire County Headquarters located at one Eagle Court in Keene.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Cheshire County Democrats Book Club

We had a small, but very interesting meeting Tuesday night to discuss Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media, by Eric Klinenberg. Actually the book was pretty dry, but the information in it was absolutely frightening - about the extent to which American media has been consolidated and lost it's local content. We concluded that we should all be grateful for The Keene Sentinel, which is still locally owned and operated. We also agreed that we should be paying attention to the issue of "internet neutrality" and discuss it with Congressman Hodes when we have the opportunity.

For next month, we will be reading The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, by Jeffrey Tobin. We will met on Wednesday night, February 27th, upstairs at the Keene Public Library, at 6:30 PM.

Please join us.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Governor Richardson to visit Keene Sunday January 6th

Join Governor Richardson
as he returns to New Hampshire for the final
"Get Out the Vote Roundup" and "Job Interviews"
before the New Hampshire Primary.
WHEN: Sunday, January 6th - 12:00 NOONWHAT: Keene "Get Out the Vote Roundup"WHAT: Central Square Bandstand, 10 Central Square, Keene http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/event/detail/officialcampaignevent/4v7zp

WHEN: Sunday, January 6th - 2:30 PM (Doors Open 2:00 PM)WHAT: Newport "Final Presidential Job Interview"WHAT: Newport Opera House, 20 Main Street, Newporthttp://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/event/detail/officialcampaignevent/4v7zy

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Senatore Gravel to visit Keene 1/4/2008

Democratic Presidential Candidate and Former Senator Mike Gravel will be visiting the Keene area on Friday, January 4th. He will be attending the Young American Debate, held in the Keene High School Auditorium at 7 PM. Senator Gravel looks forward to discussing the cornerstone of his campaign, The National Initiative, with which he plans to empower the American people to become lawmakers and tackle issues that our elected representatives will not address. He will also share his views on ending the Iraq War, our disastrous approach to foreign policy, and his policy proposals to deal with pressing domestic issues: healthcare, energy reform, education, our destructive drug policies and prison systems, and our corrupt income tax. Come hear the candidate who is anything but "politics as usual." http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2008/01/gravel-events-for-january-3rd-7th.html http://thebundegroup.com/youngamericandebate.aspx

Jon KrausNH Deputy Campaign ManagerMike Gravel for President 2008 203.209.7736

Cheshire County Democrats Book Club

Greetings,

Everyone must be busy with the holidays, or perhaps it's the weather, but we had our smallest ever Book Group meeting last week. Three of us met and discussed Presidential Courage by Michael Beschloss. We had an enjoyable discussion and were sorry that the rest of you weren't there to join in.

For January we are going to read Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media, by Eric Klinenberg. This is a very topical selection given the current actions of the Federal Communications Commission. We will meet on Tuesday, January 22, at 6:30 at the Keene Public Library. It will be after the Holidays and after the Primary, so we should all have more time by then. I hope that you can join us.

Looking ahead, we thought that for February, we'd read a book about the Supreme Court. The two we are considering are Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court, by Jan Crawford Greenberg, or The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin. If you have any preference between the two books, let me know, or come to the January meeting where we will decide which one to read for February.

Wishing you all the Merriest of Holidays and a Happy New Year.

Linda