Author: huntermill

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Hunter Mill Outreach Helps as Vienna’s First Baptist Church Raises Over $14,500 for ‪Rise Against Hunger

On April 28, as a part of the Hunter Mill Democrats’ Outreach efforts, Phil Haber and Shyamali Hauth worked at the Vienna First Baptist Church’s Rise Against Hunger event.

Phil put in more than four hours and Shyamali was there for more than three hours. In that time, they helped pack 33,000 meals.

Pastor Walton presented Rise Against Hunger with a check for $14,532.48 from the church.

If you’re interested in getting involved with Hunter Mill’s Outreach efforts, please contact Shyamali Hauth, HMDDC Vice hair for Outreach.

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Grassroots Profiles: Herndon-Reston Indivisible

Editor’s Note: Another in our periodic surveys of local grassroots organizations, compiled by Holly Hazard. This time: Herndon-Reston Indivisible. 

Herndon-Reston Indivisible’s mission is to fuel a progressive network to resist the Trump agenda while electing Democrats who support our values of transparency, inclusion, tolerance & fairness. HRI is led by a steering committee: Heidi Zollo, Carrie Bruns, Anne Alston, and Joanne Collins.

Q: Other than the 2016 election results and/or the Women’s March, what was the spark that moved you to create your organization and what has kept you engaged?

A: Heidi: Fear of living in a country governed by Trump’s values and policies. I believed that citizens had to do something to respond to Trump et al., in some way. I had an idea that Herndon and Reston election volunteers could join forces to respond against Trump and Republicans. We would organize by issues, but could respond as a group if a larger voice was needed. I pitched my idea to Carrie, and, after some brainstorming, we agreed to call ourselves Herndon-Reston Indivisible.

A: Joanne: Early on HRI began breakout Issue groups where participants took on leadership roles. Issue groups which have coalesced include: Election, Immigration, Defending American Institutions, Science & Environment, Education, Gun Violence Prevention, Economy, Healthcare, Federal Government, & Voting Rights. These groups have their own meetings monthly outside of the general meeting held each month. Each group participates in resistance activities and groups collaborate on initiatives and the whole of HRI comes together to participate in marches, letter writing, postcards, voter registrations, canvassing, phone banking, lobbying, and meeting with representatives. The HRI Issue groups partner with other local groups working on the same initiative to enhance their effectiveness. Our strongest groups are led by activists who care deeply about their issue.

Read the rest at The Blue View.

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Win-win tax reform: Restoring fairness and spurring growth

By William Berkson:

Tax reform is not a zero-sum game. Since Ronald Reagan lowered taxes in the 1980s, followed by George W. Bush in the early 2000s and Donald Trump last year, middle class income has stagnated despite productivity increases, and overall economic growth has been mediocre. Instead of lose-lose, we can have win-win, bolstering both fairness and economic growth through sensible tax reform and wise investment of added revenues.

Fairness in taxation means finding the right balance between the taxpayer’s ability to pay and the benefits from government use of tax dollars.  As I showed in a previous article government investment in education, research, and infrastructure could hugely benefit economic growth and good jobs.

The rich are not paying their fair share today. The chart accompanying this article the Economic Policy Institute shows the growing gap between median family incomes and the value of goods and services that a worker creates. Since 1980, the additional value added by each worker has gone more and more to bosses, not employees

Eliminating the Republican-passed tax breaks for the wealthy, and publicly investing the revenues would create better paying jobs, and help close this gap.

Read the rest at The Blue View.

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Hunter Mill and Fairfax Democrats #StandWithRed

Hunter Mill Democrats are proud to support FCDC Chair Dan Lagana’s statement opposing construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline through some of Virginia’s most pristine landscapes. Read Chairman Lagana’s full statement here.

Theresa “Red” Terry, and her daughter, Theresa Minor Terry, the courageous women who spent over 30 days camped out in a tree on their own property to protest the Pipeline, will be touring Virginia to raise awareness and stop the pipeline. They will be in Annandale and Sterling this Wednesday, May 9.  Please come out, show your support and #StandWithRed:

Press Conference with Delegate Mark Keam, the Terrys, and other elected officials

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Northern Virginia Community College

Ernst Community Cultural Center

8333 Little River Turnpike

Annandale, VA 22003

Click here to read the press release

StandWithRed – Red & Minor Rally in NOVA!

Wednesday May 9th, 7:00 – 9:00pm

Twinpanzee Brewing Co

101 Executive Dr, Suite D, Sterling, Virginia 20166

Click here for the facebook event

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Virginia leads Democratic resurgence, say Moulton and others at FCDC fundraiser

By Brad Swanson:

Democratic elected officials took turns praising Virginia’s role in turning the tide after the disastrous 2016 election and urging continued attacks on Republican majorities in the mid-term elections in November. The politicians were speaking at Sunday night’s Jefferson Obama Dinner, the main fundraising event of the year for Fairfax County Democratic Committee.

“We wake up tomorrow in the America that we make,”  keynote speaker Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) told the sold-out audience in the ballroom of the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Moulton, a charismatic Marine veteran thought by many to be eyeing a presidential run in 2020, urged the creation of a 21st century infrastructure for America featuring universal broadband internet access, high speed rail communications and widely available technical training to prepare the workforce of tomorrow.

Moulton noted that Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in 2016 marked the worst electoral position for Democrats nationwide in a century,  but Virginia’s statewide elections one year later  — featuring a sweep for Democratic candidates from Gov. Ralph Northam on down to a near-capture of the House of Delegates – signaled a new offensive for Democrats.

Moulton’s theme was echoed by other state and local Democratic leaders including Sen. Tim Kaine, Reps. Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, and Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.

Read the rest at The Blue View.

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Come Knock Doors With Us!

The closer we get to election day, the more opportunities will arise for you to take part in canvassing—knocking on doors to talk to potential voters. Hunter Mill is already doing canvassing events on May 5 and May 19. These are part of a Voter ID project in which we are trying to learn more about how voters in those precincts vote in elections, and lay the groundwork for more effective candidate campaigns in the fall.

Canvassing is one of the most powerful tools in the electoral toolbox. While political campaigns work hard to get their messages out to voters through television, radio, mailers, email, text messages, and phone calls, there is really nothing as potent as a face-to-face conversation. It really shows your neighbors how important you think voting is, and how passionately you feel about the issues at stake. It is easy to dislike or dismiss a faceless group of people, but a canvasser’s knock on a door helps a neighbor realize that parties are made of people who care enough to talk to them, person to person.

And voters are just that: your neighbors. Canvassing is a great way to meet the people who live in your community. We all tend to walk our normal paths and stick to our usual friends and acquaintances, but we are part of a larger community. Canvassing can help you build your own understanding of the individuals who form that community.

Canvassing also helps the party better understand the community. That, in turn, facilitates more effective engagement with the community’s priorities. Effective engagement with communities is how grass roots become blue waves.

And, of course, who among us couldn’t use a little sunshine and exercise?

So, as you see canvassing opportunities arise throughout the summer and fall, right up through election day, consider participating and deepening your and your party’s ties to the community, and building the momentum that will set Hunter Mill District, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Washington on the path to a brighter future. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Hunter Mill’s Vice Chair for Precinct Operations, Joanne Collins at collinsjoanne@yahoo.com or 585-703-1121 if you have questions.

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A Message from the Coordinated Campaign

Hello Hunter Mill Dems! My name is Adam and I’m a field organizer for inner NOVA with the Democratic coordinated campaign. I’ll be your point of contact for all volunteer events with the coordinated campaign. A little about myself, I was born in Washington DC but I grew up in Asia, Latin America, and right here in Fairfax, VA. Previously I worked on the Hillary Clinton campaign in Wisconsin, the Ralph Northam campaign in Fairfax, and now the Tim Kaine campaign. We’re currently seeking “influencers” to recruit, train, and launch volunteers for canvassing, phone banking, and voter registration drives in Hunter Mill. If you’ve done this for past campaigns, or are interested in learning more please shoot me a message at adam.kubiske@virginiavictory.org . If you are not able to lead events, but would still like to volunteer, please sign up at TimKaine.com/events or by contacting me directly. Looking forward to meeting you and working together to achieve a historic blue tsunami this November!

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Early Primary Voting Has Begun!

If you live in the 10th CD (Hunter Mill Precincts COLVIN and FOX MILL) you can vote in the June 12 primary for the candidate to oppose Barbara Comstock. If you will be unable to vote on June 12, you may vote early (“absentee in-person”). You will need to have a valid reason why you cannot vote on June 12; don’t worry, this is not an obstacle (see full info).

You may vote through June 9, at one of ten polling locations throughout the county (you do not need to live near the polling location for early voting). These ten include the main Fairfax County Government Center in Fair Lakes.

Full information available here and here.

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The cynical logic of voting against the environment

By Brad Swanson:

In light of  Earth Day on April 22, it is hard for me to enter the mind of a Congress member whose voting score on the environment is barely above zero – especially when her colleagues in neighboring districts have records close to 100%.

You know who I am talking about. The League of Conservation Voters, a fact-based, responsible environmental watchdog, tallies lifetime voting records of our Northern Virginia Congress members as follows:

Read the rest at The Blue View