We have come around to Monday again. Yesterday, we accomplished our goal of hosting Pennsylvania Court Candidates for our petitioning event. Unfortunately, the only Candidate to attend in person was Judge Stella Tsai, from Philadelphia. Born in Harrisburg, Pa. of parents who immigrated from Taiwan. Stella is a very accomplished Jurist of the Philadelphia County Court system and is running for Commonwealth Court. She has proven to be the perfect example of what we call the “American Dream.” She worked hard, studied hard, paid her dues, and then accomplished her goals. The crowning achievement would be election to The Commonwealth Court. Judge Brandon Neuman of Washington County will also be on the Spring Ballot. He is running for a seat on the Pa Superior Court. He is also an accomplished Jurist and will be a fine addition to Superior Court. The event had a great turnout, with approximately 40 individuals coming in. Last week, Elon Musk declared that DOGE activities were not subject to Freedom of Information requests. So much for transparency! Last week, Elon Musk cancelled a Verizon contract with the FAA and installed Starlink to replace it. So much for conflict-of-interest recusal! The self-dealing is evident, however in town halls across the country, constituents are pushing back and finding that Republican Representatives and Senators are either unwilling or unable to give honest answers to reasonable questions. They blame the pushback on “Democrats who are plants” at these events. I think we will find that Republican elected officials will cease to have events where constituents can ask questions. Probably the most disgraceful thing I have ever seen done by an American President, was that display between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy. It is obvious that the exchange was a set-up to denigrate the Ukraine President in a public way. Vance’s attack on a personal level proves that point. First, Zelenskyy has thanked the United States on numerous occasions. Second, whether or not he wears a suit is a moot point, because his public persona has been, since the war started, his military style garb. Also, in the White House, in a meeting with media present, no one interrupts the President. He did not object. It must have been staged. The final point I need to make here is that Russia, in its various forms, has been our sworn enemy since 1945, eighty years ago. Their governmental style and treatment of their citizens has never meshed with our American system. That Donald Trump is abandoning our values and our system in favor of an autocratic Soviet style is, I believe, treasonous! Everything this administration has done tries to diminish the citizenry of our nation to the favor of an elite few and isolate us from the world. We are on our way to losing Canada as an ally, a relationship that goes back to the revolution. It is the longest unguarded border in the world, do we want to change that? Participate, Donate, Vote. John Huot, JeffDems Chair Donations Needed and Accepted The Jefferson County Democratic Committee (JeffDems) is funded primarily through local donations. We rely on the generosity of local Democrats to enable all our initiatives, including our year-round Office/HQ which functions as “JeffDems Central.” Please start a monthly recurring donation to JeffDems, large or small, using the ActBlue link below, or of course, one-time donation checks are welcome! Contribute so that your County Committee can do more on your behalf. Thank you! “Jefferson County Democratic Committee” c/o Steve Larchuk, Treasurer PO Box 266 Punxsutawney, PA 15767 or use ActBlue at www.jeffdemspa.org
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*2025: Continuing need for volunteer time – Office hours will continue into the new year. It is important that we remain active and have a presence in the community. Please contact John, John, or Tammy to schedule
*February 26 and March 1: Office Hours Continue – 4-7pm (Wednesday) and 12-3pm (Saturday)
*February 18 – March 11: Petition Signing Period is Open
*March 12, 7PM: Discussion Group – Lisa Gourley, Punxsy School Board Candidate. -Women’s Rights and Health Care in the Trump era. Where are we going and what can we do?
