Saturday, February 8, 2014

Honoring Labor and Thanks,ActBlue, for the Quick Fix. Links Up for Gala and PC challenge.

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HONORING LABOR   
a special note from the Chair

 
The Theme of this year's Presidents' Day Gala is "Rebuilding the American Dream - Rebuilding the Middle Class" part of our Legacy of Leadership and Hope that has brought us here in 2014. Tied to that theme is the "Honoring Labor" portion of our program where we give special recognition to those who have, for decades, helped build the American dream and the middle class - those in the labor movement.

I am grateful to the many unions who have supported us in the past and presently. Many will be attending the Gala this year or have generously contributed to the DPDC. We are committed to electing candidates who recognize the importance of our labor unions which are responsible for improving the lives of so many people by fighting for decent working conditions and a better standard of living for all workers. 
 
My own union membership began when I was a 19 year old laborer in DuPage County. I became a teacher and formed a union in my school district when the school board president announced that he wanted to get rid of "dead weight" - a reference to massive teacher cutbacks. From 1989-2001, while a member of the American Federation of  Teachers, I was asked to conduct training programs for Poland's SolidarityUnion. In addition, I belonged to the Chicago Newspaper Guild and the Chicago Typographical Union. 

My father died on the factory floor where he worked for 44 years and my mother received his 2 weeks vacation money as her only compensation. I vowed I would not let that happen to others if I could help it. 

For this reason and many others, I am pleased to invite you our annual Gala to honor labor and to hear one of the strongest voices for labor, Bill Press. Ticket and ad purchasing information is back up and running and can be found below.

Many thanks,
Bob Peickert, Chair DPDC
JOIN OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, BILL PRESS,  
as he honors our 40 year trajectory of leadership and hope

Lots of cool history you may not know 

 

The 1970's were heady days for the Democratic Party in DuPage County.

Democrats held four seats on the DuPage County Board as well as an occasional township office in the northeast corner of the county. And in 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter spent the night in DuPage, at the home of Elmhurst friend, Rev James Wall.  

 

Post- Watergate three Democrats joined a fourth, Donald Carroll, who had been elected in 1972 (and who defected to the dark side in Addison as you can read below). These three, all women, will be at the Gala this year to celebrate our 40 year trajectory of hope and leadership and we hope you will come to meet these the DuPage County Board class of 1974!  

 

These intrepid souls are Jane Spirgel (who served for 12 years and ran for Secretary of State!), Elaine Libovicz who served one term but has been constantly active in Elmhurst causes and government ever since and Mary Eleanor Wall who has been a guiding force behind a myriad of community projects: services for seniors, charities, land-use planning and women's issues.  

 

After Jane Spirgel left the County Board in 1986, it would be 14 long years before another Democrat, Linda Bourke Hilbert was elected but just for two years. During that time, our DuPage pioneers, people like Tinker Harvey, Jim Walsh, Bob Jeffers, Don and Helen Westlake and many others kept the organization afloat until the electoral map changed.  New, younger residents infiltrated Republican DuPage, we were blessed with an exciting hometown presidential primary and then, candidate, Barack Obama. Democrats were really WAKING UP with new energy following some heartbreakingly close local elections in 2006.  

 

HOPE HAD BEEN KEPT SMOLDERING SINCE 1974 AND, IN 2008, THE FIRE SPARKED AND BEGAN BURNING MORE BRIGHTLY THAN EVER! FORTY YEARS LATER, WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF BOTH OUR LEGACY AND OUR PERSISTENCE. 

 


Here are some historical articles that you might find interesting and which will illustrate how far we have come together!
Let's celebrate and VOW to keep moving forward. Your attendance at the Gala is your vote of confidence on what has happened since 2008!

1974
DuPage County Board has four Democrats!

1981
DuPage Democrat Bill Redmond retires after 2 decades in the Illinois General Assembly where he served as speaker of the house.

1986
1996
Article titled: "In DuPage, Democrats Find it's Politic to Switch" (Ironic now that our Republican friends are seeing the light and switching to the Blue Team!)


Saturday February 22nd, 2014
435 E Butterfield Rd
Lombard IL (MAP)
Registration and Cocktails 5:30-6:30 pm
Dinner and Program 6:30-9 pm


Want to buy tickets or ad space:

Would you like a 30% discount on your ticket?
Become a member (by Feb 10th)

Are you a Precinct Committee Representative? Please give your membership dollars here



  so we can track it in the PC Membership Challenge for 2014! THANKS

Any questions: write to info@dupagedemocrats.com

 

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A copy of our report(s) filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections and DuPage County Clerk is available (or will be) for purchase from the DuPage County Clerk's office, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187.
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Democratic Party of DuPage County 630-629-1125 | 1000-7 Rohlwing Rd | Lombard | IL | 60148

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