Our Members in the News
Our members have been busy writing letters and speaking out to local newspapers on topical events. If you missed them in the news, you can read them here! Would you like to help get out the word on important issues? Consider Joining the DWCBC or Contacting the DWCBC Board for more information!
January 6, 2015
Washington County News
Washington County Issues 3 Same-sex Marriage Licenses
Our member, Angie Roberts, speaks out in support of marriage equality. Click here to read the article.
Washington County News
Washington County Issues 3 Same-sex Marriage Licenses
Our member, Angie Roberts, speaks out in support of marriage equality. Click here to read the article.
September 30, 2014
News Herald
Letter to the Editor:
Graham supports common sense immigration reform
A reader, Glen Leirer, wrote that Steve Southerland is his candidate of choice (“Graham's past not as troubling as her future,” Sept. 24). He rebuffed Gwen Graham, because Southerland will fix the illegal immigrant problem and thereby create and protect jobs.
How he would fix it, as to the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, is not mentioned by Leirer or Steve Southerland.
All that is offered is strengthening borders. How that would protect or create jobs is not explained either. I guess we need to assume that immigrants are not consumers, do not buy products, and therefore their presence in America does not help expand employment.
Worse yet, the reader argues illegal immigrants reduce employment! His memory is short because he does not recall the millions of jobs lost under President George W. Bush and a Republican Congress who had every opportunity to fix the problem according to Leirer’s specifications.
Building walls is not common sense reform. Every study that has been done, bi-partisan or otherwise shows that providing these 11 million immigrants a path to citizenship improves rather than degrades our economy. They pay taxes, spend money, and contribute to their communities. As for increasing border security; President Obama has beefed up the border forces far more than any prior President. Furthermore, most illegal immigrants arrive by plane and overstay their visas! Increased border security does not address that issue.
The Senate has passed a bi-partisan bill that addresses all the issues related to immigration in a way that is fair to the immigrants, improves the economy, strengthens borders further and takes into consideration the complexities of the issues that have grown over the terms of both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Unfortunately, the House, because of narrow minded, inflexible congressmen like Steve Southerland, refuses to act on the bill and instead it’s Tea Party members cry out, “Raise the walls, electrify the fences, hire private militias and take to the sky” as they refuse to look at the facts.
Finally, he charges Gwen Graham with being a lobbyist as if that makes clear why she should be shunned and Southerland, his inflexibility and all, should be embraced. Was Graham a lobbyist? When was she a lobbyist? For how long? Oh, she did work for a law firm in 1990 for less than a year, fresh out of law school as an associate. Some of the senior members of that firm lobbied. They filed a federal lobbyist disclosure form in 1990 listing all attorneys in the firm. Gwen left the firm before a year was up, had a child (and subsequently two others) stayed home and raised the three children before going to work seven years ago for the Leon County School District.
Employed by the school district for six years she was its lead negotiator, hammering out budgets with teachers, administrators and community input. Her budgets were balanced.
One need not ask if Graham was a lobbyist. The facts make it clear she was not. She was a stay at home mom for 13 years and an exceptional employee of the Leon County School District for six years.
Mark Lipton
News Herald
Letter to the Editor:
Graham supports common sense immigration reform
A reader, Glen Leirer, wrote that Steve Southerland is his candidate of choice (“Graham's past not as troubling as her future,” Sept. 24). He rebuffed Gwen Graham, because Southerland will fix the illegal immigrant problem and thereby create and protect jobs.
How he would fix it, as to the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, is not mentioned by Leirer or Steve Southerland.
All that is offered is strengthening borders. How that would protect or create jobs is not explained either. I guess we need to assume that immigrants are not consumers, do not buy products, and therefore their presence in America does not help expand employment.
Worse yet, the reader argues illegal immigrants reduce employment! His memory is short because he does not recall the millions of jobs lost under President George W. Bush and a Republican Congress who had every opportunity to fix the problem according to Leirer’s specifications.
Building walls is not common sense reform. Every study that has been done, bi-partisan or otherwise shows that providing these 11 million immigrants a path to citizenship improves rather than degrades our economy. They pay taxes, spend money, and contribute to their communities. As for increasing border security; President Obama has beefed up the border forces far more than any prior President. Furthermore, most illegal immigrants arrive by plane and overstay their visas! Increased border security does not address that issue.
The Senate has passed a bi-partisan bill that addresses all the issues related to immigration in a way that is fair to the immigrants, improves the economy, strengthens borders further and takes into consideration the complexities of the issues that have grown over the terms of both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Unfortunately, the House, because of narrow minded, inflexible congressmen like Steve Southerland, refuses to act on the bill and instead it’s Tea Party members cry out, “Raise the walls, electrify the fences, hire private militias and take to the sky” as they refuse to look at the facts.
Finally, he charges Gwen Graham with being a lobbyist as if that makes clear why she should be shunned and Southerland, his inflexibility and all, should be embraced. Was Graham a lobbyist? When was she a lobbyist? For how long? Oh, she did work for a law firm in 1990 for less than a year, fresh out of law school as an associate. Some of the senior members of that firm lobbied. They filed a federal lobbyist disclosure form in 1990 listing all attorneys in the firm. Gwen left the firm before a year was up, had a child (and subsequently two others) stayed home and raised the three children before going to work seven years ago for the Leon County School District.
Employed by the school district for six years she was its lead negotiator, hammering out budgets with teachers, administrators and community input. Her budgets were balanced.
One need not ask if Graham was a lobbyist. The facts make it clear she was not. She was a stay at home mom for 13 years and an exceptional employee of the Leon County School District for six years.
Mark Lipton
September 23, 2014
The News Herald
Letter to the Editor:
Jamie Shepard has my vote for Florida House
The News Herald headlines read, “Trumbull conquers GOP competition” in a disappointing primary voter turnout of 21 percent for the Florida House of Representatives District 6.
The combined votes for Thelma Rohan and Melissa Hagan show that more Bay County GOP voters cast their votes for the women than for Jay Trumbull Jr., unfortunately, they split the vote and neither one came up the winner. They did, however, disprove the News Herald article (June 22) “When it comes to politics in Bay County, it’s largely a man’s world.”
Bay County is ready for a strong, smart woman to serve us in the Florida House of Representatives District 6.
In my June 30 Letter to the Editor “More women in politics,” I mentioned a personal connection to all three women candidates for the Florida House. So, now there is one. Jamie Shepard did not have a Democrat opponent and is on the general election ballot on Nov. 4 with Jay Trumbull Jr.
She is the wife of USAF (Ret) Lt. Col. Randall Shepard. They have two sons. She is a small business owner herself who served as manager and small business adviser for the Bay County Small Business Incubator and Small Business Development Center for Gulf Coast State College. She is an active member of the Panama City Beach and Bay County Chambers of Commerce.
A graduate with a BA from Agnes Scott College, she also earned her MS from Florida State University in executive management. She served as past president and voter education chairwoman for the Bay County League of Women Voters. Like Thelma and Melissa, her campaign funds are from individual local donations. If elected, Jamie can rightfully claim years of experience reaching across the aisle; her husband is a Republican!
It is time we sent the most-qualified candidate to Tallahassee.
She has my vote!
Rita L. Acoba
The News Herald
Letter to the Editor:
Jamie Shepard has my vote for Florida House
The News Herald headlines read, “Trumbull conquers GOP competition” in a disappointing primary voter turnout of 21 percent for the Florida House of Representatives District 6.
The combined votes for Thelma Rohan and Melissa Hagan show that more Bay County GOP voters cast their votes for the women than for Jay Trumbull Jr., unfortunately, they split the vote and neither one came up the winner. They did, however, disprove the News Herald article (June 22) “When it comes to politics in Bay County, it’s largely a man’s world.”
Bay County is ready for a strong, smart woman to serve us in the Florida House of Representatives District 6.
In my June 30 Letter to the Editor “More women in politics,” I mentioned a personal connection to all three women candidates for the Florida House. So, now there is one. Jamie Shepard did not have a Democrat opponent and is on the general election ballot on Nov. 4 with Jay Trumbull Jr.
She is the wife of USAF (Ret) Lt. Col. Randall Shepard. They have two sons. She is a small business owner herself who served as manager and small business adviser for the Bay County Small Business Incubator and Small Business Development Center for Gulf Coast State College. She is an active member of the Panama City Beach and Bay County Chambers of Commerce.
A graduate with a BA from Agnes Scott College, she also earned her MS from Florida State University in executive management. She served as past president and voter education chairwoman for the Bay County League of Women Voters. Like Thelma and Melissa, her campaign funds are from individual local donations. If elected, Jamie can rightfully claim years of experience reaching across the aisle; her husband is a Republican!
It is time we sent the most-qualified candidate to Tallahassee.
She has my vote!
Rita L. Acoba
Healthcare for All
While Medicare is a highly successful Federal program that has been in existence for 49 years, its evolution was not smooth. It required focus, patience and modifications when indicated. However, many US citizens are still hanging outside the system. Their health problems go unmonitored, leaving the general population at risk for epidemics. The poor also do not get the benefit of preventative medicine and counseling, resulting in a rising population with unmanageable health crises. The current Affordable Healthcare System allows states to exclude the poor by rejecting the Medicare expansion. This results in crowding the emergency room with patients who receive incomplete assessments and limited treatment of their problems. They would be more effectively taken care of in the doctor’s office.
Expansion of Medicare into a single payer program will evolve into significant cost savings for all, and a healthier population of Americans. But, what about the health insurance companies? They will probably still exist to provide platinum plans for the wealthy. But the welfare of the corporation should not prevail over the welfare of our citizenry.
Elimination of the extra layer of the health insurance company will save enough money to support the single payer system. And it would also provide enough funding to adequately pay physicians so they do not opt out of the program.
The issue of healthcare is being poorly considered in Congress. Our legislators need to hear support from their constituents for the Medicare expansion and a single payer system.
Lynne Siegfried
While Medicare is a highly successful Federal program that has been in existence for 49 years, its evolution was not smooth. It required focus, patience and modifications when indicated. However, many US citizens are still hanging outside the system. Their health problems go unmonitored, leaving the general population at risk for epidemics. The poor also do not get the benefit of preventative medicine and counseling, resulting in a rising population with unmanageable health crises. The current Affordable Healthcare System allows states to exclude the poor by rejecting the Medicare expansion. This results in crowding the emergency room with patients who receive incomplete assessments and limited treatment of their problems. They would be more effectively taken care of in the doctor’s office.
Expansion of Medicare into a single payer program will evolve into significant cost savings for all, and a healthier population of Americans. But, what about the health insurance companies? They will probably still exist to provide platinum plans for the wealthy. But the welfare of the corporation should not prevail over the welfare of our citizenry.
Elimination of the extra layer of the health insurance company will save enough money to support the single payer system. And it would also provide enough funding to adequately pay physicians so they do not opt out of the program.
The issue of healthcare is being poorly considered in Congress. Our legislators need to hear support from their constituents for the Medicare expansion and a single payer system.
Lynne Siegfried
April 23, 2014
The News Herald
Letter to the Editor
“I hope we shall…crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and to bid defiance to the laws of their country.” – Thomas Jefferson
Thank you to The News Herald for featuring cartoonist Monte Wolvertons’ cartoon on the Viewpoints page of April 22, 2014. History once again provides a salient message to the citizens of today.
Corporations are on the ascendancy and the word oligarchy has come into common usage. Politics is now dominated by the few, the mighty. If you have any doubt, I would direct your attention to the television ads being run incessantly on local stations in support of the reelection of Congressman Steve Southerland – ads paid for by Americans for Prosperity. It is helpful to know that Americans for Prosperity is the funnel through which the Koch brothers (aka Koch Industries) pour their considerable wealth in a bid for favorable policy outcomes.
In Mr. Southerland’s first bid to represent Florida’s 2nd congressional district, the Koch franchise spent well in excess of three hundred thousand dollars to influence the election. It would appear they feel it was a good investment. Early in this campaign – the election is still many months away – the spigots are again wide open.
Janet Olsen
The News Herald
Letter to the Editor
“I hope we shall…crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and to bid defiance to the laws of their country.” – Thomas Jefferson
Thank you to The News Herald for featuring cartoonist Monte Wolvertons’ cartoon on the Viewpoints page of April 22, 2014. History once again provides a salient message to the citizens of today.
Corporations are on the ascendancy and the word oligarchy has come into common usage. Politics is now dominated by the few, the mighty. If you have any doubt, I would direct your attention to the television ads being run incessantly on local stations in support of the reelection of Congressman Steve Southerland – ads paid for by Americans for Prosperity. It is helpful to know that Americans for Prosperity is the funnel through which the Koch brothers (aka Koch Industries) pour their considerable wealth in a bid for favorable policy outcomes.
In Mr. Southerland’s first bid to represent Florida’s 2nd congressional district, the Koch franchise spent well in excess of three hundred thousand dollars to influence the election. It would appear they feel it was a good investment. Early in this campaign – the election is still many months away – the spigots are again wide open.
Janet Olsen