Petition & Demonstrate Against Budget Cuts

The State of Vermont has a budget shortfall and Governor Douglas says it should be done without raising new revenue but through program cuts that will primarily affect children, the elderly, and low income Vermonters. Join the Vermont Workers' Center (VWC) and other organizations across the state opposing proposed state budget cuts which will be devastating to thousands of Vermont families.

1. The Burlington Livable City Coalition will hold a Candlelight Vigil to Stop State Budget Cuts on Monday, February 2nd, 5 PM, at 108 Cherry St (near Church St), Burlington. Similar vigils will be held throughout the state. For a listing see http://www.workerscenter.org/calendar/.
2. On Tuesday, February 3rd, 7 PM, there will be a Community Forum w/Chicago Republic Sit-in Strikers at the Billings North Lounge, 48 University Place, UVM, Burlington. In December, 260 workers at Chicago's Republic Windows occupied their plant for six days, a sit-in strike launched in response to the closing of their plant with only 3 days notice. The Vermont Workers' Center and other Jobs with Justice coalitions along with other community, faith and labor activists from across the country mobilized in support of these workers, helping them win a settlement from Bank of America and Republic owners including severance pay and compensation for unpaid earnings.
3. Liz Schlegel, Waterbury Town Chair, has started a news site with a petition to mobilize support for using taxes as one mechanism to address our budget problems. It will be great if we can generate a lot of signatures for this. Here's the link to the web site: http://countmeinvt.wordpress.com/.

New Vice-Chair for Chittenden County Democratic Committee‏

Congratulations to Bob Hooper of Burlington on his election as Vice-Chair of the County Committee. I look forward to working with him to keep the County Committee relevant and effective in promoting Democratic values and goals. Bob has a long record of labor activism and serves as Vice-President of the Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA).

The minutes of Monday's meeting at the Albert "Sonny" Audette office building in South Burlington are being written up by our Secretary, Sherry Mahady, and will be posted on this website when ready.

-- Mike Yantachka
Chittenden County Democratic Committee Chairman

County Democrats Meeting on 1/26/09 + other info‏

Chittenden County Democrats,
Here's an update to January happenings.

1. The County Committee meeting will be held on Monday, January 26th, 7:00 PM, at the Sonny Audette Office Bldg, 102 Landfill Rd, South Burlington. This meeting is open to everyone, not just County Committee members. The agenda will include:
   • Election of a Vice-Chair -- Our Vice-Chair, Robert Ready, resigned back in August, and with the County Fair, the primary and general elections and personal commitments, I was not able to properly schedule an election to replace him. Nominations will be open from the floor. The Vice-Chair will assist me with keeping the website current and help with organizing meetings and other events, including fund-raising. Anyone planning to run for this position is welcome to contact me at any time via email or phone (233-5238). Only County Committee members can cast a vote in this election. (Click here to see a list of County Committe members. If you see an error, please let me know.)
   • Report from the legislature -- I hope one or more legislators will attend the meeting to fill us in on how the session is proceeding with regard to the important issues.
   • Inauguration experiences -- Anyone who attended the inauguration is welcome to tell us about their experiences so that we stay-at-homes can enjoy them vicariously.




2. Inauguration Watch Party - Watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden on January 20th with friends at Nectar's in Burlington. This event is sponsored by local DFA chapters. Click here to get details and RSVP.
   

3. Local elections -- There is still time to submit your petition to run for local office. The upcoming Town Meetings are an opportunity for Democrats to run for positions on School Boards, Select Boards, City Councils, etc. It is not only a way to further the Democratic Vision of serving our communities in a progressive way, but also to build a leadership base that can provide future candidates for state-level offices. The deadline for submitting a petition to the Town or City Clerk to get on the ballot for a municipal election is Monday, January 26th, 5:00 PM.
4. The Chittenden County Democrats Show recorded on Monday, January 5th, featured Sen. Hinda Miller and Rep. Mark Larson talking about the current budget crisis Vermont is experiencing. LCATV and VCAM as well as CCTV will rebroadcast the program at various times throughout the month. Check their schedules for broadcast times. Previous shows can also be viewed online at the CCTV website: http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/live-at-5. The CCTV Channel 17 rebroadcast schedule is
   Sunday January 18, 9:50 PM
   Monday January 19, 2:50 AM
   Monday January 19, 8:50 AM
   Monday January 19, 3:00 PM .

I hope to see you at the meeting on January 26th.
--
Regards,
Mike Yantachka
Chittenden County Democratic Committee Chairman

Happy 2009!

I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season enjoying time with friends and family and that 2009 will prove to be a healthy and prosperous new year for you.

Now that the elections and recounts are over, the real work is beginning. We are looking forward to the new Obama administration in Washington while we wonder what will be done in Montpelier to weather these difficult economic times.

Here's what's on the burner for the month of January.

1. The Chittenden County Democrats Show will be broadcast Live at 5:25 once again this Monday, January 5th, from the CCTV Channel 17 studio in Burlington. Appearing with me will be Sen. Hinda Miller and Rep. Mark Larson, and we will be talking about the current budget crisis Vermont is experiencing. Residents of Burlington, So. Burlington, Winooski and Essex Junction can view the program live. LCATV and VCAM as well as CCTV will rebroadcast the program at various times throughout the month for other Chittenden County residents. Check their schedules for broadcast times. Previous shows can also be viewed online at the CCTV website: http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/live-at-5.


2. A County Committee meeting will be held during the week after the inauguration of Barak Obama. The time and date is not yet certain, so I will send out a follow-up notice. The agenda will include:
   
   
   • Election of a Vice-Chair -- Our Vice-Chair, Robert Ready, resigned back in August, and with the County Fair, the primary and general elections, and personal commitments, I was not able to properly schedule an election to replace him. Nominations will be open from the floor. The Vice-Chair will assist me with keeping the website current and help with organizing meetings and other events, including fund-raising. Anyone planning to run for this position is welcome to contact me at any time via email or phone (233-5238).
   
   
   • Report from the legislature -- I hope one or more legislators will attend the meeting to fill us in on how the session is proceeding with regard to the important issues.
     

   • Inauguration experiences -- Anyone who attended the inauguration is welcome to tell us about their experiences so that we stay-at-homes can enjoy them vicariously.
   
   

3. Local elections -- The upcoming Town Meetings are an opportunity for Democrats to run for elective office. We need Democrats on School Boards, Select Boards, City Councils, etc. It is not only a way to further the Democratic Vision of serving our communities in a progressive way, but also to provide a leadership base that can provide future candidates for state-level offices. The deadline for submitting a petition to the Town or City Clerk to get on the ballot for a municipal election is Monday, January 26th, 5:00 PM.
   

I look forward to seeing you at future meetings and events, and I encourage you all to stay active in your local Democratic committees. If you can't find any events or activities in your town, email your Town Chair (you can find them listed at the website below in the righthand sidebar) and ask them what's happening, or light a fire under them. Let's use 2009 to build a strong organization at all levels so that our success in 2010 will be even greater than our success in 2008. I welcome any feedback and suggestions you may have.
Regards,
Mike Yantachka
Chittenden County Democratic Committee Chairman