Ready for November
Published 6:40 am Thursday, August 24, 2006
By Staff
CASSOPOLIS – After electing more than twice as many precinct delegates as the Cass County Republicans in the Aug. 8 Primary Election (46 to 21), the Cass County Democrats held their convention last Saturday, Aug. 19, preparing for the campaign ahead and the November elections.
A standing-room-only crowd of more than 30 Democrats attended the convention, held at the Cass County Democratic Party office in Cassopolis.
Cass County Democratic Executive Committee (CCDEC) Chair Burke H. Webb, of Marcellus, served as chair of the convention while the CCDEC's acting secretary, Cathy LaPointe, of Volinia Township, served as secretary.
Resolutions adopted included:
Endorsement of Democratic candidates at the State, Congressional and State legislative level, as well as Democratic candidates for Cass County Commissioner.
Opposition to the so-called SOS referendum issue which would straightjacket State and local government, reduce spending for education and other essential services and throttle representative government. (Colorado voters, who had adopted a similar measure some years ago, found its effects unbearable and recently voted to suspend the measure so that essential services, such as education, would not be starved.)
Opposition to the Ward Connerly referendum to terminate programs now ensuring equal treatment of minorities and women in government employment and admission to Michigan colleges and universities.
"Mr. Connerly's drive to legitimize racial prejudice and bias against women is hardly a positive step for Michigan," Webb said.
"People in Michigan and across the country have spent decades and, indeed, some their lives, battling prejudice and bias, believing that equal opportunity and fair treatment are essential to the present and future of American society," he added.
In addition to discussing and adopting the resolutions, precinct delegates and Democratic officeholders and candidates focused on targeting key local races and strategies and tactics necessary to be effective.
Cass County Democrats will be attending the Michigan Democratic Party's Fall State Convention on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 26 and 27, in Detroit.
That convention will update and adopt its platform for the fall campaign and nominate its candidates for Lt. Governor (John Cherry), Secretary of State, Attorney General (M. Scott Bowen, of Grand Rapids, and Amos Williams, of Gross Point, are vying for the post), State Board of Education and university board seats and Michigan Supreme Court Justice posts.