|
Breaking News! _ Ben Nelson Wins Runoff!! Ben Nelson, Jr., won the Bonita Springs Mayoral Runoff election today. Unofficial results
show he received 4,364 votes vs. 2,571 votes for incumbent Jay Arend
for a 63% to 37% win. The turnout, as expected, was much lower
than in the January 29th municipal election when 12,389 votes were cast
for mayor. Ben received 75% if the votes he received on January
29th while Jay only received 63%.
Congratulations, Mr. Mayor! |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Celebrate Bonita The Democratic Club of Bonita
Springs and South Lee County participated again in the Celebrate Bonita
event on April 5th. Our booth was at a busy pedestrian
traffic interseection between the Liles Hotel and the bandstand.
We met and greeted everyone who came by. There was
candy for the kids and a smile for the adults. Our key effort
was a Straw 2008 Presidential Poll. We managed to get 478
votes! We used Instant Runoff Voting to assure that
we would have a winner. Each voter was requested to vote for
his first and
second choice from the four identifiable remaining candidates:
Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Ralph Nader, and Barack Obama.
The results were quite interesting.
Observations:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Good News from Larry Byrnes On
April 4, Larry sent an e-mail announcing that he had been told that he
had at least 5,428 validated signatures on his nominating petition for
US Representative from Florida's 14th Congressional District.
This is about 500 more than the requirement to be placed on
the
ballot without a filing fee of about $10,000. This is a
remarkable accomplishment and a tribute to both him and his volunteers
who worked long and hard to get all those signatures.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
April Meeting We are fortunate to have Nancy
Lascheid, R.N., as our speaker for our
Tuesday, April 15th, meeting at the Liles Hotel at 7:00 pm,
In the
past decade, she and her husband, Dr. William Lascheid, have made a
major impact on healthcare for the uninsured in the Naples
area. Dr.
Lascheid began his dermatology practice in Pittsburgh but
moved to
Naples. After 30 years practice in Naples, Dr. Lascheid
retired. The
story is, that on the day after Dr. Lascheid retired, he
started by observing and asking, "OK, that's enough
retirement. What
can I do?"
He and Nancy founded the Neighborhood Clinic, Inc. in Naples. They provide comprehensive service with low-cost care including laboratory work and prescription drugs for the uninsured in the community. Their funding also comes from grants and donations and their staff are volunteers. The Naples Community Hospital has been so pleased with the Clinic's success in decreasing the hospital's emergency room costs that they have found ways to support the clinic such as low/no cost use of hospital services. The Lascheids have had a dramatic impact in the community in what is one of the top 2 or 3 issues this year. The Lascheids were also participants in the healthcare system planning led by Hillary Clinton in the early years of the Clinton administration. Nancy is a dynamic speaker and has some clear viewpoints on what really needs to be done to solve the on-going healthcare crisis both in Southwest Florida and in the United States. Her observations are insightful; and her recommendations are pragmatic reflecting her first-hand experience. Needless to say, she doesn't agree with all the 'policy' experts. She has promised to 'drag' her husband along to add his comments. It will be an informative evening with an opportunity to hear real expertise. Y'all come, Heah? The Liles Hotel is in Riverside Park on the west side of OLD 41 (27300), south of Terry Street, at the corner of Wilson Street and opposite Benson's Grocery, north of Pennsylvania/Ragsdale. Liles Hotel is the two-story building at the north end of the park, near the Imperial River. Free, lighted parking nearby. Map and picture below. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination: Another Update March
12, Karen Thurman, Chair Florida Democratic Party, sent an URGENT
MEMO FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY and a
draft of plan
for conducting a vote-by-mail revote of the presidential preference
primary.
March 17, Ms. Thurman sent a followup e-mail to those who submitted comments. The gist of the e-mail was: The failure of this plan left things unresolved. Hillary Clinton continues to push for a resolution which would seat the Florida and Michigan delegations as voted. The credentials committee will likely have to make the decision. Donna Brazile was on This Week on Sunday morning and explained how the credentials committee works. According to her, 25 committee members are appointed by Howard Dean and the rest of the committee is made up of 3 members from each state. Since Obama has won more states than Clinton, it suggests that he should have a decisive majority on the committee. (Thanks to Talking Points Memo.) Meanwhile, the candidates continue to duke it out. Take a peek at their websites: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Of further interest: Larry Byrnes is running for the House of Representatives in the 14th District of Florida. So is Robert Neeld. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
March Meeting The
Democratic Club of
Bonita Springs and South Lee County
enjoyed a fine evening on March 18, 2008. Peter J. Bergerson,
Ph.D.., professor of Public Affairs, Florida Gulf Coast
University addressed "The 2008 Presidential
Campaign and Election: Where do we go from Here?"
Dr. Bergerson provided broad-ranging commentary on what is going on in the Democratic primary campaign. He enjoyed having an audience of the "saved." He believes that the nomination will be resolved before the convention. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Campaign Information |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bonita Springs Democratic Political Committee Contributions are always welcome. If you desire to help candidates for Florida state and local offices and issues important to the people of Florida, we would appreciate your contributions. Send your checks, along with your address and, if the amount given during the year exceeds $100, your occupation, to our Post Office Box 367912 at Bonita Springs, FL 34136. Thank you for your help. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2008 Dues and New Members
2008 dues of $20 per
person are
due.
Mail to P.O. Box 367912, Bonita Springs, FL 34136. New
Members
can
find an application blank here
(MS Word .doc). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Countdown Clock
 |
Meetings are held at the historic Liles Hotel in Riverside Park
at 27300 Old 41 across from Benson's Grocery beside the Imperial River.
Liles Hotel - 27300 Old 41 Rd
Meetings start at 7 pm.
Annual memberships are $20 per person.
Click here to download an Application.
* Last update: April 9, 2008