February: Waking the Bear
February started with Musk and his merry band of hackers stealing our data and threatening our payment systems. And it ended with Trump and Vance publicly taking off the “good guy” mask and siding with Putin. So, it’s been fun!
But they’ve also succeeded in waking the bear. Grassroots groups all over the country - yes, even in the Park Cities area! - have sprung up with an energy to stop what seems to be our descent into authoritarianism. Yes, there are lawsuits. Yes, there has been (belatedly) legislative oversight. But these take time and Trump and Musk are breaking things at a dizzying pace! We, the People, are ready to use our voices any way we can, and these grassroots organizations have become our messenger.
The good news to this is that we could go to a protest 3 times a week in Dallas alone! This means that if you want to be a loud and proud voice, there’s likely a time and place for a protest that works for you! (The bad news is that our intrepid Action Committee is working overtime to keep up with all the options to keep you informed!).
Our soon-to-be-unveiled website will be the place to go to find action opportunities from quiet to public (and everything in-between) to help you join the voice of protest. In the meantime, see our links, below.
What You Might Have Missed This Month
February Meeting with Senator Nathan Johnson
We had a fabulous meeting last week, featuring Senator Nathan Johnson with a bonus presentation from Susan Eldredge (more, below). After having raced up 35 from Austin fresh from a committee hearing in order to be there, Senator Johnson spoke for an hour about the way he’s found to get important things done when you’re a minority Senator in a bright red Senate. We also had a thought-provoking discussion about how to communicate effectively with elected officials in our calls and emails.
The meeting was inspiring in other ways, as well! We had a terrific attendance of over 40 people - 14 of whom were completely new members! These new members ranged from lifelong progressives to very recent republicans but were all dissatisfied with the direction of the country and looking for ways to make a difference!
Lastly, a dozen of us stayed for Overtime, to hear Susan Eldredge speak about her experiences at the Principles First Summit in DC in late February. A star-studded cast of the thinkers and policy makers (the people you read every morning!), there was a strong consensus that we need to continue and grow our efforts to make our voices loudly heard. Watching video from the event would be well worth your time.
PCA Dems On The Front Lines
PCA peeps showed up at the Feb 17 protest at Ted Cruz’s office, then on to City Hall to join the 50501 protest there.
Park Cities area and North Dallas activists had a cordial but candid meeting with the staff of Senator John Cornyn. We explained that his constituents were looking for him to stand up for the Constitution and the Rule of Law against the worst excesses of the Trump Administration.
Next Up: March Meeting
Topic of the Month
Money in Politics: A Constitutional Solution
With Ann Drumm of American Promise
Our Republic is a system of government based on the idea of popular sovereignty: that We the People are the legitimate source of power and authority. But that relationship has been undermined by special interest money - including foreign money - and citizens have to compete with that money for their representatives’ attention. American Promise is a national non-partisan organization advocating for the For Our Freedom constitutional amendment to restore to our legislatures the power to put reasonable limits on money in politics. Ann will describe this in more detail and let us know how we can help.
More Upcoming Things to Do
Stand Up for Science Nation-wide event. In Dallas, at Klyde Warren Park. Click below for more information.
March 7, 4:00 - 7:00.
International Women’s Day March International Event. In Dallas, at Civic Garden at 1014 Main Street. Click below for more information.
March 8, 2:00 - 4:30.
Queer and Trans Liberation March March from Inwood & Cedar Springs, to Cedar Springs & Throckmorton. Click below for more information.
March 23, 2:00 - 5:00.
Happy Hour at the Stoneleigh P. Like Hearts friends stop in at the Stoneleigh P every other Thursday to enjoy the company of their like-hearted friends. All are welcome! Stop in for a drink or stay for dinner! March meeting dates:
March 6th and 20th. 5:00 - 8:00 4218 Lemmon Ave.
DCDP Fish Fry Fundraiser Want to support our county party and meet Democrats from all over Dallas? This annual event never disappoints. Everyone who is anyone in Dallas Dem politics will be there. And it helps our county get out the good message!
April 4: 6:00 - 8:00 Sokol Athletic Center, 7448 Greenville Ave.
Buy tickets, below.
Want to host a meeting or help out with refreshments?
New events are being added daily!!
New Info Sources of the Month
For Musk news-geeks only: Are you obsessed with what Musk and his crew are doing to the government? Especially the part where they break things we can’t see but will feel for years? Nathan Tankus is the undisputed expert in all things government-geek and has a (non-substack) newsletter called Notes on the Crises which outlines the latest thing to worry about in a way even non-geeks can understand.
For BlueSky members who may be short on time: An app has been developed to help you find the top ten things BlueSky is talking about. Updated every hour, The Blue Report ranks the posts that have intrigued us the most, complete with links to the posts themselves! Ironically, it is not accessible through Blue Sky directly, but through a website called theblue.report.
Top two apps for daily resistance:
Goods Unite Us is an app that tracks political spending by national brands and shows you the percentage and scale of their donations by party and major candidates. They do not consider DEI initiative support or other factors, but this is a great place to start!
5 Calls is an app that makes “8-minute activism” a reality! Once you type in your address, it provides direct links to your federal elected officials so you can call your elected officials daily with just a push of a button. Even provides scripts for whichever issue you’d like to address!!
Coming Soon!
We’re almost there!
Park Cities Democratic Women’s Association is now
Park Cities Area Democrats
In the next few weeks, we’ll issue a special newsletter dedicated to the new look of Park Cities Area Democrats. We’ll unveil our new logo, let you know our new names on Facebook and BlueSky, and outline the new features of our website refresh!
We’re very excited about what’s coming, and very grateful to all the members of the Communications Committee who’ve been working so hard to get this accomplished!
Did you know?
The most important election you’ve never heard of
is taking place on March 29!
The Texas Democratic Party (TDP) has been on the cusp of turning Texas blue for years. The Chairman of the TDP resigned after the last election, and there is an upcoming vote for his replacement. The new chair will have the opportunity to re-tool the party to reflect the opportunities (and challenges) on the ground in our state and make good on the pledge toward a blue Texas.
Who votes in this election? A group of super-precinct chairs called members of the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC). Each congressional district has 2 SDEC members. Do you care about turning Texas Blue? Would you like to weigh in on the vote? Find your SDEC members, below, and let them know who you support. (Note: there is a vacancy in our Congressional District (CD24) which will be filled later this week. Check the site below for our new representative.)
scroll to bottom of page to find the member(s) for your Congressional District
This site is run by the Texas Progressive Caucus. Other reviews and videos are available.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
March 6: LIkeHearts Happy Hour at Stoneleigh P: 5:00 pm - ?
March 7: Stand Up for Science: 4:00 - 7:00 pm
March 8: Int’l Women’s Day March: 2:00 - 4:30 pm
March 20: LikeHearts Happy Hour at Stoneleigh P: 5:00 - ?
March 23: Queer and Trans Liberation March: 2:00 - 5:00
March 27: PCA Dems March Meeting: 5:00 - 7:00 pm
March 27: Cocktails for a Cause (Planned Parenthood): 6:30 - 8:30 pm
April 4: DCDP Fish Fry Fundraiser: 6:00 - 8:00 pm