Dear Nye County … This is Getting Really Old and Boring …

I’m so sick and tired of wasting time and money towards something that is so ill conceived and back by disreputable “names” … here’s a proposal for the county … if we had a functioning County Commissioner unit, maybe by now they might have thought of working in conjunction with the Commissioners in California and filling up the dry lake bed with water, stocking it with fish and building a resort community around it, for fishing and maybe a little bit of game hunting. I’m sure that would bring lots of jobs to both Counties and revenue, not to mention, present a family friendly tourist spot. How about instead of our community focusing on what’s wrong with what’s going on, we start making proposals of our own that would benefit us all …

My History Of Experience With The Nye County Democratic Central Commitee.

The following are actual emails that were sent and recieved during the 2008 election cycle. In the interests of Progressive Democratic Party members who are trying to further Progressive causes and garner support, I offer this perspective as a history and a possible support for those who may think they’re alone in the fight for real change, because this is what we’re up against even today in 2012. The names have not been altered though the email addresses have been removed because they are no longer viable.

Good Morning Jonathan,

Hope all is well with you & family. I saw Margery @ Scotty Babb’s fundraiser last night.
She told me she sent you an e-mail and copied me and if I wanted I too could tell you
what has been going on here for quite awhile. This is going to be a long e-mail so
please bare with me, here we go!

This all started @ the Nevada caucasus in Feb. Our precinct was viable and we
were told we could elect four(4) delegates and two(2) alternates to attend the state
caucus in Tonapah. We elected our delegates wrote our names & all contact numbers
on a piece of paper and then left. Ten minutes after leaving I was called back to fill
out the proper form to attend the state caucus. I was the first to put my name on the
paper. I went back and filled out the form. While I was there Loyle Watkins and a
Obama delegate and Ashley, who travels with Obama, were aurguing about the
delegate count. Loyle was trying to take one of Obama’s delegates and give it to
Hillary he said the count was off. The people that were counting had no idea what
they were doing. The count had already be sent to Carson City. Loyle Watkins &
Ashley really got into it heavy. I lent her my cell phone so she could call the Obama
attorney’s. Loyle Watkins was told the count had to stand!!!! While all this was going
on I filled out my paperwork and was told I would be called and told where we to be
on Feb. 23rd for the state caucus. I was told @ that time it were probably be here in
Pahrump. After about one (1) week I started calling the Dem. headquarters here and
was told that people were voting for Hillary and they didn’t /wouldn’t tell me where we
were to go and also It wasn’t necessary for me to attend that my vote would still count.
I was finally called on Wednesday, Feb. 20th two days before the caucus, and was in-
formed that the caucus would be in Tonapah. My Husband & I attended the caucus and
again it was a mess. I had the good sense to bring the form I had filled out with me. The
meeting was finally called to order. They started with the Obama delegates taking roll
call of each precinct. I realized @ that time not all of our delegates were there from our
precinct. I was sitting with Jesse & Emily Bratton ( Jesse was an elected delegate &
Emily was an alternate). I asked them if they had brought their paperwork with them &
they had no idea what I was talking about. Again, remember, my name was the first one
on the paper when we voted for our delegates. I, as I found out, was the only one called
back to fill out the paperwork. After all precincts were recognized we were lined up against the wall on opposite sides of the room. Obama on one side & Hillary on the other. They
then went down the lines and counted. The count was one person off it was then that
Loyle Watkins and all his cheerleaders counted themselves for Hillary. We were lined
up in precinct order. Due to the lack of order, control and frustration several Hillary
crossed over to the Obama side. Loyle and Kathleen again took another count of
delegates on the Obama side and removed the ORIGINAL Obama delegates and re-
placed them with the Hillary crossovers. We were not allowed to caucus and when we
protested we were told we would be thrown out of the caucus. Loyle and Kathleen
then proceeded to hand pick delegates on the Obama side to attend the state con-
vention. There was ” NEVER ” a vote taken. We were picked!!!!!!!! Loyle also told
everyone to have their paperwork out so it could be verified. Since I was the only delegate called back to the Feb. 19th caucus to fill it out Jesse & Emily didn’t have any. Delegates,
mostly Obama, were then told that those without paperwork were not eligible to go to the
convention or even paticipate. I went toe to toe with Loyle about the paperwork. Sudden-
ly he produced the paper from our precinct with the delegate names on it, however the
alternates were missing along with phone numbers exccept for mine. In brackets the
three (3) remaining names were listed as alternates. Loyle asked me if I had written
down the names and I explained to him aI hadn’t. It’s clear on the paper that none of
our signatures match, however he insisted and accused me of it even with Jesse & Emily
backing me up, basically accusing us of lying which I resented and still do!

On our way home my husband & I saw two women from the convention that had
car trouble, we assisted them and during our back and forth to their car I learned that the Hillary delegates were called two (2) weeks before the caucus to make sure they would be there and yet some of the Obama were either NOT called or called two (2) days prior WHY?
I thought It was important that someone supporting Obama volunteer @ the Dem. office
just in case and I was right. People would go into the office asking for Obama posters,
button, etc. and were told they only carry Hillary stuff!!!!!! On one occasion CJ overheard
a conversation that had taken place the day before. An African-American Obama
supporter asked for Obama stuff and she was told that they don’t have that ” NIGGER “
stuff there. Sorry for even using that awful word, I was offended, I can’t even imagine
how that poor woman felt. I was so enraged and upset I called Alison Schwartz and
told her everything, she too, was upset by what had taken place. She assured me that it
would be taken care of. She sent a letter to Sam Liebermann and it was decided that
a revote or should I say a proper vote be taken. She sent me a copy of the letter and I
still have it should you need it. Loyle was notified by the ethics committee and he was
“LIVID “. He tried to argue that everything had been followed in accordance with the
rules. Then he was asked for the ballots from our vote and he could not/would not produce
them. How could he we NEVER VOTED!!!!!!! The ethics committee arranged a conference call which fifteen (15) of us participated in. We all said the same thing. Loyle was
supposed to take part in that call. We later found out that he and Kathleen were listening
in unaware to any of us.

I encouraged Margery to run for his seat to bring unbiased, unopionated and fairness
back as it should be. I can’t tell you how outraged he his @ the thought that someone is
opposing him and his way of running things with his groupies. Jonathan we have lost many
good people who were thinking of running for various offices, volunteering but now will not ever get involved because of Loyle Watkins. That should tell you something. He reminds me of George Bush, his way or no way and thats wrong! This e-mail is not meant to attack him
but to point out that that things here need to change so we are able to unite and go forward.
However with Loyle @ the helm that will not happen! People that were once excited, in-
volved, filled with enthusiasm, have new ideas and just want to be a part of something
historic have given up on our party. Several of us in Pahrump came back from the con-
vention, rolled up our sleeves and have been working very hard to do our part in any way
we can. It is an uphill battle with Loyle Watkins as County Chair. It is of my opion that
Loyle Watkins, Loyle Scarlet , Kathleen Bienenstein all be removed immediately.

I’m sorry this e-mail was so long, but I needed to start @ the beginning. Below please
find e-mails and phone numbers. Jonathan, I do hope that this whole matter can and will
be resolved ASAP. You’re extremely knowledgeable and good @ what you do! I trust
this will be given your immediate attention.

Thanks

Mariaelena

Part II

Dear Louie,

I am working to support Nye County Democrats at the State level. We’ll see what I can get done on your behalf.

Let me know what you need.

All the best,

Jonathan

Rabbi Jonathan Freirich
At Large Member of the Executive Board
Nevada State Democratic Party

Dear Margery,

You are going to have to bring this directly to the State Party. I tried to do so and was not received warmly. Get the leadership and staff e-mails from the nvdems.com website.

Honestly – I pretty much got shouted down for interfering in another county.

Talk to you soon – keep your chin up!

Jonathan

Loyle Watkins took a new ad out in the Pahrump Valley Times stating the same thing as he did in the Mirror. I can’t wait to hear what he paid for that ad. Something has to be done. I sent all the information I have to the Pahrump Valley Times editor concerning Loyle Watkins, Loyle Scarlet and Kathleen Bienstein. I can’t be silent and let this go by because not only is it dividing the party it’s also not getting the message of Democracy across. There’s something else that crossed my mind. How can our Democratic Headquarters just give $18,000.00 to the Washoe county Democratic Head quarters when first they don’t need the money and we do in order to get the word out. These were apparently donations to our county party.

Do you have any other suggestions?
Margery

Part III

Dear Margery,

Obviously, Loyal and Harley have issues, to say the least.

Forward this along to our NSDP leadership.

I am glad that the Attorney General was there – hopefully that will provide you with some support.

Talk to you soon,

Jonathan

I wanted to keep you posted. At the Central Committee meeting people who were not registered democrats were asked to leave the building because Loyle Watkins said we were going to strategerize (is that a word?). Anyway…Watkins proceeded to read Mariaelena’s email and an email from Jesse Bratton. He didn’t read our correspondence to the attendees of the meeting. He read the rules for the Central Committee and the removal from office for a Central Committee member to Harley Kulkin about why the democratic party of Nye county wasn’t endorsing him. The problem is those rules only apply to committee members not candidates. That the excuse he gave Harley for not being endorsed. The State Attorney General was there too. I sent her our correspondence and she said she would look at it as soon as she got home.

::: END OF RECORDED EMAILS:::

At this point I decided to take Mariaelena’s suggestion seriously, and I submitted my papers to run for the Chair position of the Nye County Democratic Central Committee. When the time came to hold a vote, I was given to understand that it would be held in Pahrump. I emailed my co-delegates to the State Convention and on the day that we were to hold the vote, close to 40 people showed up to vote for me. First, we were told that the Central Committee had moved the date and location of the vote to Tonopah. A good 150 miles from Pahrump. Second, I was told I was ineligible to run because I had not attended 11 out of 12 meetings of the Central Committee. Robert Hanson suggested there be a teleconference so everyone could vote and he was told by the chair, it wasn’t allowed even if 2 of the chairs were present at the teleconference sight to count votes elsewhere. At that time, teleconferencing was the norm for all other Central Committees and still, C.J. Ross, who was a volunteer in the Democratic Headquarters was voted in as one of the chairs, even though she’d only attended some 2 meetings. Apparently that she’d volunteered counted as some kind of attendance. I had canvassed every day over the 2008 cycle for Obama and I got no credit what so ever and I’d attended 11 out of the 12 meetings of the Central Committee. I was told by the Central Committee there was no record of my attendance at 3 of the 12 meetings where I was present and I had witnesses that were elected state officials in attendance too. One other person and I overheard the Chair ask another chair to destroy the hard-drive of the Democratic HQ office computer, to eliminate any evidence or records. He was told to take a hammer to it and just replace it.
At the first and second meetings of the yearly meeting cycle, that any of us attended, I can only say the reception our attendance brought was unwelcoming (and I’m being generous when I say that). At one point I was told to fuck off and get out. Membership and attendance dropped back to the 3 to 5 people who were regulars, from before the 2008 cycle.
Several of us decided we ought to start our own grassroots meetings in order to keep the momentum going from having helped to get President Obama elected. We started working on our By-Laws, and following Robert’s Rules of Order, when we were done, a copy of them was stolen from us and instituted into the Nye County Democratic Central Committee. I actually thought this was rather flattering and hopefully a good sign of things to come, though I never went back to any meetings after that until the next Central Committee election.
Things seemed to be going well with the new Central Committee chairs until we had a luncheon for the original activist who came to Pahrump to get us started with the Campaign for Change. Even that went well until a well dollared supporter brought a Republican into a Democratic event and then, tricked the wife of the treasurer into allowing this Republican to announce her candidacy for a local office and also announce her support for Ron Paul of all people. Then to add insult to injury, the treasurer was berated and insulted for using his emergency stipend, to purchase a desperately needed printer for the Dem HQ. Immediately thereafter, this well dollared and supposed Democratic supporter, wrote a personal check to the Chair at which point the Chair bought another printer at three times the price of the cost of the printer the treasurer bought for the Dem HQ.
The treasurer resigned his position immediately. When I read his resignation letter, I got dressed and within the hour I was at his front door to let him know that he and his wife, had both my support and my husband’s support.
During caucasing at the precinct level, I had volunteered to help direct traffic and when I went in for training, I took my husband with me and we both asked the chair to do something about the resignation of the treasurer and she refused. In protest, I did not show up for the precinct caucus. I was fairly certain I wasn’t wanted there anyway, even though I organized people to bring in 1000 voter registration forms for the purposes of registering voters at large and for the precinct caucus.
My husband and I attended our last meeting together following the precinct caucus. Our retiring secretary was presented with a plaque as a going away present and memento ( I believe as a last minute gift) that included every name of the Central Committee members for that cycle, except the treasurer’s name (which I believe was deliberate insult even to this day). Both my husband and I stood up for the treasurer even though he was not in attendance. His wife was there and so were many other registered Democratic Party members. Both my husband and I let them know exactly how disappointed in them we were, even though we were both interrupted many times during our time speaking on the floor.
I was disappointed so much so, and so was everyone else that we created the parent group now known as Progressive Democrats of America – Nevada Chapter. I removed myself from all things having to do with the do nothing, hypocritical and dishonest Nye County Democratic Central Committee since then. My husband has attended one meeting since then because there was a special election held due to the fact that the chair also resigned, citing family emergency. The treasurer has since returned to some degree to support the Central Committee and I find no fault in that. He has a much more forgiving nature than I do, especially since I’ve gotten nothing but grief and disappointment from then in all the time I tried to be supportive. Three times bitten and I’m a little more than shy, I’m bitter about it, even jaded you might say.
I still don’t see them doing anything to support our local community in the way of efforts to register new voters or support local needs. Outside of my activism for the Progressive Democratic Platform, I won’t be returning to that particular fold any time soon and they definitely won’t be getting any of my money.

This is the end of my History of Experience with the Nye County Democratic Central Commitee.

PDA of Southern Nevada Commitment to the #ERA

May I have your attention please … Southern Nevada PDA has committed itself to passing the Equal Rights Amendment in Nevada. In lieu of this commitment, we are seeking your help to publicize and draw attention to the fact that A) Nevada has not voted to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and B) 3 more states are needed in order to Ratify the bill and pass it into law.

Among some of the other states that have not voted for the Equal Rights Amendment are, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

35 states have passed the bill, we need 38 states for Ratification into Law.

We need volunteers to blog, write emails/letters to the editor, write emails/letters to the Nevada Legislature.

For more information on this topic, in order to be more informed about the bill itself, the process and its history, please click on this link —>
http://equalrightsamendment.org/

March (Keep Your Laws OFF My Body)

When I was 11 years old, in 1972, I was fortunate enough to walk for Women’s Civil Rights with my mother. She raised me as a single parent. It’s no wonder I’m so independent and outspoken. On Saturday, April 28th, 2012, there is a march for Women’s Rights in Las Vegas, I will be there. My husband will be there too.

For those of you who not only believe a woman has a right to choose, but also believe a woman has a right to speak her mind, vote, work, wear whatever she chooses, walk unmolested anywhere, say “no” when you’re not in the mood, not be beaten because women are no longer chattel, I implore you to join me. Stand up for your rights, not just as a woman, but also as a human being that deserves the same respect anyone else does.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension. Congress people and Senators collect a salary while in office
and receive no pay when they are out of office.

2. Congress people and Senators participate in Social Security. Social Security may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress people and Senators will purchase their own retirement plan.

4. Congressional and Senatorial pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress people and Senators participate in the same health care system as the American
people.

6. Congress people and Senators must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen and Senators are void effective 1/1/12.

Further Proof that Unions are American Ingenuity at its Best (revisited)

Released for the following Townboard meeting, item Agenda number 10 this time, was an action item to remove all reference to political ideology at all. To replace it with rules of conduct for the Mission Statement.
I heard a rumor that was later confirmed, by one of our Townboard members, there had been a lot of complaints to the members themselves about Item Agenda number 11 from the meeting previous to the one I attended this last Tuesday, September 13. 2011.
There were four of us all told. We came prepared with written statements. We read our statements out loud, during community comment, on the Agenda Item. My husband Robert went first, then Deby, then I followed, followed by Cles. It was broadcast on local television.
Somehow, the last time I was there, I’m guessing because I was so furious that something so inane could be taken legitimately, I missed the name calling from the audience. I missed the applause and the appreciation this time too.
I hope the Townboard didn’t miss the sincere appreciation I have for them making a very difficult yet equitable decision, and representing the whole of the community, by remaining non- partisan. I truly believe, this is the best Townboard this Township has ever witnessed. Even though we don’t always agree on certain matters.
I want to thank the community members, whom I have met since then that have greeted me with smiles.
I heard another rumor too. I heard that my husband and I were moving to North Dakota. We’re not moving. We live in Pahrump and we’re proud to be residents of Nevada, come what may.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Courtesy of Sunday Pat

The Roost

The chickens are finally coming home to roost. What I have been saying for approximately ten years now, is finally proving itself out. I still hold to the belief that my Nevada State Democratic Party has become, what one would refer to as, untrustworthy.

Some of those that I believe are the least trustworthy of all, have been elevated, inside the State Party, to positions of power and unopposed. I continue to ask myself what they’re doing in those positions, when they have no résumé and their only proof of character is the amount of profit they can generate for themselves. Or maybe it’s recognition in the hopes of generating more revenue in their immediate futures.

The latest proof of this comes with one county’s resident count of another’s, registering at 8000 residents, when the actual count is closer to 40,000. Someone needs to check with the latest Census Bureau tally as well as voter registration count. It’s no wonder that Nye county is being ignored as inconsequential by surrounding counties.

Two election cycles ago, when I asked someone who was supposed to be “in the know”, how to better generate support for Nye county,  I was told that we had too many NIMBY (not in my backyard) types living here. Though it’s true we do have some of those, not everyone who lives here is like that. Furthermore, those of us that would see progress outnumber those that are unable to see past their own navels, by at least 2 to 1.

Having pointed out the disparity in our resident count, I was informed that Nye county getting their act together, was the sole reason for the informer’s inability to count or check their figures. If the response to the attempt to redirect my focus hadn’t been such a sad attempt at refusing responsibility for their miscount, I probably would have laughed. I couldn’t laugh though, because I’m almost certain it was deliberate.

For almost six years now, those of us who really want to see progress, have been working our collective butts off, organizing. We are finally rid of almost all of the former Central Committee members, who really did nothing more than deflect and misinform. I know, I watched them do it. There are no real records. No banking transaction paperwork, no sign in sheets, pretty much nothing for the newly elected Central Committee to go by. There’s still a question in my mind of a $5000 dollar donation, to another Central Committee, that really had no need for such a donation and rumors that all records be destroyed. I understand that also involved taking a hammer to a hard-drive.

Because we’re Nye county, we believe almost down to the very last person, we’re a little bit different than Clark County or Washoe County or any other counties for that matter. Things are done differently here. Word of mouth is the best advertisement. Keeping a high profile and staying ahead of what’s coming is what we’ve instituted, with the newly elected Central Committee members and especially, staying informed. Choosing to keep the lines of communication open, not only with our community but also with surrounding counties.

There are a majority of us that are computer user-friendly, and still a few resisters, that prefer paper over email however, that’s changing and changing rapidly.

We’re keeping solid records now. We have ethics now. We intend to keep our community informed of the truth and of course, register voters. Register as many voters as we can. We’re active now, very active. We intend to stay that way.

How Government Works

As I sit here and ponder, how our Elected Representatives could ignore those of us that actually voted for them, in preference to their own self-centered interests, I am beginning to notice that a lot of people do not know how Government is supposed to work. The Mainstream Media isn’t helping matters much either.

I will list my experience in learning, in the order that I was taught.

I started my journey in a political chat room.  I met a lot of people who had differing and supporting opinions. I started to read. I noticed that America was slowly but surely, being cut off from the rest of the world.  No more Al Jazeera English, European news, and those little Japanese girls that laughed at funny things we Americans did or thought or said,  gone because of George W. Bush and the Patriot Act I.

One day, after two terms of re-writing how Government is supposed to work, watching as Bush turned Executive Orders into Directives, not what they really are, hearing people decry that the Democratic Party was the Majority, albeit a one vote Majority,  I watched and I learned and I listened as Nancy Pelosi took impeachment off the table. Of course, like everyone else I was furious about that. Everyone else that was a member of the Democratic Party, that I was aware of anyway.  That Bush didn’t really care about Osama bin Laden anymore.  Here where I live, for the next cycle (that’s what they’re called by the way), we had a Caucus instead of a Primary in Nevada.

My opinion on that is that the state of Nevada was too cheap to pay for a Primary and that they thought Nevada residents would be too lazy, uninformed or confused to attend a Caucus.

That’s where my real education began. I became an Obama Delegate. Mind you, this is after seeing many Candidates pass my way. All of a sudden the “Rurals” were important. At the time I didn’t know why. I know now. Redistricting was coming after the National Census. They plan ahead. Some times decades in advance.

My first encounter was with Hillary Clinton at Skate Zone. Too many “plants” in the audience for me. That’s where I learned the definition for the  term Political Theater.

My next encounter was with Dr. Ron Paul. I came away with the distinct impression that he had some very good ideas however, he really hadn’t thought things through completely, or he really wasn’t aware of the State of the Nation at that time. Then he went and lied to my husband about the privatization of the Media ( I woke up to the sound of my husband in the living room yelling “You lying sack of shit!” over and over). Dr. Paul still isn’t aware or chooses not to disclose that he is aware, of the privatization of the Media.

In the interim, I was looking forward to seeing John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich, both of whom withdrew before they had a chance to show up.

My last encounter was with Barrack Obama. Keep in mind, by this time I was pretty downhearted by what I was hearing and seeing. Mike Huckabee swung by here too, I really had no use for him though, since he believes women ought to submit to their husbands and I wouldn’t have been allowed into the Church he chose as his venue because I’m not a member. I’m not a member of any Church. Obama came to our little Middle School and when I arrived, I picked up a Blue Print for Change and I started to read (I’m ever so grateful to my mother for having a Doctorate in Language Arts to this day). I sat and read. Obama was almost two hours late to the Middle School (I believe because they couldn’t find it,  if you live here that will give you a little chuckle I’m sure). Obama was and is authentic. There wasn’t one thing he said that I could disagree with, I was still a novice to the inner workings of American Government though.

Here comes the fun part, the State Caucus. On a lark, I decided to become a Delegate. I had decided to vote for Obama after reading the Blue Print for Change however, becoming a Delegate seemed like a good thing to do at the time. I’m not a proponent of the Electoral College. Especially after I read its history and what the powers of the Electoral College encompass. It’s outdated and needs to either be revised entirely or done away with completely. The Electoral College may, at its choosing, take the majority vote, should it think the Constituency is not informed enough, and place it with any candidate it sees fit. After which the representatives may be relieved of their positions, but not before the vote has been cast. Quite a dilemma there if you ask me.

I went from Precinct Caucus to County Delegate for Obama. I was told at my Democratic Headquarters that I didn’t have to show up for my County Caucus. Delegates count and I was suspicious when everyone in the building kept promoting Hillary as their choice, so I called my Precinct Captain and told her what they told me about not having to show up (I’m sure you’re staring to get a picture here too).

I went to the County Caucus and those of us that were Obama Delegates were threatened with being removed from the building and not being counted if we didn’t quiet down. Illegal by the way, as stated in our State Constitution and in the U.S. Constitution under the category of  Voter Disenfranchisement. Someone called an attorney and the matter was settled, though not without Hillary supporters who were in charge of the count, over counting their Delegates twice, and under counting the Obama Delegates once. The guy who told me that I didn’ t have to show up was really surprised to see me at the County level too I might add.

At this point, I started receiving emails from another Obama Delegate about the Consent Agenda for the State Delegate Convention. I decided to show up a day early and then have a look around. There were Delegates and Candidates everywhere.  I also wanted to see if I could find the person who was sending me these emails and have him explain them to me, in detail.

As fortune would have it, I found him the next morning before the Convention started, in the designated room for Obama Delegates and he explained in great detail what he was promoting. The State Party was trying to pass by voice vote, a pre-approved Electorate Slate.  Their Agenda, as it stood, was to have the pre-approved Electorate Slate, choose Hillary Clinton across the Nation as their Candidate of choice. That hidden vote passed in two Territories and one State. It didn’t happen in Nevada or anywhere else. When the gentleman from the emails stood up to call a Point of Order, the microphones were cut off. When I realized what had just happened, I stood up and started to yell “Point of Order”, over a murmuring crowd of about 3500 people. I’m pretty loud, and everyone there heard me. The microphones suddenly became hot. I was already yelling and a little nervous however, as I continued to yell “One person, one vote” and explained that I did not approve of the Electoral College, the crowd seemed to wake up, and that hidden vote, in the Consent Agenda, failed. While I was walking through the hotel lobby, I got to hear my own voice being played back via local radio news. I don’t mind saying that I impressed myself because quite frankly, I really didn’t know at the time what I was doing. Only that it needed to be done. We got to elect our own Slate.

When I got home, I volunteered for the Campaign for Change. I proceeded to go from door to door, in every precinct in my community, and promote Obama for President. I learned after the election, Nevada had one of the highest election turn outs in history. I was very proud of us voters that day. So proud that I decided to run for Town Board in my community. This is the point where things start to become a lot more clear. I was insulted by Hillary supporters at just about every turn. They knew who I was and I did not support the State Agenda. The State Agenda was to get Hillary elected not Obama.

I lost by only eight votes and I never even put up a sign to support myself, nor did I accept any donations. Notice that I’m not really disappointed by my loss, I had bigger fish to fry. The position I really wanted was Chair of my County Democratic Party. I attended every meeting and I signed all the attendance sheets. I even have witnesses that are Elected Representatives who attended with me. The reason I say this is because, through the magic of photo-shop, my name was removed from the rosters, therefore disqualifying me from the position. I might add I raised holy hell over that and our Rural-at -Large Representative, was shouted down at the State Party meeting over this. He was called names too from what I’m told. The County Democratic Committee even moved the polling place for the elections, some 200 miles away so people who supported my bid for the office, wouldn’t be able to vote for me.

For my next adventure, I became a Campaign Manager for a really wonderful Candidate. He withdrew after being approached by the State Party and I was the recipient of many an insult, from more than a few State Party members. By this time I was the member of several outside organizations too.  Other community members and I co-hosted events locally, with their support. I’m not sure how useful some of those organizations are anymore. Two of them seem particularly detached from what’s really going on at the local level.

The next cycle arrived and I was asked to co-manage another really wonderful Candidate, I accepted. This is where I learned the most. I held a joint Meet and Greet, where several of the upper echelon Candidates had agreed to attend, and then, without any notice what-so-ever, two of them did not show up. The third middle echelon Candidate was told not to show because some other event was more important than where all his voting constituency resided. I’d like to remind everyone at this juncture , it’s about the VOTES and keeping your COMMITMENTS. That particular lesson will stand the test of time.

I learned that the majority of Candidates aren’t really aware of current events, they’re insulated by their staff. They have their platforms however, they only know what their manager tells them.

To bring a synopsized epilogue to this, let me state that there are dealings behind closed doors (regardless of transparency), where promises are made, in order to facilitate Agendas. All political Parties have their own Agendas and are more like a club, promoting  people according to Tenure in their Party. Last but not least, most voters need to refresh their memories about how a Law becomes a Law, because Obama is keeping his promises to his supporters,  the House not withstanding. Each branch of Government is supposed to be equal in their efforts to pass Laws according to a Majority Rule. We are a Republic based on Representative Democracy, or we wouldn’t vote. We the People ARE the Government. As further evidence of this, and for those of us who wax nostalgic over simpler times and explanations, I offer you this:

How a Bill becomes a Law