Lincoln County Democratic Party

CANTON—Lincoln County Democrats will hold their monthly meeting 7 p.m. Monday at the Home Federal Bank community room in downtown Canton.

The program includes a presentation by Sioux Falls Police Officer Doug Simmons on gang activity and gang prevention in the Sioux Falls area.  Officer Simmons is the school resource officer at Axtell Park Middle School and active on the department’s gang task force.

County Committeeman Todd Epp will also give a short presentation on his attendance at the Wellstone Action Advanced Campaign Management School in Billings, MT earlier this month.  He will give an overview of practical tips progressive candidates should know as they plan their campaigns.

The group will also discuss plans for the upcoming 2008 election and delegate selection to the National Convention.

Members of the public who are Democrats or citizens who wish to know more about the local Democratic party are invited to attend.

The county chairman is Dr. Phil Sietstra of Sioux Falls.  For more information contact Todd Epp at epplaw@gmail.com or (c) 605.351.5021.

The Lincoln and Minnehaha County Democratic Parties have some excellent meetings and events this week:

• Tonight: 7 p.m., Canton Home Federal Bank Community Room—Monthly Lincoln Co. Democrats meeting featuring environmental engineer Karen Hall on the proposed Hyperion refinery in Elk Point.  Free.

• Tonight: 7 p.m., Sioux Falls DAV, Minnehaha County Democrats State of the Union Party Fundraiser.  $10 donation/person.  Proceeds for local candidates.  More from Secretary Paula Johnson:

  One more time… we can do this….better with lots of company!  Be at the State of the Union party, 28 January (Monday), at 7pm  All bushims welcome! 
  
  Commander-in-Chief Footwear. Is it just me, or is the president wearing Crocs?
  

• Sunday, 4 p.m. to ?, Minnehaha County Democrat’s Super Bowl Party Fundraiser, Cherry Creek Grill.  $15 donation/person.  Proceeds for local candidates.

I hope you can attend some or all of these events.  Have fun (remember fun?), hang out with fellow Dems, learning something, and help your party!

 

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CANTON—Karen Hall, an environmental engineer from Rapid City, will give a presentation at 7 p.m., Monday, January 28, 2008 at the Canton Home Federal Bank community room on the environmental impact of the proposed Hyperion Refinery in Union County, SD.

The public is invited to attend. 

Ms Hall has extensive experience in the field of environmental compliance. 

Other agenda items for the monthly party meeting include finding a county committeewoman and planning for the 2008 election.

For more information about the meeting, contact Lincoln County Democratic Party Committeeman Todd Epp at epplaw@gmail.com or at (c) 605.351.5021.

For more information about the Lincoln County Democratic Party, browse its new website at http://lcdp.squarespace.com.

Last night’s Lincoln County Democrats meeting in Canton was quite eventful.

Sioux Falls attorney Brendan Johnson, U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson’s son, gave a touching talk about his father’s recovery from the AVM he suffered last December.  In answer to critics as to why his dad simply didn’t declare for the Senate again at his first public appearance this fall, Brendan had a completely logical and understandable explanation: Senator Johnson wanted to prove to himself he could do the job as well as he could before the AVM.

Brendan said his dad wanted to make sure that he was up to the task—and up to his same standards—before declaring.  Now that Tim feels that he is completely able to do the job to his own satisfaction, he feels he can run to keep his seat.

I think this is prudent and shows Tim to be a thoughtful man of integrity. 

Brendan added that Tim is working his same first in/last out hours in the U.S. Senate, not because he has to to prove anything but because he wants to—and that’s how he did the job before.

Brendan spoke for about 20 minutes and held the room in rapt attention.  The kid has a wonderful ability to relate to people at an empathetic level.  If he ever decides to run for office, watch out!

Also at the meeting was Lee Breard, the executive director of the South Dakota Conservative Action Committee.  I spoke with him at some length during a break in the meeting.  He said he came to hear Brendan and was impressed.  Lee and I had a nice talk and hope to do lunch together the next time he’s in Sioux Falls.

Also, we watched a video from the DNC explaining about the importance of grassroots organizing.  Essentially, as people have become more wired with technology, they are able to evade most of the “old media” means of contact, particularly advertising and phone contact.  So, good old fashioned door knocking and working with people at the grassroots—very old school—is the new approach for New Media world. 

There was a lot of excitement in Canton because of Brendan, but also because of State Party plans as presented by State Chair Jack Billion and Executive Director Rick Hauffe, as well as local plans from County Chair Phil Sietstra.  The meeting was well attended.

There is a good spirit of cooperation and hard work by Lincoln County Democrats.  We have a lot of work to do to catch up to the Republicans, but we are definitely on the right track.

By Todd Epp, LCDP Committeeman

(Originally posted on S.D. Watch.)