June 2025
Mark Your Calendar June 14: Join us for the No Kings! National Day of Action. Details below.
June 24: Banned Book Club @ 6:30, Lake Travis Community Library. Our book is the New York Times bestseller fiction, OUTLAWED, by Anna North. OUTLAWED is the "terrifying, wise, tender, and thrilling" (R. O. Kwon) adventure story of a fugitive girl, a mysterious gang of robbers, and their dangerous mission to transform the Wild West. The day of her wedding in 1894, 17-year-old Ada's life looks good; she loves her husband, and she loves working as an apprentice to her mother, a respected midwife. But after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are routinely hanged as witches, her survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows. Outlawed dusts the myths of the Old West. This is a must-read book. We look forward to seeing you.
Note: Our next monthly LTD meeting will be September 22.
The Banned Book Club will take July off and resume on August 26.
Hope you enjoy your summer. J
oin Us on Facebook: Visit the LTD Facebook page for the most current info on LTD news, events and information.
No Kings! National Day of Action on June 14
Greetings Lake Travis Area Democrats,
No King’s Day is going to be at the State Capitol in Austin on Saturday, June 14th 5:00-8:00 PM. This is a nationwide event to counter Trump’s Birthday Military Parade in D.C. on the 14th.
Let’s show the nation how we feel about Trump. Please ask your friends and family to join you and try to carpool or Uber.
In Austin this event is being sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Indivisible, National Women’s March, Resist Austin, and Austin 50501. Together we can make our voices heard and be part of a national movement and peaceful protest. Homemade signs are welcome!
Hope to see you there.
LTD Board
May 2025
Mark Your Calendar
Please Note that our monthly meeting day has changed to the FOURTH MONDAY of the month.
May 3: LTISD School Board and Municipal election. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!! We need everyone to get out and vote!
May 4: Annual Picnic in the Park @ 2:00 - 3:30pm at the Lakeway Park Pavilion, 502 Hurst Creek Rd, Lakeway 78734. See the article below for details. Hope to see everyone there! The picnic is our monthly May meeting so our next monthly meeting will be in September.
May 27: Banned Book Club @ 6:30, Lake Travis Community Library. Our book is INTERIOR CHINATOWN: A NOVEL by Charles Yu. Described as Charles Yu's most moving, daring and masterful novel yet, INTERIOR CHINATOWN is both a National Book Award winner and a New York Times Bestseller and has been adapted into a Hulu original series. We'll see you there.
Join Us on Facebook: Visit the LTD Facebook page for the most current info on LTD news, events and information.
Annual Picnic in the Park
Join us for our annual Picnic in the Park on May 4th from 2-3:30pm at the Lakeway Park Pavilion, 502 Hurst Creek Rd. in Lakeway.
We will come together to honor and thank the courageous School Board Candidates who boldly stand against book bans, private school vouchers, and other efforts to undermine our Texas public schools, even while facing attacks at home, in public, and online from MAGA extremists.
Enjoy great company, inspiring speakers, and picnic snacks as we celebrate these champions of education and public service. Current speakers include Vikki Goodwin, Lauren White,Travis County Democratic Chair Pooja Sethi and more.
Come get inspired, meet like-minded neighbors, and be part of the movement to protect and strengthen our schools and community. We need you there!
Our picnic serves as our send-off for summer! We reconvene with our monthly meetings in September.
What Can I Do to Help Make a Difference?
With the ISD and referendum elections soon decided, our focus shifts to national and state-wide issues. Your voice matters and one of the essential ways to make yourself heard is to write your elected representatives. While they may not read every email, someone on their staff will read and tabulate every email and present a summary of opinions to their representative. Speak your mind on any topic using the following links.
Write Representative Troxclair
If you're looking for something else that is simple to do regarding national issues, try out this link to a letter-writing site (named Make America Decent Again) set up by a local Austin activist. In three minutes on this site, you can send an e-mail simultaneously to both Senators Cornyn and Cruz and to Congressman McCaul.
The site administrator will prepare a couple of letters each week, each on different national topics, and send alerts to those who have signed up. The first letter is asking that our federal legislators reject a renewal of the expiring billionaires' tax and fully support Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
You can also check Mobilize to learn about a variety of Travis County Democratic events and activities.
Questions? Reach out to Bill Kilgore @ 713-299-8193.
Where Does It Say that in the Constitution?
Donald Trump has upended the Separation of Powers outlined in the US Constitution with a blitzkrieg of Executive Orders. Since taking office he has signed 124 Executive Orders covering all kinds of topics. By comparison, President Biden signed 162 during his entire term.
An Executive Order is a declaration by the President that has the force of law requiring no action from Congress. They are subject to Judicial Review and may be overturned by the Courts or Congress. While not in the Constitution, per se, there is broad executive and enforcement authority in the document. An incoming President may cancel previous Executive Orders as Trump has done.
What makes Trump’s use of Executive Orders different than his predecessors? Others have issued more but no one in recent times has issued so many so fast. Many involve the “power of the purse” which is usually reserved for Congress. Creating a new agency such as the Department of Government Efficiency is an example. Congress must share much of the blame for this plethora of EOs.
The two parties can’t pass anything! They waste time and taxpayer money on their own narrow agendas. This creates a vaccuum for a strong executive. Most House members live in safe districts carved to their liking by crafty gerrymandering allowing them to pick their voters rather than vice versa. It has been said that if Congressional districts were fairly drawn, Democrats would control the House as they typically receive more total votes than the Republicans.
Senate techniques such as the filibuster, which allows legislation consideration to be suspended unless cloture (stoppage) is achieved, thwarts the passage of any bill unless 60 of the 100 votes are achieved. Also, not in the Constitution! This paralysis again allows the President to fill the void. Congress doesn’t even seem to care!
So salvation rests with the Courts, right? The Supreme Court has final authority and has provided itself the power of Judicial Review dating back to Chief Justice John Marshall’s early days (Marbury vs Madison). Again, not in the Constitution! The power, as we are seeing it now, is that the court system has no power of enforcement. With a politicized Attorney General, even judicial contempt citations may go nowhere.
We are living in dangerous times. Unchecked Executive Orders in the wrong hands can lead to an authoritarian dictatorship. This runs deeper than political party affiliation (by the way, political parties aren’t in the Constitution)! Our leaders need to put country first and not be intimidated! Only then will a balance of power be restored.
Contributed by John Caprol, Treasurer/Board Member
What’s on the May Election Ballot?
Note: we are rerunning this article for those of you who may have questions about the May 3 proposition issues. The upcoming Lakeway municipal election has SEVEN propositions. To better understand these propositions, Lakeway resident Nina Davis explains them below.
Prop A continues a sales tax for road repair. Props B-G are all proposed changes to Lakeway’s City Charter. City of Lakeway has a page on these propositions on its website. You can read the legal language of each one and an explanation.
My advice on the seven propositions is simple: Prop A is OK. Keep Lakeway the BEST and VOTE NO on the REST. Here is more information, so you can decide for yourself BEFORE going to the polls.
PROP A: Reauthorize sales tax of one fourth of one percent to maintain Lakeway’s streets. This is the EASY one—VOTE YES. It is nothing new; this use of a tiny sliver of sales tax has been in place for many years and helps Lakeway keep its streets repaired, which is good for everyone. Prop A is OK. VOTE YES.
There are SIX suggested Charter changes to Props B - G. Having sat through MANY Council meetings on this, I think the 6 suggested changes range from dumb to dangerous. Two of the changes FAILED to pass in 2020, but Council is trying AGAIN.
One proposition tells the story. Prop F eliminates Lakeway’s Board of Ethics. Not changing its members or how it functions—ELIMINATING it, by deleting all reference to it from the City Charter that has served Lakeway well for decades. Because Lakeway suddenly doesn’t need ethical rules or a Board to enforce them? Council says it will come up with an ethics ordinance later. Given how split Council is, it will likely just adopt State of Texas’ rules, which are the bare minimum. So much for “Lakeway values.” With a proposed Charter change this bad, can any of the others be trusted?
PROP B: Changes the Residency Requirement for City Manager, so that he/she can live within the LTISD area, NOT just within Lakeway city limits. Residents already voted NO on this, back in 2020. Council added the “within LTISD boundaries” language to try to slip it through this time. Our City Manager has immense power in Lakeway government, and a non-resident should not wield that power. For instance, the City Manager sets the annual budget and proposes the property tax rate to finance it, for Council review. Our City Manager should pay LAKEWAY TAXES. Our City Manager should deal with LAKEWAY TRAFFIC and abide by LAKEWAY ORDINANCES. Someone living in Bee Cave, Hudson Bend, Briarcliff Spicewood, Dripping Springs, etc. has none of those concerns. VOTE NO.
PROP C: Eliminates the Office of City Treasurer.
Maybe current city staff can handle Treasurer functions, but this is one of several changes that are just too petty to go on the ballot. Plus, residents voted this change DOWN in 2020, and Council should respect that. VOTE NO.
PROP D: Changes the approval process for Police Department policies and procedures so the City Manager is in charge.
This boils down to power and accountability, and Prop D would shift that from Council to the City Manager. Police Department oversight is too important to slide onto the City Manager’s plate, and giving Council a look at things on an annual basis only is ridiculous. VOTE NO.
PROP E: Changes the process so the Mayor and each Council member nominates a person to ZAPCO for a 1-year term. The Charter says the Mayor appoints ZAPCO members, subject to Council approval, which has worked well for decades. Currently, the Mayor reviews credentials of those in the volunteer pool and puts qualified people on ZAPCO, with differing views yet creating a balanced group. But, certain Council members desperately want to put their pals or their political allies on ZAPCO, who will vote their way on development issues. If you want ZAPCO members to review developments with the best interests of Lakeway in mind, VOTE NO.
PROP F: Eliminates the Board of Ethics. Lakeway needs a robust Ethics Code & Board to enforce it, not a passing reference to state law with enforcement in county court. VOTE NO.
PROP G: Eliminates the City Building Commission
Maybe CBC doesn’t have much to do now, but this is too petty to be put on the ballot. VOTE NO. Leaving the ballot box blank does nothing. Only YES and NO votes are counted. Prop A is OK. Keep Lakeway the BEST--VOTE NO on the REST.
Contributed by Nina Davis, Lakeway Resident
Mark Your Calendar Please Note that our monthly meeting day has changed to the FOURTH MONDAY of the month. April 2: LTISD Candidate Forum @ 6:30 at The Pavilion at the Rough Hollow Welcome Center, 903 Highlands Blvd, Lakeway 78738. Join us for this candidate forum where each candidate will present their vision for LTISD. All candidates have agreed to participate. Hope to see you for this great opportunity to hear and meet each LTISD candidate. April 22 - 29: Early voting for upcoming Municipal and School Board election. April 28 Monthly Meeting: Social begins @ 6:00pm and the meeting starts @ 6:30pm at the Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway 78734. Our speaker is Zach Despart who is an enterprise and investigative reporter focusing on state government for the Texas Tribune. His work on a team investigating the flawed police response to the Uvalde school shooting was awarded the 2024 Collier Prize and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting. Mr Despart also led the Tribune’s effort to become the first news organization to determine where Texas has built 50 miles of border wall, a project that found the state struggles with holdout landowners along the route. Look forward to seeing everyone at this meeting. April 29: Banned Book Club @ 6:30, Lake Travis Community Library. Our book is "How We Learn to Be Brave" by Mariann Edgar Budde. This book is an inspirational guide to the key junctures in life that if navigated with faith and discernment, pave the way to become our most courageous selves. We'll see you there. May 3: LTISD School Board and Municipal election. See info on the 7 Lakeway propositions in the article below. May 4: Picnic in the Park from 2-3:30pm at the Lakeway City Park. Join Us on Facebook Visit the LTD Facebook page for the most current info on LTD news, events and information. Rantings and Ravings of a Megalomaniac Every day Trump says something new and crazy. This article captures some of his rantings in March. These blurbs tell a story. Most are direct quotes. Some are slightly paraphrased. March 1—To Zelensky: “Ukraine is the aggressor”. “You don’t have the cards!! March 2—“US should spend less time worrying about Vladimir Putin”. March 3—“Social Security demonstrators are “paid troublemakers”. March 4—“We inherited an economic catastrophe and inflation nightmare”. March 5—“Tariffs may cause a minor disturbance” “Pocahontas says yes”. March 6—Trump to Mexico and Canada: “Never mind!” regarding a tariff. March 7—Grocery Prices may be “just a little disturbance”. March 8—Regarding Musk question at the cabinet meeting “You’re just a troublemaker. You shouldn’t be asking that question!” March 9--Transgenic Mice not “transgender mice”! March 10—Inflation: “It takes a little time”. Stock correction: ”No comment”. March 11—“The federal government should take over D.C.”. March 12—DOE layoffs: “They don’t work. They don’t come to work at all.” March 13—Canada: “We don’t need anything they have”. Greenland: “I think it will happen”. “Shut up about the eggs”. “You can’t really watch the Dow”. March 14—“People who say we didn’t win the election should go to jail”. March 15—Stock Market: "It’s not inconsistency, it’s flexibility”. March 17—“Tariffs are a beautiful thing for us”. March 18—“This judge should be impeached”. And it goes on and on and on. Contributed by John Caporal, LTD Treasurer
Mark Your Calendar Please Note that our monthly meeting day has changed to the FOURTH MONDAY of the month. March 5 Reach Out to Your Representatives: Learn how to effectively contact your representatives at this special event from 3:30pm - 4:45pm at the Lake Travis Community Library. See details in the Get Involved section. March 24 Monthly Meeting: Social begins@ 6:00pm and the meeting starts @ 6:30pm at the Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway 78734. Our speaker is Mara Richards Bim who will explain how evangelicals are infiltrating politics into Christian Churches throughout Texas. Ms Bim is a writer, spiritual director and candidate for ordination. She is also a Clemons Fellow at Baptist News Global where she writes on the intersection of religion and politics. Look forward to seeing everyone for this timely topic. March 25: Banned Book Club @ 6:30, Lake Travis Community Library. Our book is James by Percival Everett which is a #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, and 2024 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER James is a brilliant, action-packed, re-imagining of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn --- both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view. It is a provocative, enlightening literary work of art. We'll see you there. May 3: LTISD School Board Election. See candidate information in the Get Involved section. Join Us on Facebook Visit the LTD Facebook page for the most current info on LTD news, events and information. Get Involved and Lend a Hand Are you concerned about public education in Texas and wish to get involved? Then please come and join fellow Democrats for an impactful event at the Lake Travis Community Library on Wednesday, March 5th from 3:30 PM to 4:45 PM. During this meeting you will craft your personalized, written message to members of the Texas House Committee on Education who will meet next week to consider school funding and vouchers. We will provide examples and offer targeted goals for your message. Then we will all share our messages with one another, if you want to. During our meeting you will receive a text or email with links to send an email to every member of the Education Committee, using the official Texas.gov email system. During or after leaving the meeting, you will send your personalized message to each committee member. For questions, please contact Bill Kilgore 713-299-8193. Participants should bring a cell phone to the meeting. Paper and pencil will be provided. The LTISD School Board election is May 3. Your vote is critical as it is imperative that we have experienced educators on the LTISD Board. Jonathan Bove in Place 4 and Kris Woodcock in Place 5 are truly qualified educators and are dedicated to public education. They will lead our district and ensure our students and tax dollars stay in LTISD. With your help and support, we can restore good leadership and quality education for ALL students in LTISD. Learn more. Trump’s Election is a Crisis Like No Other -- Not Only for the U.S. but the World Andrew Coyne, columnist for the Toronto Globe and Mail, penned a column shortly after the 2024 election which paints a grim picture of what is taking hold. The complete article can be found here. LTD Board Member, John Caporal, offers a few excerpted highlights from the article as well as commentary. Mr. Coyne: “Nothing mattered in the end. Not the probable dementia, the unfathomable ignorance, the emotional incontinence, not certainly, the shambling, hate-filled campaign or the ludicrously unworkable anti-policies. America took a long look at all this and said, “yes, please.” Mr. Caporal’s commentary: Not his horrible debate performance, the Taylor Swift endorsement, the abortion ban backlash, JD Vance’s creepy statements, nope. Nothing moved the needle. Yet the hardest pill to swallow is that close to a majority of our fellow voting countrymen voted him in! Mr. Coyne: “This is a crisis like no other in our lifetimes.” Mr. Caporal’s commentary: We all remember Watergate and how badly that could have ended. But we had senators from both parties who put their country first and with that consensus, told Nixon he had to go. Today’s Republicans have surrendered the authority given them by the first article of the Constitution to pass laws, appropriate funds etc. Not only are they afraid of Trump and his power to “primary” them the next time they run or make cuts to their constituent programs, they fear for their own and their family’s safety at the hands of the convicted terrorist felons (or copycats) who Trump pardoned. Where is the integrity? What happened to law and order? Mr. Coyne: “The judges are also Trump loyalists, perhaps, or too scared to confront him. Or they might issue a warning and find it has no effect…” Mr. Caporal’s commentary: Judges can interpret the laws but they can’t enforce them. We rely on a system where decisions are accepted and enforced under the rule of law. Illegally terminating thousands of career civil servants without following the normal procedures of due process, separating undocumented workers from their families, stealing elections etc. are all discussed in the article. Unfortunately, Mr. Coyne doesn’t have much faith in Americans coming to their senses as they voted for him. Highly recommend reading this enlightening article. Contributed by John Caporal, LTD Treasurer LTD Needs You! LTD has great members and supporters who are working hard to make a difference in our community. Interested in becoming more involved? If you are, we are looking for someone to help . get the word out on social media about our monthly LTD speakers, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and Democratic accomplishments. If you enjoy posting on social media, we'd very much like to chat with you. To learn more, contact Cory Duty. Thank you.
Mark Your Calendar Feb 9: The School Voucher Forum is a Panel Discussion with Texas House Representatives @ 2:30pm in Cedar Park, venue provided at registration. Presented by Indivisible 1431, this forum will provide answers to your questions on school vouchers: Are Texas public schools failing? Should private schools receive taxpayer dollars? Do most Texans want the school voucher option? And more. You may read more about the Forum, the most updated list of panelists and register here. Feb 18: Monthly meeting @ 6:30pm at the Lake Travis Community Library, 1938 Lohmans Crossing Rd, Lakeway 7874. Our speaker is Mara Richards Bim who will explain how evangelicals are infiltrating politics into Christian Churches throughout Texas. Ms Bim is a writer, spiritual director and candidate for ordination. She is also a Clemons Fellow at Baptist News Global where she writes on the intersection of religion and politics. Our 2025-2026 Election of Officers will be conducted at this meeting. CHANGE OF VENUE: Our February meeting is at the Lake Travis Community Library and NOT the Lake Travis Activity Center. Feb 25: Banned Book Club @ 6:30, Lake Travis Community Library. Our book is Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You written by Jason Reynolds with research by Ibram X. Kendi, author and historian at American University. Stamped shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas -- and on ways you can identify and stamp out racist thoughts, leading to a better future. This book is written in a fresh, conversational style and is an energizing narrative. We'll see you there. May 3: Municipal and School Board Election Join Us on Facebook Visit the LTD Facebook page for the most current info on LTD news, events and information. Interested in Fighting Disinformation? Disinformation poisons minds and prevents our society from moving forward to protect the people and the planet. Indivisible, an organization with local groups across the US, takes the fight against disinformation seriously. Join in for our BIG TRUTHS: 2025 KICKOFF! on February 12th at 5:30pm. This event kicks off a series of meetings/calls on the second Wednesday of each month to learn where we are most vulnerable and how we can heal disinformation-driven divisions and fears through persuasive communication. Leave each call inspired, clear-headed and focused on taking meaningful action. Interested? Learn more here and register here. A Tale of Two Eras It’s already one month into the New Year! Besides the college football playoffs, we’ve also had two major presidential events: a funeral and an inauguration. As I listened to the praises sung at President Carter’s funeral and listened to blathering about the Panama Canal and the untimely criticism of California officials over the fire tragedies, I decided that it was time to do a comparison of these two men. President Carter Born in a rural shack with no running water + Served with distinction as an Officer in the Navy + Married to the same woman for 76 years + A humble leader working with and putting others first + Christian fundamentalist who appealed to a secular audience + Loved and admired by Gerald Ford who he defeated + Admired by Republicans for character and integrity + Relationships with others based on respect and sincerity + Energy conservation pioneer, solar panels in the White House + Give the canal back to the Panamanians + The Carter Center + Considered almost a saint by many. President Trump Born on 3rd base and thought he hit a triple (Manhattan NY) + Avoided the military with doctor’s note for bone spurs + Serial polygamist: three marriages and how many mistresses? + Megalomaniac using others for his benefit + Amoral secular con-artist appealing to fundamentalists + Hates and despises Joe Biden who defeated him + Feared by fellow Republicans afraid of retribution and revenge + Relationships are transactional and good only until not needed + Global warming is a hoax: Drill Baby Dill! + Take the canal back from the Panamanians (and Greenland!) + Trump University + Convicted felon, almost imprisoned. Contributed by John Caporal, LTD Treasurer Because we all can use a good laugh. Check out Mr Texas, a novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author Lawrence Wright. Mr. Texas is an uproarious novel that provides a hilarious take on the kitschy weirdness of Texas politics. While fiction, there is a reality to this tale. A light read for cold, February nights. Enjoy.
Mark Your Calendar Jan 21: Monthly Meeting @ 6:30 PM, Lakeway Activity Center. Our speakers are Brian Pena, President of the UT Democrats and Robert Norris, President of Grandparents for Public Schools. Mr. Pena will tell us how we can support their efforts to expand Democratic membership on the UT campus. Mr. Norris will speak on Grandparents advocacy to save public education in Texas and increase the state's funding. Light snacks and beverages provided. Kick off 2025 and join us! Note: Notice of Election of Officers will be provided at the meeting to the membership. Jan 28: Banned Book Club @ 6:30, Lake Travis Community Library. Our book is "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. This book is an autobiography and explores subjects such as identity, rape, racism and literacy. Ms Angelou's use of a caged bird is inspiring. We'll see you there. Join Us on Facebook Visit the LTD Facebook page for the most current info on LTD news, events and information. Welcome to 2025! Happy New Year --- on behalf of the Lake Travis Democrats Club and our hard working Board, we hope that 2025 brings you peace, prosperity, and happiness. It’s all about coming together and recognizing our strengths in our unity. While Republicans seek to divide us, we can stick together and take great pride in our Democratic values and beliefs: We Believe All people are created equal, that this is America’s fundamental ideal. We Believe That America is a democracy, by and for the people: ruled by the Constitution and its interpretations, protected by the Bill of Rights, and inspired by the Declaration of Independence. We Believe These founding documents demand Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity for all Americans, in full and equal measure — regardless of who you are, what you believe or where you live. We Believe That the Purpose of government is to protect our nation, defend our democracy, and to endlessly promote the welfare of each and every one of us. We refuse to give up on our Democratic values over the next four years. We can and will do better in the midterm elections in 2026. There are many things we can do on the local level in 2025. So what can we do now to achieve these goals? Learn about the Indivisible Guide 2.0 which will serve as a blueprint for our future. Attend our monthly meetings and find the volunteer opportunities you can join. Work together with other like-minded people in the LT area to elect School Board members and City Council members who agree with and support our values and vision. Join this task force with our neighbors led by V4P. Work during the upcoming Texas Legislative session with our LTISD School Board and Grandparents for Public Schools to stop vouchers and increase public education funding. Form a task force with our neighbors led by LTD. Monitor the Cabinet confirmation hearings that begin after January 3, 2025. Call or write frequently to our Senators. Trump could fail to secure Senate confirmation for Pete Hegseth, Robert Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, and Linda McMahon. Remember that both Trump and Musk did not get the government shutdown they wanted and did not get the elimination of the debt ceiling they wanted-our government is not as easy to manipulate as they think. As we reflect on this year, we need to take a moment to express how thankful we are for our incredible volunteer community, our friends in V4P, and our LTD Club. Your dedication and hard work have shown us the depth of LTD community’s strength and resilience that gives us hope for our future. Stay Strong! Cory Duty, LTD President Being an Activist is a Good Thing: Thank You At the LTD Holiday Party, we recognized all the committed volunteers who gave so much of their time and resources in 2024 to promote Democracy and to help elect leaders who can truly represent all of us and our values. The activists among you gave of yourselves in so many ways. You wrote checks to candidates and political committees who promise to further your interests and share your values. You served as precinct chairs, club leaders, election judges, poll workers and deputy volunteer voter registrars. You increased voter turnout by registering voters, knocking on doors, calling, mailing and texting voters. You used your online presence to influence your followers. You distributed yard signs, highway signs and displayed your own yard signs. You talked to your friends and neighbors about the importance of voting in this last election. Finally, you voted. We cannot name all who sacrificed their time for a greater good, but we wish to acknowledge all of you by presenting Certificates of Appreciation to two organizers who worked with you: Bill Kilgore of Lake Travis and Western Travis Democrats and Jennifer Montgomery of Lake Travis Voices for Progress. Bill’s passion is data work, and his talent is an incredible people-oriented personality. Bill’s data skills gave us target lists for our efforts and ways to understand if our efforts were effective. His computer skills are truly impressive and his ability to adapt and troubleshoot makes him invaluable to our group. Keep up the excellent work! Jennifer spent considerable time organizing V4P volunteers. Her superpowers include her complete cooperation with LTD and commitment to manage and coordinate everything so seamlessly. Jennifer's attention to detail and dedication have made a significant difference in ensuring that we made a difference in this election. Contributed by Lou Kilgore, LTD Attend Our January Meeting and Become Inspired and Hopeful for the Future Public Education Is the Heart of Democracy. In August 2023, a group of concerned Texas grandparents came to a powerful realization: there was no organization dedicated solely to advocating for the public schools our grandchildren and future generations rely on. So, we took action and Grandparents for Public Schools (GPS) was born. Our mission is simple: stand firm for public education in Texas by demanding that the Texas Legislature: Fully Fund Our Public Schools First. Reject Deceptive Voucher/ESA Schemes that will Raise our Taxes and Hurt our Grandkids. Stop the Unbridled Expansion of Charters. At our January meeting, Robert Norris will update us on how GPS is working to preserve our public schools for future generations and how you can get involved. Learn more. Collaborating with UT Democrats is critical. University Democrats were first registered at the University of Texas at Austin as a student organization in 1953. Since then, the group has been committed to promoting progressive values, electing Democratic candidates and turning Texas Blue. The University Democrats at the University of Texas at Austin is also known as Young Democrats and UT Democrats. Brian Pena is known on campus for his impressive passion. Mr. Pena will update us on the many good things that the UT Student Democrats Club is doing and how we can support their efforts to expand Democratic membership on the UT campus. You’ll be inspired by these “kids” and we will all should be motivated to collaborate with these next-generation leaders. On a Lighter Note, Let's Start 2025 with a Poem: "The Fright Before Christmas" T'was the week before Christmas and all through the House, a spending compromise was reached only to be doused. Too much unity for Presidents Trump and Musk turned into a big coal lump right before dusk. Not sure from where all this divisiveness stems as they know it’s easier to just blame it all on Dems. November 3rd was truly a tragic day -- but did anyone really think we’d get a junior RFK? The Justice Department should be impartial with no political dictates --- how can that be when they nominate Matt Gaetz? The FBI should be independent with no partisan smell so how does that equate to a Kash Patel? The coordination of our armed services in DoD can mean life or death so we get a drunken sailor with no experience—Pete Hegseth. 2025 will be a year of the Democratic Party re-birth so let’s enjoy the Clown Show for what it’s worth! No need to fuss, no need to fright, Happy 2025 to all as this nightmare won’t last the night. Contributed by John Caporal, LTD Treasurer