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2008 STATE OF THE PARTY ADDRESS
Six years ago, when we met in convention, all 80 of us, in our beloved basement, now newly rechristened the UNDERGROUND, Democrats held 12 elective office in all of Lancaster County and we controlled nothing. Today we have 260 committeepeople, over 55 elected officials, and a majority on four governing bodies! 8 years ago, Republicans outnumbered us 63% to 23%; Today, that majority has been reduced by 25%! And, a year from now, we will have reduced that margin even more, after we register 10,000 new Democrats in 2008! Two thousand and seven was a year of continued progress, as we followed our Strategic Plan that you adopted 2 years ago. We moved upstairs, both literally and figuratively, into a new suite of offices, quadrupling our usable space, while paying the same net rent. We hired an Executive Director, and Lois has brought enthusiasm, new ideas, and greater organization and proactiveness to our operations. She has increased our visibility with our participation in First Fridays and improved our accessibility and service to you and our candidates. Most importantly, we enjoyed another highly successful local election year, winning 26 of the 51 races in which we competed, including winning control of the Marietta Boro Council and the Lancaster School District, winning a historic District Justice seat, and maintaining control in Columbia and Lancaster City. And, let us congratulate Louise Williams and Sandy Duncan as our newest Council Presidents. These election victories are the result of your efforts, and the efforts of our hard-working candidates. But, they are also the result of your wisdom in recruiting and nominating qualified candidates who look like America: Young and old; male and female; black, white and brown; seasoned veterans and political rookies. Symbolic of that diversity, your Executive Committee has chosen to honor two of those candidates at our Awards Dinner on March 13. In recognition of his lifetime of service to his community and his Party, and his 10 year tenure on Lancaster City Council, our Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Nelson Polite, Sr. And in honor of his courageous, articulate, intelligent, bold, self-sacrificing, historic campaign for Sheriff last year, the Executive Committee will recognize Louie Rodriguez as Democrat of the Year. Please plan to attend the dinner on March 13 to demonstrate your respect and gratitude to these 2 fine gentlemen. Today, we are one of the most respected, most vibrant, most active, and most effective county Democratic organizations in the state. We have, undeniably, the best website, the best data, the best and most comprehensive training, the best planning, and the best volunteer operation. One of the attributes of all great organizations of any kind is the commitment to improve. In your packets this morning is a self-evaluation survey, developed by Mike Elmer under the auspices of the Organization Committee. Please complete this questionnaire thoughtfully and seriously as it will serve as our blueprint for self-improvement over the next year. Our county Democratic organization began its rebirth 10 years ago with the election of Scott Brubaker as County Chairman. During the early years of an organization or a business, it needs to be centrally directed as it builds its structure, creates its vision, plans its long-term strategy, and attracts new people. But, if the organization, or business, or nation is going to thrive and grow over the long term, it must begin, I believe, to de-centralize power and activity and develop new leaders. Two years ago, we began a very conscious effort to do just that. I am so enormously proud of those district leaders and sub-committee chairs that have stepped up the plate, demonstrated initiative, and helped lead this Party. In the grand scheme of things, for the long-term health of our Party, this was our most momentous accomplishment of 2007. As we discussed earlier this morning, that process of moving the important activities of our Party downward towards the grass roots will accelerate in 2008 into 2009. That ambitious local plan that we unveiled this morning is matched by an equally ambitious county plan that was approved by your Executive Committee with its adoption of an incredibly bold 2008 budget that calls for the doubling of our annual revenue. Please help us achieve our financial goals by contributing generously to the party this year and by volunteering for our phonathon, by contacting Lois. Of course, our most important job for 2008, the most compelling challenge for our Party and our nation, is to put an end to our long national nightmare of the last 8 years! To end the policies of greed, incompetence, cronyism, and arrogance. To restore our national honor here and around the world. To put in place enlightened public policies that will restore fiscal sanity, that will restore a robust middle class, that will restore the checks and balances of the constitution, and that will make our government work again for the benefit of all the American people. We must elect a new President, a new congressman, and new state legislators that don’t look like this (picture of ostrich) hiding their heads in the sand and avoiding problems. We must elect Democrats that will lead us to an improved, more efficient, more cost-effective, and universally accessible & affordable health care system. Democrats that will lead us to energy independence. Democrats that will tackle the world-wide threat of global warming. And, Democrats that will responsibly end this war! We are well-poised here in Lancaster to do our part for this national crusade. The state of our Party is ready! The plan is in place. With your continued hard work and commitment, working together, we are ready for battle, and We Shall Not Fail!
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