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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T113000
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SUMMARY:How Democrats Can Win
DESCRIPTION:Here are links to the information that was covered and/or referenced. \nWe started with a half-hour talk by Ezra Klein (originally recorded before last November’s election): \nhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/opinion/democrats-liberalism-elections-crick.html \nWe then moved to the state of democracy in the U.S. As I then mentioned\, there are three organizations that rate the state of democracy in countries around the world: Freedom House in the US\, a think-tank associated with the Economist magazine in England\, and V-Dem in Stockholm. The 2026 V-Dem report was recently released. One quick note from the Executive Summary of the V-Dem report says it all: “The USA loses its long-term status as a liberal democracy – for the first time in over 50 years.” Here is a link to the full 2026 V-Dem Report on the 2025 State of Democracy across the world: \nhttps://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdf \nAnd then we talked about the need to do much more than just elect Democrats. Here is the link to the article noting that we cannot rely on the democracy we had to protect us! It failed us before and it can and will fail again! We must build the democracy that we were promised\, but that was never fully delivered! (Thanks to Margaret Babcock for pointing me to this article!) \nhttps://antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/p/how-democracies-win \nAnd here is a bonus: the 2026 state of democracy report from Freedom House (“The Growing Shadow of Autocracy”); although not quite as damning of American democracy as V-Dem\, it notes the serious decline in the state of democracy in the U.S.: “Among countries rated Free\, the United States\, Bulgaria\, and Italy have experienced the year’s largest declines. In the United States\, an escalation in both legislative dysfunction and executive dominance\, growing pressure on people’s ability to engage in free expression\, and the new administration’s moves to undermine anticorruption safeguards all contributed to the negative score change. The United States lost 3 points on the report’s 100-point scale\, bringing its net decline since 2005 to 12 points\, more than any other country rated Free during the same period except for Nauru and Bulgaria.” Here is a link to the full report: \nhttps://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2026/growing-shadow-autocracy#democracy-and-freedom-will-endure
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/how-democrats-can-win/
LOCATION:Cultural Center Education Room
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20260310T165054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T165054Z
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SUMMARY:Our Broken Election System
DESCRIPTION:Click here to access the slides:
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/our-broken-election-system/
LOCATION:Cultural Center Education Room
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20260310T164650Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T164650Z
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SUMMARY:PA’s Budgets: Current & Future
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/pas-budgets-current-future/
LOCATION:Cultural Center Education Room
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T143000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20260219T192719Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T193216Z
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SUMMARY:Who Pays State and Local Taxes?
DESCRIPTION:Who Pays State and Local Taxes? What are the different kinds of taxes? Which ones tend to be progressive (reducing income inequality)?  In which states are the taxes focused more on the rich? And where do the taxes focus on the poor? \n  \nClick here to access the slides: Who Pays State Taxes
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/who-pays-state-and-local-taxes/
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251021T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20251021T171035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T152621Z
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SUMMARY:American Bar Association (ABA) Task Force for American Democracy
DESCRIPTION:ABA Task Force for Democracy 2025-10-21
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/35059/
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250916T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250916T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250828T190806Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250917T144345Z
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SUMMARY:Judicial Elections and Retention
DESCRIPTION:Our own Jerry Henige will discuss the importance of retaining existing Democratic judges as well as electing new ones.  Come join us.  All are welcome. \nClick here to see slides from the event: UoD Judicial Retentions and Elections
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/judicial-elections-and-retention/
LOCATION:Cultural Center Education Room
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250721T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250721T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250616T133238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T192946Z
UID:10000020-1753092000-1753097400@demswvc.com
SUMMARY:Healthcare Challenges
DESCRIPTION:Nancy Mannion will be our speaker on Monday\, July 21\, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:30 AM.  She is a nurse\, advocate\, humanitarian\, and author who recently spoke at a local rally protesting federal budget cuts to healthcare and science.  She is anticipating running for US Congress to challenge Representative Lloyd Smucker. \nAll are welcome to attend.
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/understanding-our-democracy-nancy-mannion/
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250715T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250715T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250616T132944Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250723T143318Z
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SUMMARY:Housing and Homelessness
DESCRIPTION:We will look back at the origins of today’s crisis\, the inadequate responses over the years\, and how we can best address both housing & homelessness. \nPlease join us if you can; everyone is welcome.  To see the slides from this event\, click on this link: UoD Housing First Works
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/understanding-our-democracy-to-be-announced/
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T150000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250531T175115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250627T151822Z
UID:10000017-1749735000-1749740400@demswvc.com
SUMMARY:Political Advocacy as Friendly Persuasion
DESCRIPTION:Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is the oldest faith-based lobbying group in Washington. For decades it has been a successful vehicle in advocacy for causes Quakers hold dear: peace and justice. \nThe FCNL lobbying approach uses a format that emphasizes interactive dialogue\, seeking common ground\, and building long-term working relationships with legislators. During the past decade FCNL has built a grassroots network of Advocacy Teams in 49 states and D.C. These teams—composed of Quakers and non-Quakers allies–use the FCNL lobbying approach to engage with their representatives in Congress. \nThe local Lancaster FCNL Advocacy Team will share the FCNL method of advocacy and demonstrate it in a simulated lobby visit. \nPlease join us … everyone is welcome. \nTo see the material presented\, click on these links: UoD Friends Cmte on Natl Legislation UpD Vote YES on HB1500
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/understanding-our-democracy-series/
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250609T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250609T150000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250531T174616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250627T151921Z
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SUMMARY:Billionaires Win! Families Lose!
DESCRIPTION:We will look at the Reconciliation Bill that just passed the US House of Representatives. \n  \nClick on this hotlink to see the slides used in this presentation: UoD Billionaires Win
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/34739/
LOCATION:Cultural Center Education Room
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250522T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250522T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250520T125303Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T193742Z
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SUMMARY:Funding for Local School Districts
DESCRIPTION:Susan Spica (Education Voters PA) and Erin Small (candidate for Hempfield School Board) will update us about what is happening with federal and state education funding for local school districts. Pennsylvania’s state funding system for education was declared unconstitutional in 2023. Learn what steps have been taken to remedy this situation and what you can do to support a 2025-2026 state budget that will bring our public schools closer to constitutional school funding. Please join us … everyone is welcome. \nFor more information\, click on one or more of the following links: \nCyber Charter Waste – front \nCyber Charter Waste – back \nLancaster County Lampeter-Strasburg SD \nLancaster County SD of Lancaster
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/may-22-2025/
LOCATION:Cultural Center Education Room
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250224T113730Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T194039Z
UID:10000002-1742292000-1742297400@demswvc.com
SUMMARY:Minority Rule
DESCRIPTION:How Our Constitution Imperils Our Democracy. We will look at what scholars of democracy say about how our constitution enables minority rule\, allowing partisan minorities to consistently thwart & even rule over popular majorities. And what can be done to address this. \nTo see the PDF containing the slides of the event\, click on this hotlink: Minority Rules PDF\, March 18th\, 2025
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/minority-rule/
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250218T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250218T113000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250224T113613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T194223Z
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SUMMARY:Panel Discussion - How The ILC is Polarizing Our Public Schools
DESCRIPTION:Join Public Education Advocates of Lancaster (PEAL) as they moderate a discussion with panelists from Etown Common Sense\, Support Hempfield Schools\, and Warwick United about the impact the Independence Law Center and PA Family Institute have had on districts across the county. They’ll talk about who the ILC is\, what they do\, and the divisions caused by their policies on LGBTQ+ students\, library materials\, and more. \nTo see the PDF containing the slides of the event\, click on this hotlink: The ILC Polarizing Our Public Schools: February 18th\, 2025
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/panel-discussion/
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250121T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250121T230000
DTSTAMP:20260420T090016
CREATED:20250331T120339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T194402Z
UID:10000007-1737453600-1737500400@demswvc.com
SUMMARY:The State of American Democracy - Our Democracy At Risk
DESCRIPTION:We will look at what two scholars of democracy say about actions of elected leaders around the world that paved the way for democratic failures. Using their framework\, we will review the history of our democracy. We will look at how the actions of our leaders over the last 30 years have put our democracy at risk … and what we should do to restore the guardrails of our democracy. \nTo see the PDF containing the slides of the event\, click on this hotlink: Our Democracy At Risk: January 21st\, 2025
URL:https://demswvc.com/event/the-state-of-american-democracy-our-democracy-at-risk/
LOCATION:Cultural Center Education Room
CATEGORIES:Education
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