Big Turnout of Democrat Women in Kennett

Missouri House Minority Caucus Leader and state Rep. Robin Wright Jones, left, shares a smile with Myra Bulington Monday at a political event sponsored by the Dunklin County Democratic Women at Kennett's Catfish Wharf restaurant. [Click to enlarge]

She delivered on her promise Monday night.

More than 120 people from Dunklin, Pemiscot, Stoddard, New Madrid, Butler and Ripley counties vied for seats at Kennett's Catfish Wharf restaurant to hear from two state legislators and a Democratic activist.

Allen and DCDW President Julie Spielman were host to Missouri Senate Minority Leader Sen. Maida Coleman, Missouri House Minority Caucus Leader and state Rep. Robin Wright Jones and Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition leader Margarida Jorge.

"I expected a lot more people than what we usually have," Allen said. "But I definitely did not expect this.

"I'm glad to see you all here because it shows where we are and where we can be," she added. "When the time comes to do the work, guess what? We have every one of your names and faces down so we can say, 'We need you. Come and join us.'We as Democrats need to be involved now. We need to be prepared for the next election. We do not need to wait until later to do it. We need to start now."

Her opening remarks were met with thunderous applause, which continued with a standing ovation when she introduced Coleman.

The state senator, a Sikeston native, said she is one of just 11 Democrats who serve in the state senate.

"You must know that we deal daily with people who think it's all right to take health care away from a million Missourians," Coleman said. "They just don't get it.

"If any of you all are aware of the numbers of people who have adopted children, who are foster parents, who are trying to raise kids in such a way that they can grow up and be productive human beings, that stuff is being taken away in Jefferson City," the senator continued. "We had to fight very, very hard to try to allow people to still have oxygen who are ill. Gov. Matt Blunt wanted to take away oxygen from people. He wanted to take away the opportunity for folks who are in their last days to have hospice care and not allow them to have the dignity to die in the environment that they wanted to be in. This is the person who didn't think we needed our dentures, or to go to the doctor. These people claim they are pro life, yet they don't care about what happens to us between birth and death. They want you to have a wonderful life, but after you turn a couple months' old, you're on your own."

Coleman added that she thought the governor was enacting hurtful legislation at the genesis of his term because people are forgetful.

"We all should be able to live the American dream," she said. "But when you go and cut the Worker's Compensation laws so that they benefit the employers rather than the employees, there is something wrong."

Jones led the audience through a number of interactive exercises aimed at stimulating Democratic thought, then offered insight into her perception of reality at Jefferson City.

"Bad," she said. "My perspective about what's happening in Jefferson City is bad.

"The only thing that will make us change is to reach out to the disenfranchised person," she added. "Even our Democratic colleagues who voted red.

"We were 20 seats down in 2002," she said of the General Assembly demographic. "We're 120 seats down from 20 years ago.

"The Republicans planned their work and worked their plan," she continued. "We won't get the House back next year. We won't get the House back in 2008. We may get to purple. But we may not get to blue."

Jorge said more than 2,000 people from the 8th Congressional District signed a petition whose purpose was to "let Matt Blunt know not to go ahead with Senate Bill 539," which Mo. Sen. Terry Swinger, who was in attendance at the event, said stole health care benefits from a large block of his constituents.

Jorge said also that Social Security privatization is "the one issue we face today that Democrats" have opposed steadfastly.

"President Bush has said that privatizing Social Security is his No. 1 domestic priority," Jorge said. "Nineteen percent of Americans polled said the state of the war is their biggest priority.

"Another 19 percent said it's the state of the economy," she added. "Only 5 percent of the people polled said Social Security privatization is their biggest priority."

She added that more voters in the 18-25 age group believe in UFOs than believe that Social Security will survive "for the long haul."

"Medicare faces a shortfall two times greater than Social Security," Jorge said. "About 58 percent of Missourians are against privatizing Social Security.

"Thirty percent of the voting age population in this district are receiving Social Security benefits," she added. "There will be legislation introduced this week that if enacted will use the Social Security trust fund -- the surplus -- to pay for private accounts. You might as well tell me you're taking money out of my pocket. It's our money. Not theirs."

A question and answer period followed the addresses, and revealed that $130 million was cut from the state's mental health budget.

In addition, Jones said Missouri stands to lose $140 million in matching federal dollars because Blunt's budget ax fell on state services.