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	<title>Dutchess County Democratic Committee</title>
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		<title>Dutchess Democratic Committee Spring Convention 3/22/12</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/03/29/dutchess-democratic-committee-spring-convention-32212/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/03/29/dutchess-democratic-committee-spring-convention-32212/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:33:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Candidates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2224</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; At their annual spring convention, Matt Alexander of Wappingers Falls was resoundingly endorsed by the Dutchess County Democratic Committee as their candidate for the 18th Congressional District.  Coming in a distant 2nd was Sean Maloney of Sullivan County.  All five candidates,  Alexander, Maloney,  Rich Becker, Duane Jackson and Tom Wilson were given a chance to speak and meet with the committee members.  Only Alexander and  Wilson actually reside in the district. &#8220;Any one of the candidates in the new 18th district would make a better Representative for the people than the Republican-turned-Tea-Party Ms. Hayworth, who we are enduring now,&#8221; said Democratic Committee Chairwoman Elisa Sumner, &#8220;but Matt clearly stands out as the best choice, and the man most committed to the middle class.&#8221; In a very close race for the 19th congressional district, Julian Shriebman of Ulster County narrowly defeated Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner for the endorsement. In other races: Kirsten Gillibrand was enthusiastically endorsed by the entire committee for United States Senate; Maria Rosa was unanimously endorsed as a candidate for the State Supreme Court, 9th Judicial; Justin Wagner was unanimously endorsed for the 40th State Senate District, and Rhinebeck&#8217;s Terry Gipson was likewise unanimously endorsed for [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Senator Schumer endorses Didi  Barrett</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/24/senator-schumer-endorses-didi-barrett/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/24/senator-schumer-endorses-didi-barrett/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:01:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2216</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[US Senator Charles Schumer has endorsed fellow Democrat Didi Barrett for State Assembly in the 103rd District. She is running in the March 20 special election against Republican Richard Wager. The seat was vacated by former Assemblyman Marcus Molinaro when he took over as Dutchess County executive last month. Schumer made a stop at Barrett’s Red Hook campaign headquarters on Tuesday to lend his support to her campaign. “Didi will fight to protect the best interests of Mid-Hudson families and will not allow influence and money to trump the needs of the middle class,” he said. “Her record of long-standing community involvement and leadership in the region make her the ideal candidate to represent the 103rd Assembly District.” Barrett said if elected, she would work full time to provide a voice for district residents in state government. “We need a representative in Albany who will put the interests of the middle class above special interests,” she said. “Big corporations get more than their fair share of tax breaks, but it’s the hard-working middle class families and small businesses that really need it.” She noted the MTA payroll tax hurts small businesses and “simply needs to go.”]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>State education standards fail kids</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/07/state-education-standards-fail-kids/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/07/state-education-standards-fail-kids/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:38:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Letters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sidebar]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2217</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[New York state sets the standards for what should be taught and how it should be taught. It defines the tests for evaluating the achieving of its goals. It provides guidance in the ever-changing teaching support through texts, chang­ing methods of teaching and technology. The state process is flawed at every endeavor on its part. By the state setting evaluation standards for prin­cipals and teachers, it has de­tracted attention from its own massive failures. Teachers cannot develop the professional experience in an environment that rapidly changes and obsoletes itself every few years. Students are shortchanged by a system that forces them to use calculators one year and then the next year bans them, and then a few years later forces them to buy a more expensive calculator. I have worked with hun­dreds of children from grades one through 12. I am appalled at their lack of competence and understanding of basic and advanced math. I have illus­trated to parents the flaws in the techniques used to teach their children and how their ability to help their children has been marginalized. I have even gone to Albany and wit­nessed the incompetence of those who are responsible for our children’s education. Irvin [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Dutchess Democrats Call on Governor Cuomo to Veto Proposed District Lines</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/06/dutchess-democrats-call-on-governor-cuomo-to-veto-proposed-district-lines/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/06/dutchess-democrats-call-on-governor-cuomo-to-veto-proposed-district-lines/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:57:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dfx</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dutchess County Democrats have called on Governor Cuomo to veto the proposed legislative district lines. The Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) released draft lines yesterday afternoon, which dramatically change the makeup of Dutchess County’s representation. “The specious argument as to why cities should be completely segregated from their surroundings and lumped together with other cities becomes sadly ludicrous when you look at these maps; there does not even seem to be a pretext of LATFOR believing in what they preach. To take the City of Poughkeepsie out of the integral towns that surround it, only to then put it on the other side of the Hudson River in a district with towns like Lloyd and Marlborough, is pathetic sophistry at best,” said Elisa Sumner, chairwoman of the Dutchess Democratic Committee. “The city argument becomes even more laughable when you see that the Town and City of Poughkeepsie are separated. The Town of Poughkeepsie now skirts around the city and travels north where it is joined with the City of Hudson! When people choose to live in a community they never consider that for voting purposes they will be &#8216;gerrymandered&#8217; away from their neighbors and lumped in [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Election Integrity must be preserved</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/05/2208/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/02/05/2208/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:08:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Letters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sidebar]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2208</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Printed in the Poughkeesie Journal 2/2/2012: Valley Views Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote. The New York State Legislature should be commended for improvements made last year to both the absentee ballot application and the affidavit ballot envelope. While New York state has made improvements, other states around the country have passed laws that restrict the pool of eligible voters &#8211; voter-ID laws that make it harder for Americans to cast a ballot. This is a step backward in a decades-long struggle to end voter discrimination. A recent study reports that up to five million voters could be kept from the polls due to the proposed voter ID laws. This new restriction puts a financial barrier between voters and their ballot box. In New York, Assemblyman Steve Katz, R-Yorktown, introduced a voter-ID bill as part of a nationwide effort coordinated by conservative groups who want to increase their leverage in elections by suppressing other voting groups. I strongly urge New Yorkers to oppose this new restriction. On another front, budget cuts have made it more difficult to preserve the integrity of our elections. Our county Board of Elections has had drastic budgets cut &#8211; [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Didi Barrett Leads the 103rd Assembly Race After Absentee Ballots Counted!</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/01/21/democrats-nominate-didi-barrett-to-run-for-103rd-assembly/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/01/21/democrats-nominate-didi-barrett-to-run-for-103rd-assembly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:43:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Candidates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Highlights]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2201</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Democratic committees in Dutchess and Columbia County have nominated community leader Didi Barrett to run in the special election for the 103rd Assembly District. Barrett, a Town of Washington resident, has been a consultant, founder and leader of not-for-profit organizations for more than two decades. She is currently a board member of the Anderson Center for Autism Foundation, the Millbrook Education Foundation, and the North East Dutchess Community Fund. She helped launch the Dutchess Girls Collaborative in 2009. Barrett ran in 2010 for the State Senate seat currently held by Sen. Steve Saland. “Didi has shown herself to be a leader in our community, and an effective voice for the people of our district. Since running for in 2010, she has continued her work helping not-for-profits and highlighting the contributions and challenges of local farmers. Her roots in the Hudson Valley go back decades, and we look forward to sending her to Albany to represent us,” said Elisa Sumner, chairwoman of the Dutchess Democratic Committee. Barrett said she was honored by the nomination and touched by the outpouring of support of her candidacy. “I am committed to fighting for the people of Dutchess and Columbia Counties in Albany and to [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Frank Skartados Wins Back 100th Assembly seat in a Landslide!</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/01/21/frank-skartados-runs-to-win-back-100th/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/01/21/frank-skartados-runs-to-win-back-100th/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:38:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Candidates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Highlights]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2147</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Former NYS Assemblyman Frank Skartados launched his campaign to reclaim the 100th Assembly District seat, which represents much of the mid-Hudson Valley including the cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie.  Press release to follow.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2012/01/21/frank-skartados-runs-to-win-back-100th/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Letter: Time for a new voice in Assembly</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/12/26/time-for-a-new-voice-in-assembly/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/12/26/time-for-a-new-voice-in-assembly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:59:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2136</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[State Assemblyman Joel Miller, R-Poughkeepsie, couldn’t be bothered to return from his fancy Palm Beach vacation. It's time for a new voice that actually represents the hard working people of Dutchess County, instead of insulting them.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/12/26/time-for-a-new-voice-in-assembly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Lt Gov Duffy headlines Salute to Labor</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/10/24/lt-gov-duffy-headlines-salute-to-labor/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/10/24/lt-gov-duffy-headlines-salute-to-labor/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:36:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elisasumner</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Highlights]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2121</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Dutchess County Democrats honored local union men and women who have made a difference in their community and their workplace at their annual Salute to Labor dinner on October 23, 2011. Attendees were honored to have New York State Lt Governor Robert Duffy as their keynote speaker.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/10/24/lt-gov-duffy-headlines-salute-to-labor/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>SUMNER CALLS ON MOLINARO TO END DISCRIMINATION AND REJECT THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY ENDORSEMENT</title>
		<link>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/06/09/sumner-calls-on-molinaro-to-end-discrimination-and-reject-the-conservative-party-endorsement/</link>
		<comments>http://www.dutchessdems.com/2011/06/09/sumner-calls-on-molinaro-to-end-discrimination-and-reject-the-conservative-party-endorsement/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:31:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dutchessdems.com/?p=2030</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(Poughkeepsie, NY)  Dutchess County Democratic Committee Chair Elisa Sumner is calling on Assemblyman Marcus Molinaro, candidate for Dutchess County Executive, to vote to end discrimination in New York State by supporting the Marriage Equality bill being considered by the State Legislature. “Marriage equality is the most important civil rights issue in a generation and It is time for Assemblyman Molinaro to tell the people of Dutchess County where he stands on this law,”  said Sumner. “The recent resolution passed by the New York State Conservative Party threatening to withhold its endorsement of any candidate or elected official who supports gay marriage is outright advocacy of discrimination,” said Sumner.  “No level of government or political party in the 21st century United States should be legislating or advocating discrimination against any of our citizens.  I am deeply disturbed that Mr. Molinaro would accept the endorsement of the Conservative Party whose platform includes prohibition of people’s civil liberties.” Sumner added, “Mr. Molinaro, who was absent for the vote on marriage equality in May 2009 (Bill no. A07732), voted against Marriage Equality in December of the same year (Bill no. A40003). Now, as a candidate for Dutchess County Executive, he is telling some voters [...]]]></description>
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