EARLY VOTING BEGINS OCT. 22

EARLY VOTING ENDS NOV. 2

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It's now or never

It's now or never We have fewer than 10 days to ... Elect Kamala Harris and defeat Donald Trump Elect Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and defeat Rick Scott Approve Amendment 4, to tell Florida to mind its own business and butt out of  women's health care choices. Protect democracy, freedom, equality, and the rule of law. First of all, VOTE. We have strong local candidates, too, such as Barbie Harden Hall for Congress and Ash Marwah for the Florida House. If you plan to mail in your ballot do so NOW. See the warning below from the Postmaster General. Ballots that arrive late WILL NOT BE COUNTED. Call everyone you know who believes as you do, wherever in the nation they live, and make sure they vote, too. Volunteer for the final push. We need to help others get to the polls. Contact your local Democratic Party.

Join the nationwide Women's March Villages event,

Saturday, Nov. 2

Thousands of feminists will converge on Washington, D.C., and across the nation Saturday. Nov. 2, to show the movement's strength right before Election Day.

Join our local march in The Villages, where we will meet at 11 a.m. in the Lake Sumter Landing Sumter Square for an uplifting program, then march on the sidewalks around surrounding streets. Bring yourselves and your signs.

This will be a nonpartisan event, so invite supportive friends, including men. The focus will be on women's rights; no campaigning for candidates will be allowed.

Sumter event sign-up on Moblize

The Women's March movement supports:

The right to live free from violence and discrimination.
The right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
The right to be educated.
The right to earn an equal wage.
The right to VOTE.

Women's March website

As you prepare to vote, consider guidance in this newsletter.

WARNING
Postmaster General Louis deJoy says ballots should be mailed in at least a week before Election Day

That mean no later than Monday, Oct. 27.

If you are worried that your ballot won't make it in time, use it as a guide and vote in person.

Mail ballots that arrive late ARE NOT COUNTED.

OPINION: ASH MARWAH

Florida's insurance market remains a disaster, thanks to Republicans

(NOTE: Ash Marwah, a Club director and candidate for the Florida House of Representatives to represent our area, closely monitors insurance issues.)

The Republican super-majority in the Florida Legislature passed two laws in 2022 they said would improve the situation in the insurance market.

We were assured the results would be obvious in 12-18 months. Now, two years later, we are nowhere near a solution. Insurance premiums keep rising, including car insurance premiums, because they have a hurricane surcharge. Housing costs are going up, resulting in rising rents. 

These two laws -- sponsored by a state senator who is an insurance agent -- have taken away homeowners' rights to sue insurers, in a subtle way. If a homeowner agrees to assignment of benefits with a contractor, the attorney for the contractor cannot get paid.

Further, these laws have reduced pay for attorney fees. The result is that attorneys are not willing to take cases unless the claims are in excess of $100,000 -- and the homeowner is willing to pay the attorney up front. First, the homeowner has suffered loss and next he/she is expected to pay attorney fees for an unknown result.

Most people don't carry flood insurance and if the hurricane flooded their house the insurer is going to simply deny the claim. There are some policies that don't cover "wind-driven rain," either. Not knowing the fine print in these insurance policies, people end up buying cheap but worthless insurance policies.

There are reports of insurers simply reducing the adjuster's estimate of loss and offering a far reduced payout to homeowners, while hoping the homeowner won't sue the insurer.

Most major carriers have left Florida or cut back their exposure. The result is that most people have coverage from small insurance companies facing bankruptcy because of the back-to-back hurricanes, so they have an incentive to deny claims and hope their customers cannot afford to challenge them.

(closing statement of how this must change and why voters need to elect Democrats to end the super-majority)

Democrats have offered solutions to solve this prickly problem by creating a nonprofit insurance program to cover hurricane losses. Other insurance companies then provide fire and theft insurance only. This will make our insurance premiums to fall like a rock.

Twenty-twoyears of Republican policies have brought us to this stage. Elect Democrats statewide to bring a CHANGE in Florida for the good of all Floridians.

If you applied to vote by mail in August, you're good for November. If you haven't applied to vote by mail, you can do so in time for November.

KEY ELECTION DATES

NOVEMBER GENERAL

Oct. 22-Nov. 2: Early voting at any Early Voting location.

Nov. 5: Election Day. You must vote at your assigned precinct polling place.

Enjoying the Club's many programs, events and activities? Join the board and lead the way forward

We've seen so much enthusiasm among Club members the past few months. We hope that your experiences at Club organized and sponsored events have some of you thinking: Hey, I'd like to get more involved.

Here's your chance. Today, we're opening the annual process for members interested in joining the Club's board of directors.

All board positions are open for this election and all candidates will be interviewed over the next two months by a five-person Nominating Committee of other Club members.

Here are the current board positions:

President, Vice president, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Director/Programming, Director/Membership, Director/Hospitality, Director/Technology, Director-at-large (3). Total: 12.

NOTE: One member of the board also serves as editor of The Neighborhood Buzz.

Descriptions will be provided for each job as performed by the current member in that position. You can express interest in more than one position.

Once all candidates have been interviewed, the Nominating Committee will present a slate of candidates at the Jan. 11, 2025, membership meeting. Nominations also can be made from the floor at that meeting.The membership will vote at the March 8 meeting.

The board year begins April 1.


Until the Nominating Committee is formed, if you have questions or wish to express interest. email Buzz editor Dennis Foley: mailto:dfdf4242@att.net

Thank you.

FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT

Thank you for all your support. We'll miss you

Life-changing events often seem to come out of nowhere. That's what happened to Dennis and me on a recent trip to Michigan to visit his family and friends, who also have become mine.

Driving down a small-town street lined with trees whose leaves were changing colors, we spotted a house for sale by owner. I called and within days we made the commitment.

Early next year, we'll be putting our Villages home up for sale and our time in this terrific Club will end.

We are grateful for everyone we have met at any Club event, from the largest golf cart caravans, marches and rallies to one-on-one chats, Blue Crews, lunches and breakfasts.

We are grateful to our board members, whose ideas and work make things happen, and to so many volunteers helping in innumerable ways.

Folks at the Democratic Neighbors Orientations love the still-warm cookies, Sharron. We hope you will continue baking them. We hope all of you will continue what you are doing.

You make this Club the biggest -- and the best -- in Florida. We're sure you'll keep it that way.

Thanks for having us.

Diane & Dennis

View Club director at-large Bill Knudson's analysis of economic data and policies

Economics in Perspective