Democrats Zoom in on plans

Phyllis Belcher.

Distance and weather threatened the TMDC meeting, but Zoom came to the rescue.

Aware of a town in Washington state that has achieved many of the goals Tehachapi is working toward, the local Democratic club wanted to hear ideas from former mayor of Mt. Vernon, Jill Boudreau. It was much too far to travel to the February meeting of Tehachapi Mountain Democratic Club, but Zoom made her appearance possible.

Boudreau was elected in 2011 and served until Dec. 31, 2023. She stressed the importance of communication with local citizens, diversity in leadership, non-partisan decisions and dedication to making lives better. Believing that first impressions are important, the city council repaired, improved or built new parks, buildings and roads. They had programs similar to Tehachapi such as city podcasts and coffee with the mayor/superintendent. They created a town where people's needs were noticed and fulfilled.

Another speaker, Marissa Wood, was scheduled for the same TMDC meeting, but weather conditions made travel difficult. Once again, Zoom came to the rescue and Marissa was able to explain what motivated her to run for the 20th Congressional District seat. As a public-school teacher, she has seen the struggles that many families face. She knows they need jobs that pay their bills. They need affordable healthcare. They deserve someone fighting for them in Washington, not a career politician. She expressed a philosophy similar to that of the first speaker that making the citizen's lives better is what matters. Marissa is energized, hopeful and ready to serve the people of the 20th District.

Tehachapi Mountain Democratic Club meets the first Thursday of each month at Kelcy's Restaurant. Dinner and social hour is at 5 p.m. with the meeting beginning at 6 p.m. The next meeting, where all registered Democrats are invited to attend, will be March 7. See http://www.tehachapidemocrats.com for more information.