Democrats encouraged to look forward

Provided.

Democratic Club President Yvette Benton and past President Mari Goodman thanked members for their efforts and encouraged them to continue promoting their interests and values.

"Charter Schools are targeting Kern County." Those were the first words Democrats heard from Greg Ardoin when he spoke at the November meeting of Tehachapi Mountain Democratic Club. Ardoin is one of the co-founders of the Kern County Board of Education Improvement Coalition. He is passionate about ensuring that schools are safe, public and accountable.

Ardoin went on to explain there are two types of charter schools. The dependent charters, like Valley Oaks in Tehachapi, are authorized by a local school district or a county board of education. Independent charters are funded by the state but are not held accountable. He is opposed to independent charter schools because they are selective and only serve a small segment of students. They tend to be more racially segregated and often fail to serve students with special needs. On the other hand, public schools serve the local community by accepting all students who enroll.

The November meeting was held days after the defeat of the Democratic Party in the presidential election. Club members were disappointed and Mari Goodman, past TMDC president spoke for many. She said, "Our party took a beating, but democracy worked and the democratic process was preserved." She urged all democrats to continue working to improve and maintain the values in which we believe.

Yvette Benton, TMDC president, expressed her disappointment in the election, but declared the Club will continue to support Democratic candidates and values. She pointed out the club has been responsible for local service such as highway clean up, activities for children at Halloween and Christmas, and food collection for those in need. She thinks such projects have played an important part in membership growth, which has reached 165 members. Democrats may join now for the reduced dues of $10. A membership form is available at http://www.tehachapidemocrats.com/.