September 2025 Newsletter

 

Democrats need to rebuild trust By Emily Tseffos, DPOC chair   Trump’s poll numbers are finally starting to slip. The latest Pew poll shows his approval among 2024 voters is down 10 points from earlier this year — and among voters under 35, it’s down 23 points. That’s not the tidal wave some were hoping for, but it’s something. It means people are paying attention to the egregious overreach of department heads, the unhinged policy via social media, the damage this administration is leaving in its wake. But here’s the thing: People are not looking to Democrats for answers. The truth is this, even as Trump’s approval rating slips in some parts of the electorate, the Democratic Party isn’t exactly meeting the moment. A recent survey showed our party’s favorability at a net minus-32. That’s the worst it’s been in nearly three decades. And we need to admit that this type of fallout means it’s not just a messaging problem or a candidate issue — it’s a trust problem.   READ MORE How can you help rebuild trust? Attend our party meeting on Monday and find out If you read our party chair’s trenchant and insightful essay above (if you didn’t, we encourage it) and were inspired to be a part of the Democratic Party’s absolutely essential resurgence next year, please come to our Sept. 8 monthly member meeting and find out more details.   We’ll also tell you how you can become involved in one of our neighborhood actions teams. We call them OATs (Outagamie Action Team) and they are a great way to get started on a micro level with party activism.   Our special guest is Molly Smiltneek, a mission-oriented immigration lawyer, co-conspirator and social justice advocate. She is currently contracted with World Relief Wisconsin to provide immigration legal services to Afghans who the US resettled in recent years. She has been an immigration rights advocate in the Fox Valley for the last 15 years, providing Know Your Rights, Emergency Planning and DACA workshops for local immigrants and working to educate our community about immigrants and the challenges they face in our community.   Molly will walk through the reality facing many immigrants in the Fox Valley right now. We will discuss the historical trends in immigration policy, changes under President Trump, the current reality facing immigrants in our area and what each of us can do to support immigrants in our community.   The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at our county party office at 516 W. College.   Sign up to attend the Monday meeting. SIGN UP Read the minutes from the August meeting below: AUG 2025 MINUTES More bridge-building opportunities this month! We also need people to join us at the office the next two Thursdays (Sept. 11 and 18) at 6 p.m. to text bank.   It’s easy and fun and you get to hang out with your fellow Democrats. TEXT BANK Join us for our Can’t Afford to Wait Weekend of Action!   Prices continue to rise and Wisconsinites are struggling to pay their everyday bills because of the GOP's Big Ugly Bill, their tariff tax, and their attacks on workers.   We will be reaching out to hear about how these policies are hurting our neighbors and what they need from their representatives. We can't afford to wait - YOU can make a difference!" We'll be canvassing on Saturday, Sept 20th and Sunday, Sept 21st at 9 and noon. We will train you on site and provide you with a buddy if you would like.   WEEKEND OF ACTION  Run for Office. We can help. Now more than ever we need to hold the progressive line at the local and state level until we can take back the US Senate and House in 2026.    So why not consider running for something! Not sure what, how, when, or why? There will be an informational meeting on Thursday, September 25, to talk nuts and bolts about running for a local office in the spring election. More details will be available soon at the DPOC webpage. LEARN MORE  Fox Valley Young Dems meet Sept. 20. Forty or under and looking to meet up with fellow progressives? Consider popping in for the next Fox Valley Young Dems meeting from 1 to 2 p.m. on  Sept 20 at the Appleton Public Library.   The future depends on you!  For more info, call Linnea at 920.489.9228. CALL LINNEA Give what you can, and spread awareness! DONATE NOW  Help us help the Hispanic/Latinx community. Casa Hispana, located in Menasha, is a nonprofit organization that advocates and empowers the Hispanic/Latinx community in the Fox Valley. Their mission is to advance awareness, education, and celebration of the vibrant, diverse cultures. Now more than ever this community needs our help. Raids, detentions, and deportations are taking place right here in the Fox Valley. We can help in many ways, especially with legal fees.   We will collect cash donations for this purpose at our upcoming membership meeting on Sept. 9 or you can always donate directly to our Casa Hispana Fundraiser!  Want to be a poll worker? Find out how. Are you interested in serving your community and protecting our democracy? Become a poll worker for the 2026-2027 election cycle! Poll workers are paid to help run an election at a polling place. Our team will help connect with your municipal clerk, who will train you on everything you need to know to support voters. Start by filling out the interested poll worker form. After you fill out the form, our team will reach out in 2-3 days to get you involved! If you want to get started right away, sign up for one of our Poll Worker Info Sessions. Fill out the interested poll worker form to get started: START HERE   PLEASE NOTE: you must be a Wisconsin resident to be a poll worker here. For volunteer opportunities for out-of-state residents, please visit wisdems.org/voproevents!     The Democratic Party of Outagamie County  516 W. College  Appleton WI 54911   920-939-2065 Hours: T (11-5) | THU (11-5) | SAT (11-5) OUTAGAMIEDEMS.ORG

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