Opportunities for Action

[John Helge]

Manistee County Democrats:

Let's get up off the couch and DO SOMETHING this week!  Your local Democratic Party has a some great opportunities for you to get engaged and get involved and we hope you can join us!

Ballot Measure Petitions are here for you to SIGN!

We have three petitions to put important issues on the 2026 ballot for you to sign at the Manistee County Democratic Party River Street office!  

• Ranked Choice Voting will ensure your vote won't be wasted and will promote more communication, cooperation, and compromise among multiple candidates seeking your vote. It also will require any winner to have the support of at least 50+% of all the voters.
• Money Out of Politics (MOP) is requiring legislation that will prohibit contributions to political campaigns from Michigan utility companies and large state contractors (health insurance companies). 
• Invest in MI Kids will change the Michigan constitution to require an income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $500,000/year that will be dedicated to funding public K-12 schools.  It is estimated that this surtax would add at least $1 billion/year to support Michigan public schools. 

Friday October 3rd at 7pm Meet and Greet with Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist!

Join us at the Manistee County Democratic Party campaign office at 319 River Street in downtown Manistee to meet Lt. Governor Gilchrist who will be in town to listen to your concerns and the issues that come up around your kitchen tables.  He is running to be our next Governor in 2026 and has already been in the room where it happens with the Whitmer administration.  He will continue and improve upon her efforts to fix the damn roads and make Michigan the innovation center of American ingenuity and progress.  

Drinks and light refreshments will be available and lots of like-minded progressive thinking people will be there to help us all feel part of a winning team.  

Sunday October 5th from 4-7pm is the Annual Country Picnic

Bring a picnic dish to share and gather with friends at the beautiful farmstead of Tim and Wanda Joseph at 11171 Kerry Road Brethren, MI 49619.  Rain or shine we will gather around the tables to enjoy fresh cider pressed right in front of us.  We will be put to work shucking dried beans and listening to our local and regional candidates as they share their vision for the future.  You can bet there will be some fired-up protest sing-alongs and hope-filled music to soothe our tattered souls.  

There is always enough food and enough joy and hope to share at this annual event.  So put on your blue jeans and your boots and come on out for a good time with some very good people!

Save the Date!  Saturday October 18th!!

There will be over 3000 peaceful protest rallies in cities, towns, and villages across the USA on October 18, 2025 protesting the corrupt, authoritarian, anti-constitutional, anti-rule-of-law Trump regime.  You can help us make the Manistee protest the biggest yet!  Gather with us at 1pm on Saturday October 18th at the intersection of US31 and First Street in Manistee with your NO KINGS in AMERICA and other protest signs.   

After we have shown people driving by that we will not stand for a dictatorship in Washington we will proceed to the Lions Pavilion on First Street Beach to hear messages from our local organizers and political candidates.  

After that we intend to form a human billboard spelling out RESIST on the beach to be photographed by a aerial drone camera.

John M. Helge

johnm...@gmail.com

616-915-2403