Sun City Texas Democrats

PLEASE NOTE!  We will be meeting in a new location in 2011! The newest facility in Sun City is the Cowan Creek Amenity Center at 1433 Cool Spring Way, and we have reserved the Florence/Georgetown Rooms for all our regular meetings.

Saturday, March 5,  2011

Time:  9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 AM Meeting
Place: Cowan Creek Amenity Center, Florence / Georgetown Rooms
Speaker: J. James Rohack, MD, FACC, FACP
In Favor of Individual Health Mandate

Dr. James Rohack is the Director, Center for Healthcare Policy of Scott & White Healthcare.  He also serves as Medical Director for System Improvement, Scott & White Health Plan.  He is on the Faculty at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine as Professor of Internal Medicine.  He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease.  His patient care emphasis is on general and consultative cardiology.  Dr. Rohack has been at Scott & White since August 1986.  From 2009 to 2010, J. James Rohack served as president of the American Medical Association, the leading group that represents physicians in the United States.

Dr. Rohack received his degrees at the University of Texas at El Paso (BS, 1976) and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (MD, 1980).

Recently PolitiFact ruled Dr. Rohack’s statement, “Pregnant women trying to buy health insurance on their own are barred from maternity coverage because they have a “pre-existing condition.” to be  TRUE.

Saturday, February 5,  2011

9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Business Meeting
Place: Cowan Creek Amenity Center, Florence / Georgetown Rooms

Program: Claims of Malfeasance on the Commissioner’s Court

Speaker:  Royger Harris, special investigator, office of County Attorney Jana Duty

We all followed this kerfluffal in the Williamson County Sun, Austin American-Statesman and the Austin Bulldog, but have we really gotten both sides of the story?  Royger Harris is the investigator who looked into the claims that  Judge Gattis (perhaps others?) was guilty of malfeasance.  Come hear “the rest of the story!”

Saturday, January 8,  2011
9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Business Meeting
Place: Cowan Creek Amenity Center,
Florence / Georgetown Rooms
Program: Walt Herbert

We received rave reviews when Walt spoke at the October 2, 2010 Sun City Democrats meeting.  We are fortunate to have him return this month to speak on Social Justice and the Financial Meltdown.

Walter Herbert accepted the Herman Brown Chair in English at Southwestern University in 1975. In 1981 he was appointed University Scholar at Southwestern; and in 2006 he retired from the active faculty at Southwestern, and was named Professor of English Emeritus.  He received the William C. Finch Distinguished Professorship at Southwestern.
Herbert’s most recent book is Faith Based War: From 9/11 to Catastrophic Success in Iraq, Equinox Press (2009).

Saturday, December 4, 2010
9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Business Meeting
Place: Sun City Activity Center Atrium
Program:

To get us in the mood for the holiday season, Caroline Mackey and her team will be providing holiday goodies for us to enjoy from 9:30 to 10:00.

The Club’s Business Meeting will then begin with reports from all committee chairs (Program, Communication, IMPACT, and Membership) and the Treasurer will give a short report on what has happened in 2010.

President Roe Mackey will review the Club’s Goals of 2010 and evaluate how we have done, as well as give a brief State of the Club report. Roe will lead a discussion on what is going to happen in 2011.

The Club will also vote on the proposed Slate of Officers for 2011:

President Roe Mackey

Vice President Duane Florschuetz

Secretary Bonnie Boorman

Treasurer Sheridan Moore

Membership Chair Larry Hilliard

Communications Chair Betty Dougherty

Program Chair Billie Reaney

IMPACT Treasurer Dwaine Boydstun

Special Events Chair OPEN

Hospitality Chair Pat Proudhom

Groups/Education Chair Nita Hornbeck

Saturday, November 6,  2010
9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Speaker
Place: Sun City Activity Center Atrium
Program: Margot Clarke

Margot Clarke of Austin is the current vice-chair of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club – a volunteer position with the state chapter of the national environmental organization.  For the past few years she has worked as a policy researcher with State Comptroller’s Office, but Margot has also worked professionally for environmental protection.  She was the Texas state director for the national League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and, more recently, was a staff person for the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, serving as the Outreach Coordinator.

While working professionally for the Chapter, Margot represented the Sierra Club in its involvement with the umbrella group known as the Alliance for a Clean Texas (ACT) – an informal but broad network of environmental, consumer, civic, and other public interest groups.  Her staff work with the Chapter also involved water resources and radioactive waste issues.  In addition, Margot is very active politically and was formerly a candidate for the Austin City Council.

Margot will talk about the major environmental issues currently facing Texas, including a look at what environmental and energy issues are likely to arise in the upcoming state legislative session.

Saturday, October 2,  2010

9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Speaker
Place: Sun City Activity Center Atrium

Program: Walt Herbert

T. Walter Herbert received a BA in English from Harvard College in 1960 (Magna, Phi Beta Kappa), and in 1963 received an M.Div from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, specializing in Hebrew Bible. From 1963-66 he served as Director of an Experimental Ministry to Graduate Students & Faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, a project funded by the Glide Foundation of San Francisco. In 1969 he received a PhD in English from Princeton University, and took a position at the University of Kentucky, from which he departed in 1975 to accept the Herman Brown Chair in English at Southwestern University. In 1981 he was appointed University Scholar at Southwestern; and in 2006 he retired from the active faculty at Southwestern, and was named Professor of English Emeritus. 

In 1979, Herbert helped create the Brown Symposium, which brings distinguished scholars to Southwestern University.

Herbert’s work also has earned him several awards including the NEH Younger Humanist Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a residency at the Rockefeller Foundation Study Center in Bellagio, Italy, and the William C. Finch Distinguished Professorship at Southwestern. In 1990, Herbert was appointed the Beckman Visiting Professor in the English Department at the University of California in Berkeley.

Herbert’s most recent book is Faith Based War: From 9/11 to Catastrophic Success in Iraq, Equinox Press (2009).

General Meeting:  Saturday, September 11,  2010

9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Speaker
Place: Sun City Social Center Ballroom
Program: Pride, Patriotism, and Politickin’

On September 11, 2010 we begin a concentrated effort to help move our state into a new era of Democratic government. The theme of the day will be Pride, Patriotism, and Politickin’. We have invited the Austin American Statesman political columnist, Ken Herman, to speak at our meeting.

TX Representative Diana Maldonado will be speaking as well, and lots more Texas candidates will join us for the politickin‘.

All residents of Georgetown and Williamson Country are invited to enjoy great speakers, refreshments, and camaraderie. The tide is turning in Texas and Sun City Democrats can have a big part in electing Bill White Texas’ next governor.

ATTENTION:   Sun City Democratic Veterans! We’d like for you to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance at this meeting.  If you’d like to participate in this brief ceremony, please contact George Wagner at wagywagy@suddenlink.net .

General Meeting:  Saturday, June 5, 2010

Saturday, June 5, 2010
Time:  9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Speaker
Place:  Sun City Activity Center ATRIUM

The monthly Sun City Democrats Meeting on Saturday June 5 will be an important and different meeting.  Our club has many decisions to make and it is vital for members to attend.  A few of the items on the agenda:

1) All members will receive a copy of the revised Bylaws before the meeting and at the meeting will vote to either accept or reject the Bylaws.  Before the vote there will be a brief review of the changes to the Bylaws.

2) The Sun City Democrats Board needs your help in establishing goals for our club.  Another way to look at it is – What is the Mission of our Club? We need your help in planning for our club’s future.

3) I believe we have had outstanding speakers at our meetings over the past years.  Are there other programs you would like to see, speakers, etc.  Also are there programs, events, activities that you would like the club to sponsor in addition to the Saturday Meetings.

4) Should the club be more active? If so how?

Also there will be refreshments – cookies, fruit, and other goodies.  Mark June 5 on your calendar – see you then.

General Meeting:  Saturday, May 1, 2010

Saturday, May 1, 2010
Time:  9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Speaker
Place:  Sun City Activity Center ATRIUM

Program: Terri Burke

Terri Burke, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, will speak on  “Righting Texas Civil Wrongs:  How the ACLU of Texas Plans to Take on the Right Wing and Change State Laws.” A political and investigative reporter and editor, she has led the ACLU of Texas since January 2008, after she retired from the newspaper business.

General Meeting:  Saturday, April 10, 2010

Saturday, April 10, 2010
Time:  9:30 AM Coffee, 10:00 Speaker
Place:  Sun City Social Center BALLROOM

Program: W. Michael Smith

W. Michael Smith, along with co-author Bill Minutaglio, has written the latest book about the indomitable Molly Ivins, titled Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life. The authors both knew the prolific and principled gadfly well, and put together a surprisingly frank and layered portrait.  They took great pains to preserve Ms. Ivins’ authentic “voice” as told through her reams of paper; it seems that Molly was one of those people who could never bear to throw one scrap in the trash.