Fayette County TX Democratic Party Newsletter
June 2025
Loads of Local June Celebrations & Events
Celebrate Pride Month in Bastrop - June 6th & 7th
Friday, June 6th, - Downtown Bastrop Pride Faire, starts 5pm, enjoy music, food, line dancing, and at 8:30, The Rock Bottom String Band at 602 Brewing Company. Saturday, June 7th, - Bastrop Pride Festival at the Bastrop Convention Center - https://bastroppride.org/
La Grange Pre-Juneteenth Celebrations - June 7th
Saturday, June 7th, 5pm - 10pm, Juneteenth on the Square in La Grange. Praise Hour - Gospel speakers, singers, dancers / Secular Hour - D.J. Ronald “Cat” Brooks, Local singers, Marcus Ardoin & Da Zydeco Legends! Info: Contact Verlia Mosely-Rhodes: 979-702-9441
Americans for Democracy Rally - June 7th & 21st
Saturday, June 7th and 21st, 9am-10am, sidewalk along side Hartland Realty. Info about upcoming dates can be found at: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/797071/ Don’t have a sign? No worries, we have a collection.
Rural Texas Summit - Building Coalitions in Texas - June 13th & 14th.
Where rural Texans make noise, gain knowledge, and take action. Speakers, panel discussions for two days of grassroots strategy, bold conversations, and community building that puts rural voices front and center. FCDP will host an info table and present at the event on Friday. (See below for Event Overview and Ticket Information)
No Kings Rallies - Saturday, June 14th
Bastrop - Saturday, 10am-12pm, Pedestrian Bridge
Austin -Saturday, 10am, 110 Congress Ave
Democratic Neighbors Luncheon - Thursday, June 19th
Thursday, June 19th, 11:30am, La Marina Mexican Restaurant, 1502 Hwy 71, La Grange
Rural Texas Summit -(FCDP will be hosting a Dems101 info table and presenting at the event)
EVENT OVERVIEW
After a tough November election, rural Texans had a choice: give up or dig in. We chose to dig in. The Rural Texas Summit was born to give rural voices a platform and spark real conversations about our future.
Join us June 13–14, 2025, at the Bastrop Convention Center for two days of networking, strategy, and inspiration.
Our goal is simple: build coalitions—across PACs, organizers, candidates, and communities—to tackle the unique challenges facing rural Texas.
Friday kicks off at 8:30am with registration and continues with sessions on grassroots organizing, PAC impact, and coalition strategies. The Fayette Co Democratic Party will host a Dems101 information table and be on hand to answer questions. Mary Wolf, County Chair and Lane Gosnay, Precinct Chair will deliver presentations on Friday to the Summit attendees on “What is a Democrat? and the Dems101 initiative. That evening, don’t miss our Fundraising Banquet featuring powerful speakers like Nancy Thompson (Mothers Against Greg Abbott), Kendall Scudder (Chair, Texas Democratic Party), and a special performance by Libby Villari as Ann Richards, plus music by Suzanna Choffel.
Saturday starts at 8:30am and dives into key rural issues—public education, agriculture, civic engagement, and how Democrats can win in small-town Texas. We’ll end the day with a roadmap for action and the future of our rural coalition.
This summit is your chance to help shape the future of rural Texas. Be part of the movement—because we’re stronger together.
Ticket Information
If you are interested in purchasing a ticket, please follow these links:
*** Click Link: Friday and Saturday is $25 (BUY FOR SUMMIT ONLY)
Rural Texas Summit - Building Coalitions Tickets, Sat, Jun 14, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite
*** Click Link: Friday Night Fundraiser is $55 (FUNDRAISER ONLY)
Rural Texas Summit Building Coalitions: FUNDRAISER - FRIDAY EVENING Tickets, Fri, Jun 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
*** There is a discount if you purchase both for $75, Click Link:
(BUY IF YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING BOTH THE SUMMIT AND FUNDRAISER)
Rural Texas Summit Building Coalitions: Ticket BUNDLE Fundraiser and Summit Tickets, Fri, Jun 13, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite
Thank you, we hope to see you in Bastrop!
Click Link: Rural Summit Agenda
Let’s Talk About Social Security
Contributed by Laura Logan
For as long as I have been paying attention to Social Security I have been hearing the program is running out of money. Recently, I began following the work of PhD economist Kathryn Anne Edwards, a Social Security expert. I have learned so much and feel much better. This article is based upon her work. Hopefully it will encourage you as well.
Social Security is the rockstar of federal programs. The program currently issues benefits to 69 million Americans, raising 22 million of them out of poverty. The 90 year old program has never missed a payment, has an absolutely minuscule fraud rate, the lowest administrative cost (.05) of any federal program and has never had a data breach. (Despite DOGE’s best efforts.)
So why did I, like so many, believe the program to be failing? Well basically, it’s because we’ve been lied to by folks like The Heritage Foundation. Yep, the force behind Project 2025 started their attack on Social Security way back in 1980. Go figure. It isn’t that there’s no problem at all. There is a projected long term shortfall. But the problem has been grossly overstated and is easily fixable given the will to do so. Turns out Congress has known about the problem since the early ‘90s and every year the Social Security Administration not only reminds them they need to do something but also provides them a menu of options they can pick from which includes how much each option will help. Edwards fully believes there will be a last possible moment fix.
I’ve learned way too much to include here, but here’s some bullet points:
Social Security is insulated from the economy and the stock market.
It’s a self-funded wage based system- not reliant on congressional budgets.
Without congressional action, a funding shortfall is expected by 2035, leading to ~20% benefits cuts- not elimination.
Congress has borrowed from the program but must legally repay it with interest, which they’ve been doing.
Removing the income cap on the wealthiest 5% would erase 70% of the shortfall.
In 2025 the annual income cap for SSA taxable income is $176,100. No Social Security tax is applied to income above this amount. The average income of the top 5% of earners in 2024 was $311,560. So, on average the top 5% are only paying Social Security tax on less than 57% of their earnings.
There are about 1.49 million top 5% earners in the US, so removing the cap would bring in an estimated additional $1.44+ trillion to Social Security coffers annually.
The issue isn’t just aging baby boomers - Social Security planned for that.
The real problem is decades of stagnant wages for the bottom 50%, which wasn’t fully anticipated. Fix wages, fix the system.
If you want to know more I highly recommend you check out Kathryn Edwards’ work. She’s on most social media platforms as well as Substack https://substack.com/@kedseconomist and also has a fun podcast (Optimistic Economy) available on Spotify.
Trump’s Golf Addiction Costs Taxpayers
Contributed by Annette Holdeman
If Trump keeps up this pace, he’s on track to surpass the jaw-dropping $151.5 million that was spent on golf weekends during his previous term!
As of April 2025, President Trump’s golf trips have cost taxpayers around $30,000,000, yes, million, since his inauguration on January 20, 2025—about the same as the investigation led by Robert Mueller, which Trump criticized for its cost. He’s made at least 13 weekend trips to his Florida properties, with each visit widely reported as costing approximately $3.6 million. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/17/trump-golf-taxes
Each trip involves Air Force One, costing about $1.5 million per round trip, plus security and local law enforcement expenses, totaling $45 million for Palm Beach County by November 2025. A bill to reimburse Palm Beach County has been introduced to the US House of Representatives to cover the county’s expenditures, to date the bill amounts to approximately $20M. "It is a great piece of legislation”, said Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarron. "There is a long way to go, but it is a step in the right direction. It is not fair for our county taxpayers to have to foot this entire bill." https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/trump/2025/03/19/house-bill-would-reimburse-palm-beach-county-for-trump-security-costs/82494685007/
Potential Programs That Could Have Benefited
Medicaid for 5,517 recipients
SNAP to provide 22.8 million meals
Pell Grants for 8,576 students
Meals on Wheels for 11,500 seniors
Spending taxpayer dollars on personal hobbies is a slap in the face to hardworking Americans. Where is the shame? By the end of June, his weekend golf trips are projected to cost a staggering $53 million, all on the public’s dime.
(You may have to Zoom In to read on a cell phone)
FCDP WEBSITE HAS A NEW LOOK! CHECK US OUT AT:
https://www.fayettetxdemocrats.org/
Here you can find our monthly newsletters, a listing of upcoming events, legislator information & contact details. There is a handy sign-up for how to get involved and volunteer, and we love our volunteers!
FCDP ADOPTS DEMOCRATIC CREED
We are proud to stand for Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity — not just as ideals, but as guiding principles that shape everything we do. Here in Fayette County, we believe that democracy thrives when every voice is heard, every person is treated with dignity, and every resident has the opportunity to build a better future.
On March 10, 2025, in solidarity with Democrats nationwide, the Fayette County Democratic Party adopted the Democratic Creed confirming our commitment to the beliefs of freedom, justice, and opportunity for everyone, everywhere, equally, as together we build a just society - a better life - for us all.
The Democratic Creed
WE BELIEVE
All people are created equal, that this is America’s fundamental ideal.
That America is a democracy, by and for the people: ruled by the Constitution and its interpretations, protected by the Bill of Rights, and inspired by the Declaration of Independence.
These founding documents demand Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity for all Americans in full and equal measure regardless of who you are, what you believe, or where you live.
That the Duty of government is to strive endlessly to make the ideals of Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity a reality for all.
That the Purpose of government is to protect our nation, defend our democracy, and to endlessly promote the welfare of each and every one of us.
That fighting for these ideals is the purpose of our political party.
Whether you’re a lifelong Democrat or just getting involved, we invite you to join us. Together, we’re organizing, advocating, and electing leaders who will move Fayette County and our country forward.
Get involved. Stay informed. Help shape the future.
Thanks to our contributors — we’re so grateful for your time and effort!
FCDP email: fayettetxdemocrats@gmail.com / 979-484-7925
Y'all are doing great work. Love the new logo. And thanks to Laura for the info on SS.