LTDO finished calendar year 2020 with a somewhat reduced balance compared to a year earlier. This is hardly surprising, given the substantial investments (including rental of an office, purchase of a printer) associated with 2020 being such a consequential election year, one that brought us many successes locally and nationally.
LTDO’s resources at 12/31/20 stood at approximately $9,700, vs. just under
$11,000 at the start of the year. Some very successful reimagined fundraising efforts (most notably masks, trivia nights, and the virtual beer tasting), strong membership numbers, and the generosity of numerous donors helped keep our financial position sound, even with the limitations imposed on us by the pandemic. Thanks to everyone who stepped up!
As part of my responsibilities as Treasurer, I am required to submit quarterly reports to the Illinois State Board of Elections, and recently filed our report for the 4th quarter of 2020. I am pleased to report that our bank statements and state reporting came out completely in phase. These reports, which are called D-2s, are a matter of public record, and can be accessed through the IL Board’s website, using the Committee Search tool.
The 2021 membership year is underway. If you have paid dues on or since 11/1/20, then you are current on your dues for all of 2021. If you are unsure of your status, feel free to email me at spectrio@juno.com.
Dues levels remain the same for 2021, and are as follows:
- $25 Individual
- $35 Household
- $10 Senior/Student/Disabled/Election Judge
Dues payments can be sent directly to me, or paid via ActBlue. If paying by check made payable to LTDO, please mail it to me at 641 Sunset Drive, Naperville 60540. If you choose to pay through ActBlue, the link is https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ltdo2021. If your circumstances allow, please consider including an additional donation, as dues provide only a small portion of LTDO operating costs.
If you are interested in other ways to contribute (becoming a monthly donor, contributing to one of our ongoing fundraisers, etc.), please contact me, or visit the LTDO website for more information.
America is a constant work in progress. What gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further – to speak out for what’s right, to challenge an unjust status quo, and to imagine a better world.
John Lewis – one of the original Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the youngest speaker at the March on Washington, leader of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Member of Congress representing the people of Georgia for 33 years – not only assumed that responsibility, he made it his life’s work. He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise. And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example.
Considering his enormous impact on the history of this country, what always struck those who met John was his gentleness and humility. Born into modest means in the heart of the Jim Crow South, he understood that he was just one of a long line of heroes in the struggle for racial justice. Early on, he embraced the principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as the means to bring about real change in this country, understanding that such tactics had the power not only to change laws, but to change hearts and minds as well.
In so many ways, John’s life was exceptional. But he never believed that what he did was more than any citizen of this country might do. He believed that in all of us, there exists the capacity for great courage, a longing to do what’s right, a willingness to love all people, and to extend to them their God-given rights to dignity and respect. And it’s because he saw the best in all of us that he will continue, even in his passing, to serve as a beacon in that long journey towards a more perfect union.
The Lisle Township Democratic Organization (LTDO) believes that BLACK LIVES MATTER! We are deeply disturbed at the cruel display of violence by Minneapolis police officers who took the life of Mr. George Floyd. The brutal treatment of African-Americans in our country must stop and police must be held accountable.