Dear Young Dem,

As we settle into 2010, the key battle lines in this year's elections are already being drawn. Issues like the economy, education and health care are seizing much of the nation's attention, and things are no different here in the Buckeye state.

In this month's OYD newsletter, you'll learn how you can make a difference in this election year, as well as read what other young Dems across the state are doing in their communities. Read what Governor Strickland and President Obama had to say in their annual addresses, and discover why ODP is counting on young voters to carry Ohio.

As always, we look forward to your suggestions about making OYD even stronger in 2010.

Regards,

Ohio Young Democrats 

In this edition:
ODP to Hold Next Generation Dems Summit
ODP Launches Strickland Online Initiative
OYD Annual Convention Set For Cleveland
Strickland Believes in Ohio's Promise
Obama Works to Inspire Americans, Restore Optimism
ODP Counting on Youth Turnout
Ohio University College Dems Gearing Up For Big Year

    ODP to launch Next Generation Democrats, Host Summit

On Saturday March 6, the Ohio Democratic Party will host a Next Generation Democrats Summit at ODP Headquarters, 340 E. Fulton St., Columbus. The event will serve as the kickoff for the party's Next Generation Democrats initiative, focusing on Ohio Democrats aged 18 to 35. The summit will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and will allow young Dems to learn more about voter outreach and volunteer organization. Invited guest include Governor Ted Strickland, Attorney General Richard Cordray, Treasurer Kevin L. Boyce, and many other statewide elected officials and candidates. Admission is free, and business casual attire is requested.

Following the summit, a mixer will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at a location to be determined. For more details or to RSVP, contact Scott Surovjak at scott.surovjak@ohiodems.org. You can also RSVP by visiting the event's Facebook page here.

The Next Generation Democrats is the Ohio Democratic Party's new Youth Caucus, coordinating efforts for young voter turnout in the 2010 elections.  The Ohio Young Democrats, the College Democrats of Ohio and the Ohio Young Black Democrats are all represented on the Next Gen Dems Advisory Council.

As the 2010 gubernatorial campaign heats up, it's important for Democrats to take on Republicans in every medium--newspapers, blogs and social networking sites. In order to build a team of grassroots online activists, OYD and the Ohio Democratic Party are working together to give young Democrats the tools and resources to be effective advocates for Governor Strickland and the Democratic ticket.

We're looking for volunteers to make a small commitment each week to help get the message out online. To learn more about this unique opportunity, email OYD communications director Christopher Kromer at kromercm@muohio.edu.

Mark Your Calendars

The Ohio Young Democrats Annual Convention will be in Downtown Cleveland on Saturday, April 10th.  The Convention will be 10am-4pm, followed by the OYD Recognition Dinner that evening.  Also, the Cuyahoga County Young Democrats are hosting a social on Friday, April 9th for all those who want to come up early!  Watch for more details soon!

Delivering his fourth annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly on Jan. 26, Governor Ted Strickland left no doubt that he believes in Ohio--its future, its workforce and its innovative solutions to global challenges.

"I believe in Ohio because Ohio will power the future," Strickland said, referring to the wide array of new energy jobs and advanced energy manufacturing projects currently sweeping across the state. "We are taking the vital next steps to advance our energy economy."

In addition to his vow to showcase Ohio's growing energy prowess to the rest of the nation, Strickland also promised to "move heaven and earth" to create jobs. Since 2007, the Strickland administration has reduced administrative red tape that discourages businesses from expanding or locating in Ohio, cut taxes every year, delivered job training to 140,000 Ohioans and created the lowest business tax structure in the Midwest. These crucial steps, combined with the administration's new "Insource Ohio" program, will help create new jobs for Ohioans and keep existing jobs in-state.

In his address, Strickland also held his ground on key funding for Ohio's schools. While other states have decided to reduce primary and secondary education funding, Strickland reiterated that such a step is not an option in the Buckeye state.

"In Ohio, we are not going backward on our schools," Strickland said firmly, before reminding those in attendance that the state increased school funding by 5.5% in the last budget. Tuition at Ohio's colleges and universities has also seen the lowest increases in the nation over the last three years.

In his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 27, President Barack Obama pledged his unwavering determination to help those Americans who are hurting most.

"These struggles are the reason I ran for president," Obama told members of the House and Senate, adding that he had "never been more hopeful" about America's future.

As America continues to emerge from the recession caused by Wall Street corruption and greed, Obama promised to do what was needed to create jobs, protect homeowners and ensure a prosperous future for all Americans.

"When I ran for President, I promised I wouldn't just do what is popular, I would do what is necessary," Obama said.

Much of Obama's hopeful message was aimed at America's young people. Obama spoke of expanding education reforms to all 50 states, passing a bill to revitalize the nation's community colleges and extending to families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college.

"In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education," said Obama.

The President is also seeking to relieve the financial burden of education by increasing Pell Grant funding, creating debt forgiveness schemes for student borrowers and eliminating student debt for graduates who work as public servants for ten years.

"No one should go broke because they chose to go to college," Obama declared.

The youth vote will be more important than ever in 2010. In recognition of this key demographic, ODP has created the Next Generation Democrats, led by Scott Surovjak. Here's a brief Q&A describing ODP's newest initiative.

1. Describe your new role with ODP.
In October of 2009 I was selected by the Ohio Democratic Party to direct Next Generation Democrats, a caucus that focuses specifically on engaging 18-35 year olds in the political process.  The main goal of the caucus this year is to continue the upward trend in young voter turnout for Democrats so that we can continue to elect candidates who are paying attention to issues that are most important to our demographic.

2. What are you must looking forward to in your new role?
In recent years the Ohio Democratic Party has had caucuses that focus on organizing and mobilizing certain groups.  Both the Women's Caucus and the LGBT Caucus have been active for a number of years and a number of other caucuses were utilized in 2008, but this is the first time that the Party has had a full-time position focused exclusively on engaging young people.  Starting a statewide project from the ground up has made each day an adventure as we work to open the political process and make it more accessible to young people.  I have loved traveling to big cities and small towns to help get young people involved and receiving letters, emails, and phone calls from young Democrats across the state who have questions or need assistance.  We're creating something in Ohio that will someday help engage young people across the country and I'm grateful to be along for the ride.

3. What can young Dems do to make a difference this year?
With the most important statewide elections of our adult lives just around the corner and over 2.7 million 18-35 year olds in Ohio who need to be registered, educated, and organized, there is no better time to be politically engaged.  Over the past three years, Democrats have made major investments to help young people gain access to healthcare, a quality education, a decent wage, and future in Ohio.  Democrats have fought for us.  Now it's time for us to fight for our state and our future.

4. How can Young Dems learn more about ODP's Next Generation Democrats?
Next Generation Democrats will be holding a statewide summit on Saturday, March 6th where we will share a number of ways to get involved throughout the year.  There are countless opportunities to help I hope you'll join us as we work to elect Democrats at all levels this November.  Please contact me at scott.surovjak@ohiodems.org to find out how you can get involved today.

Although Election Day is more than 8 months away, members of the Ohio University College Dems have already started working for Democratic victories in the Athens area. Members have begun phone banking and will soon begin canvassing and other campaign activities.

President Liz Clark says the importance of 2010 is one reason her chapter has started working so early.

"Young Dems have to be involved because it's critical that our voices are heard," said Clark. "There is a lot at stake this year and if young people don't vote and work for candidates we won't be a part of these important decisions."

To continue building momentum in 2010, the OU College Dems will sponsor a movie series and community service opportunities during this academic term. Other big events on the horizon include Relay for Life, a summer dinner fundraiser, a trip to our nation's capital and a special "Senior Sendoff."

Clark says the chapter's fourth annual date auction, held on Valentine's weekend, raised over $2,000. Most of the proceeds fund the chapter's Relay for Life efforts.

"Being a member of OUCD has been a great experience during my college years," said Clark. "I have learned a lot about policy and politics and working with elected officials. It is also great to be a part of a local political movement as a young person."

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