It’s Not an Election Year, but Democrats Are Busy!

Deb Melton

The Democratic Club of Quail Creek (DCQC) has been busy this winter with activities that benefit our community.

On the cold and frosty morning of Jan. 19, several members gathered with work gloves and trash bags and cleaned up debris and trash along Continental Road from the entrance to Quail Creek south for about a mile. Thirteen bags of trash were collected, along with a few boards, stakes, and a damaged sign. The group’s organizer Bill Foraker kept everyone moving along and took care of the trash collected. This is an ongoing activity that the Democratic Club of Quail Creek does every few months to improve our community and keep Continental Road trash-free.

On Jan. 21 the club held its annual meeting at the Kino Center to elect officers. Just under 100 people attended. Officers for 2023 are President John Murphy, Vice President Carol Smith, Treasurer Bob Barret, and Secretary Nancy Neely.

In addition to electing officers, Dave Gamrath presented an overview of the Hudbay Mining proposed expansion, followed by a lively discussion. This topic generated a lot of interest! Since the mine is nearly in our backyard, many Quail Creek residents are concerned about the environmental impact of expanding operations. Thanks to Dave, we now have more information about what’s happening and what we can do.

DCQC monthly meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month at 3 p.m. in the Mesquite Room. More information can be found on our new website at www.dcqc.page.

On Feb. 18, Dr. Cheree Meeks, president of the Tucson NAACP, will present their recommendations for bail bond reform. On any given day in the U.S., there are more than 450,000 people held in pretrial detention, making up 65% of the total jail population and costing American taxpayers $15 billion annually! These people are presumed innocent and have not been proven guilty of any crime. The practice requiring people charged, even with misdemeanors, to post a cash bail dates back to the 16th century and has been repeatedly shown to be ineffective in ensuring that people show up for court dates. There are numerous reasons that this system does not work and disproportionately impacts poor and minority groups. In addition, there are other remedies that have been shown to be more effective and equitable. The NAACP is sponsoring legislation to remedy this injustice. Join us on Feb. 18 to learn more about bail bond reform and why it is in all of our best interests to reform this medieval practice.

Women in Blue Luncheons is a popular monthly event sponsored by DCQC, and it seems to grow each month. January’s lunch was held at Wisdom’s Café in Tumacacori. Sometimes there is a guest speaker, but January’s luncheon was strictly a social event, a chance to get together just for fun!

The next Women in Blue luncheon will be at Mario McGee’s Pizza on Feb. 23 at noon. If you’d like to attend, please email Jeanne Buell at [email protected] before Feb. 19. And don’t forget to wear blue!