Parts of Marie’s speech as quoted in the Lake County Record Bee, published April 7, 2025
‘LAKEPORT >> Punching above their weight, the local version of the nationwide women’s march (which included significant male support this year) loudly proclaimed discontent with the state of the nation’s policy, as some contend it is flailing wildly. The crowd urged a retargeted strike to inflict genuine national blows to the body politic Saturday afternoon.
The Lake County Democratic Party along with the 50501 movement (50 protests in 50 states on one day) coalesced around kitchen table issues they believe bring genuine prosperity to Main Street America rather than channeling the country’s abundance to the corporate suites. Nearly 600 people descended on Museum Park Saturday. Co-organizer Marie Schrader explained she wants the public to know how many times people on social media try to correct her, saying, ‘it’s not affecting you.’ However, she alerted the crowds jamming Museum Park, how the new administration in Washington D.C. is affecting everyone.
“There is something called a forest reserve grant, one half goes to schools, since being close to a national forest, one half of the grant goes to the general fund, we use (funds) for roads, $460,000, but it’s gone, cut (by the federal government),” she said. “We have a project here in Lakeport, $850,000 is supposed to go to fix the South Main Street problem. We do not have a water main on South Main, not for Mendo Mill or Hillside Honda. Mendo Mill has sprinklers, but they don’t work, because there’s no water pressure since the money is gone and we’ll not see that project.”
She went on to state that that the National Weather Service in Eureka, where Lake County receives its weather forecasts from, is slated to be closed. “They closed the Health and Human Services’ Office in San Francisco, our regional office,” she said. “And that will affect anyone who has engaged with HHS previously, Additionally, federal library funds, some of which is used in county, has been cut. These monies covered free access to major publications as the New York Times as well as talking books for the visually impaired.”
The Board of Supervisors is working for the residents, writing numerous letters to combat the cuts, efforts which will be further discussed Tuesday. “We need to pressure Congress, we need to get them out of Tesla, (Elon Musk’s company) and to drop Tesla,” Schrader said. “We need to pressure them, so text; we’re for unions- and check your pension plan, to see if they’re defecting.”’