The 2025 May Day protests were held internationally on May 2025. Demonstrations are being held in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States. There were also protests in Manila and Taipei. In the United States, protests were organized as part of the 50501 movement.

Jay Obernolte and Tom Lackey held mobile office hours in Lake Arrowhead Thursday, 5/1. MBDC and other concerned citizens showed up to discuss Jays House votes that hurt his constituents. Concerns ranged from Medicaid, forest logging, education, immigrants in concentration camps, Jay’s basic kissing the ring of Trump and basic disregard for THE RULE OF LAW and our CONSTITUTION.

Jay did NOT show up!

Based on the available information, here’s a breakdown of Jay Obernolte’s votes and positions related to benefit cuts in 2025:

Votes on Budget Proposals:

• Obernolte voted for the House GOP budget bill, which has been criticized for potentially leading to cuts in social safety net programs like Medicaid. This bill proposes significant cuts to programs under the purview of several House committees.
• These proposed cuts include: $238 billion over nine years to programs within the House Committee on Agriculture (including SNAP), $330 billion over nine years for the House Education and Workforce Committee (which oversees child nutrition), and $880 billion over nine years for the Energy and Commerce Committee (which oversees Medicaid). 

Name: Seta Ghazarian
Running For: California Democratic Party Region 11 Director
Election Date: May 31, 2025
Where to Vote: Anaheim at the CADEM Convention (only Region 11 delegates can participate)
Summary of Candidacy: My name is Seta Ghazarian, and I am honored to be running for re-election as Region 11 Director in the California Democratic Party. It has been a privilege to serve in this role for the past two years, and I am eager to continue the work. With 23 years of experience as a high school teacher, I engage daily with the next generation of voters—listening to their concerns, understanding their hopes, and helping them find their voices. I also advise the Hesperia High School Democrats, working to ensure that young people have a seat at the table and a say in the future of our party. Beyond the classroom, I am a proud union member, serving as a site representative and formerly as a PAC Chair. My work in labor organizing, along with my leadership as Founder and Lead Organizer of the High Desert Resistance (2017–2019) and as the Current and Past President (2019–2023) of the High Desert Progressive Democrats, has equipped me with the experience, dedication, and strategic vision to continue leading as Region 11 Director.  
In my first term as Regional Director, I prioritized increasing participation in the ADEM election process and expanding access to critical party information. By leveraging technology, launching regional social media pages, creating a dedicated website, and implementing an email marketing system, I ensured that every delegate and club president received timely and transparent updates. I also made it a priority to be present for our communities—driving thousands of miles between the two major population hubs in our region, the Antelope Valley and the Victor Valley, while also visiting the mountain communities and rural areas. Looking ahead, I plan to build on this momentum by continuing to offer support, guidance, and resources that empower our region’s Democrats, such as original informational sessions like the popular “So You Wanna Be a Delegate?” Zooms I hosted this past winter.
Thank you for your time and consideration. 
Links:
– Website: https://setaghazarian.com
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seta4cdp11
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seta4cdp11/

Thank you Crestline MBDC member Carrie Forbear for her Community Service Spring Fling and Fundraiser.

Our Crest Forest Senior Citizen club has been providing Nutritional lunches twice a week for over 15 years now to the less fortunate older folks on the mountain ~ and MANY classes to get them out of their houses and socializing so depression doesn’t set in . In addition , we provide a 4 days a week program for all the physically and mentally challenged adults to grow in their skills .  It’s a really fun adult event for the WHOLE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY TO ATTEND !  Trust me ~ it’s all going to a truly special bunch of people that are going to be “at risk”  with all the recent cutbacks we are seeing coming our way !!! Carrie Forbear

50501 Jay Obernolte’s Protest

April 5th, 2025.  Susan M Lovell, Ph.D.

 In spite of the “reason for” the event, there was an excited, hopeful, even joyous energy in the air, as a large crowd of citizens gathered, with persons of all ages, some bringing their kids and pups, whose laughter and happy barks added to the cheerful melee…

 We had all gathered on this comfortable, sunny Spring day in the front plaza of Jay Obernolte’s office in Hesperia, joining together in concert with similar “ 50501” Protests all over our nation scheduled for this day.  As our Congressman for District 23, Mr. Obernolte was not present for this non-violent Protest.  With chants of “Shame on Jay”, “Si se puedes, “Change it or Lose it” and “Resist,Reform,RECLAIM”, many political organizers and federal workers spoke to us about the various ways the Executive branch, led by Trump, Elon Musk, and their minions, have attempted to “dismantle the administrative state”, words they spoke years ago. Through destructive, cruel, illegal and self aggrandizing “executive orders”, our country has been thrown into economic, societal, and political chaos, with ramifications resounding throughout the world.  

Derek Marshall, one of the first speakers, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the last two elections, lost by a much narrow margin in his second run.  He is now running for one of two City Council seats for the city of Victorville, and his words focused on the meaning and value of citizens protests.  

  He described three ways in which protests are important. First, enabling citizens to build community with each other in efforts and actions to save our democracy.  Secondly, he emphasized the necessity of saving the economy of our nation before it becomes ruined and pulled into recession or even a fiscal depression.  The third value of protests he asserted, is to protect, maintain, and rescue our many federal institutions we depend on and which provide critical services for us.  The destruction, downsizing or elimination of these agencies, which is happening now, could be the downfall of our society as we know it, and move us toward authoritarianism. All of these reasons depend on Action!

  Protest members spoke about the danger to our national forests, parks, and public land such as the B.L.M., U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as moving Wild-lands Fire Fighting Force to another agency.  Reggie Cervantes addressed the cuts to Social Security and our Veterans’ benefits, and quoted the need to stop the 22 Veterans per day who commit suicide with more, not less, mental health care.  Manny Gonzales, an Agent Orange poisoned and disabled Vet, spoke of his father, grandfather, and his Native American great-grandfather, and their trials through the years, and why Veterans support is so essential.

  One teacher for 30 years, Sherry Walsh, mourned the potential loss of the Department of Education, how 2 MAGA persons joined the Redlands school board and are busy banning books on Gay Pride and preventing students who wish to “come out” privately cannot do so without parental notification.   She also shared the story of her son-in-law, working for USAID, who was put on “administrative leave” recently, in the Dominican Republic and cannot leave until this June!

  And another speaker, Sue Ferguson, whose daughter, working for USAID was also the object of a “RIF” order, talked about how that agency costs taxpayers only about $36.00 a year, and the loss of valuable help to our international families all over the globe whom we support with food and medical care through this agency, by its diminishment. 

  A gentleman, Evan Alonzo, spoke as a Teamsters steward for the importance of unions, and as a Public Works Environmental Inspector in Lake Arrowhead, addressed the simple yet essential desire of all workers: fairness in pay, healthcare, respect for their work, and good working conditions.

  Many other speakers such as “Ruth”emphasized issues such as the horror in Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli government and U.S. armament support, after the Hamas attack, and the 63,000 Palestinian orphans whose parents were killed in the conflict and the 232 journalists she said had also been killed.

  A strong Protest, we came away with ideas for action, new information, increased personal empathy for our federal workers, and re-ignited for Action! Call Obernolte and Complain!!