It is unfortunate that The Leader neglected to interview any of the progressive members of the Jefferson County Democrats for the Dec. 12 article “County Democrats re-elect Gilmore as chair, focus on local issues.” The members interviewed gave, at best, an incomplete picture of the state of the local Democratic Party. Success does require teamwork, that’s true. But teamwork requires a willingness to actually listen to each other. At the same meeting where Mr. Gilmore was re-elected chair, I reached out to another member, kindly asking them to email her so they could work together on a project. That member recoiled had to be talked down by Ms. Moss-Vettica. A progressive member was repeatedly booed by others in the JCD simply for making motions according to Robert’s Rules of Order. This is not an uncommon occurrence. What was has been missing in the previous two years has been a collegial tone. Unfortunately, the JCD has approved of leadership that has allowed bad feelings to fester. There is no open attempt at dialogue. That’s not a very effective method of bringing the passion and ideas of newer members into the mix. Which is a shame, because the newer members have brought not just passion, but an eagerness to tackle many issues, including but not limited to disability access to the meetings, work toward single-payer healthcare, and a strong emphasis on grassroots organizing. In the future, it might be a good idea if The Leader could reach out to members of the JCD Progressive caucus for a more rounded view of what’s happening in our local Democratic Party. BETHEL PRESCOTT Irondale