Progressive Democrat Issue 67: THOUGHTS

Well, Bush sure messed up with the ports deal. Even his own party didn't like the idea of outsourcing our ports. Come on, Bush. Our ports are a national resource. Our trade and our security depend on them. Can't America take care of its own ports?

Honestly, when I found out New York's port was being run by a British company I found it disturbing. But the sale to Dubai seemed even worse simply because the United Arab Emirates have been one of the nations with the closest ties to groups like the Taliban and is, next to Saudi Arabia, one of the nations where the most support for al Qaeda comes from. Having our ports run by ANY foreign nation is bad enough. But having them run by a nation that has ties with people we are at war with seems particularly disturbing.

Bush has tried to spin it as a racial discrimination issue, that people are objecting because of prejudice against Muslims. Well, I suspect that this is true in some cases...Americans are sadly prejudice against Muslims. I have heard countless examples well BEFORE 9/11. I remember one experience in Texas in the 1980's when I overheard a conversation where one person was discussing how awful Islam is and that it is the worship of man. His evidence for this was that ALLAH must stand for "Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm, Head" and thus meant worship of man. He was so proud of his “discovery.” I was flabbergasted at his utter ignorance. But I am sure his ignorance and prejudice is not unique. Too many Americans have probably never met a non-Christian.

But to claim that the opposition to the ports deal was only due to prejudice is simply false. Simply put, America should be running its own ports and NOT outsourcing it to ANY nation. Are we going to sell our army bases to the lowest bidder to run? Would that make sense? It is an embarrassment that we cannot run our own ports! Why is Bush so confused by that?

But there is something I want to mention that few people will have noticed. This last week, finally, a noted Republican economist basically disowned the entire Bush economic policy as irresponsible and came right out and said that the economy was better under Clinton’s policies than under Bush. This economist, Bruce Bartlett, was a domestic policy adviser to President Ronald Reagan and was a treasury official under President George H.W. Bush. So we aren’t talking a maverick here. We are talking a solid, supply-side Republican. And yet his disgust at George W. Bush overflowed this week, leading to some very interesting commentary.

I get this from My Left Wing:

Bartlett's previous employer - a conservative think tank - fired him because Bartlett's anti-Bush views were making it difficult for the think tank to raise money. Below are some of Bartlett's observations about the current Bush expansion. Something you will immediately notice is Bartlett likes facts, making him anathema to current Republican leadership.
The following appeared in a column on Marc 6 titled What Bush Boom?

One of the main criticisms I have received from friends on the right about my new book, "Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy," is that it ignores an important point -- that Mr. Bush's tax cuts have been so good that they in effect compensate for or excuse his huge increases in spending and other anti-free market policies.
When I ask what was so great about the tax cuts, they point to the "booming" economy. I have yet to hear any other evidence offered.
Let's look at the record in the standard way economists do, starting from the trough of the last recession in November 2001. Since that time we see these results, through the latest data:
Real gross domestic product: Up 13.5 percent
Real gross private domestic investment: Up 32.3 percent
Payroll employment: Up 2.8 percent
Standard & Poor's Index: Up 13.9 percent
Viewed in isolation, these numbers seem impressive enough. But without context, they really tell us nothing. To provide such context, I looked at these same statistics over the same time period from the end of the previous recession, which ended in March 1991, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. This is what we see:
Real gross domestic product: Up 13.25 percent
Real gross private domestic investment: Up 43 percent
Payroll employment: Up 7.7 percent
Standard & Poor's Index: Up 45 percent
Thus we see that real G.D.P. is very slightly higher, but all the other numbers are substantially worse in this expansion compared to the last one. And it is worth remembering that taxes were not cut at all during that business cycle but were, in fact, raised twice. George H.W. Bush raised taxes as part of the 1990 budget deal and Bill Clinton raised taxes substantially in 1993, shortly after taking office. The hallmark of both tax increases was an increase in the top tax rate -- considered anathema by supply-side economists -- which went from 28 percent at the end of the Reagan administration to 39.6 percent during the Clinton years.

So, a Republican economist admits that Clinton's economy was better in terms of job growth, domestic investment and stock market performance EVEN THOUGH Clinton raised taxes. So let’s face facts. Bush’s popularity has fallen through the floor. He is one of the least popular presidents in American history. The hatred of him felt by the left is through the roof. And experts within his own party are starting to abandon him is utter disgust. Bruce Bartlett, welcome to reality. You are stating something that many of us on the left figured out years ago. But I am glad to see that some die hard Republicans are finally figuring it out.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: MEDIA ACTIVISM

There are an increasing number of efforts to boycott/pressure advertisers to pull their ads from right wing programs where lies, hatemongering and advocacy of violence are common. One such attempt has been aimed at Insure.com, owned by Quotesmith.  Quotesmith not only advertises on Bill O’Reilly’s show, but avidly defends his every word when confronted by complaints. Quotesmith, for its defense of O’Reilly, deserves to be boycotted and pressured in every way.

With some pushing from us, this could be another success like the Sinclair boycott. But we need to keep at it and we need to be as persistent and creative as we were for the Sinclair boycott. Remember, each victory we have will make future victories easier.

Why target a sponsor of Bill O’Reilly? I explain several reasons why O’Reilly is particularly odious in an earlier diary. Please refer to that diary for more detail. You can also find out more information at Ad Nausea and at Media Matters. Understand, that I pick targets for boycotts and lobbying not based on my disagreement with them. I pick them based on lies, racial slurs and advocacy of violence. I target Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly and the like, not people like Lou Dobbs who I may disagree with but who at least shows some sanity and restraint.

What to do about Insure.com? Well, I propose a three-pronged strategy. First, directly confront them by declaring a boycott. Second, put pressure on them through the investment community. Third, get creative…see below.

BOYCOTT:

Don’t buy insurance from Insure.com and write the officers of the company telling them that because of their sponsorship and defense of O’Reilly’s hate-mongering, lies and advocacy of violence (see resources above for more details), you are boycotting Insure.com, are contacting your broker and mutual fund companies to make sure you own no stock in them, and are spreading the word on this boycott. Here are the people to contact:

Eric Bergquist
Chief Information Officer
ebergquist@insure.com

Robert S. Bland, CLU
Chairman and Founder
bob@insure.com

Phillip Perillo
Chief Financial Officer
pperillo@insure.com

William V. Thoms
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Director
bthoms@insure.com

INVESTOR PRESSURE:

Contact your broker and mutual fund companies and tell them that you hear that a boycott has been called on Quotesmith because of their support of right wing commentators who advocate and threaten violence. Express your concern that you might hold shares of their stock and want to dump that stock before the boycott takes hold. When we did this for Sinclair, my broker said that there was indeed a buzz about a boycott of Sinclair and that many people were concerned that it would affect the stock. The stock did tank shortly after, though later recovered. The net effect was that the Sinclair program we were boycotting over (a pack of lies about Kerry) was pulled and a much tamer piece put in its place. We sent a message when we did this to Sinclair. Some people even went so far as to short the Sinclair stock and made money off it. I won’t advocate this because it is risky financially. But more power to those who do it! Let’s send a second message by doing the same thing to Quotesmith. Contact your investment advisors, mutual fund companies, 401K companies, etc and express your desire to get out of Quotesmith. Write even if you have an indexed fund (which has no choice in what to invest in). The point is to create a stir like we created over Sinclair.

CREATIVE APPROACHES:

Send a message in a way that will gain some attention but also will benefit the progressive cause in other ways. This way, even if Quotesmith doesn’t budge, we still are thumbing our noses at them in an effective way.

Send one of the corporate officers of Insure.com (listed above) a gift subscription to Salon.com or to Media Matters. This sends the message that you think they are backing the wrong horse, gives them the opportunity to see the other side (if they choose to) and supports some good organizations.

Since the Chairman and Founder is quite anti-Choice, you could also donate to NARAL in his name.

A combination of these three methods, if enough of us do it, could send a message not just to Quotesmith, but to Bill O’Reilly and to all businesses. Building on the Sinclair victory, we need to do more of this to ensure that companies start listening to us as well as to the right.

Please feel free to add suggestions for actions. Of course, nothing illegal or anything like that. Merely good old fashioned American progressive activism.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: INTERNATIONAL ACTION

KIVA microlending Update II: Integrated Internet Development Policy Revisited

In the last issue, I reintroduced KIVA and showed how 1.) what they do really can help create successful small businesses in East Africa and how those businesses help the community in which they exist, and 2.) how our efforts on the blogsphere have helped KIVA become so successful that they cannot keep up with the outpouring of help. But they are also bringing on the businesses in need of loans faster than ever, so jeep checking back. Congratulations to all who are making this such a success.

In this diary I want to reiterate the context in which KIVA works and how we also have to help that context. This will partly be a reiteration of diaries I have written before, explaining why I am calling for an “integrated” approach to development that we in the blogsphere can participate in. This is my vision of how you and I  can change the world from the bottom up.

KIVA works to create small businesses in developing nations so that those small businesses can be the foundations of stable economies. But the areas that we are talking about are facing massive problems: considerable environmental degradation, lack of education, economic exploitation by the developed world, etc. And currently there is also massive famine. Within this negative context, I question the value of KIVA’s approach. Can the small businesses they help survive long term within such a negative context?

The solution is not to give up. Nor is it to hope the UN and governments of developed nations will come to the rescue. The efforts of the UN and developed nations have mostly simply put developing nations deeper into debt and profited mainly big corporations. This is not to say that the UN and developed world have done nothing. But their approach has too often been inappropriate and ill timed. I propose a grassroots approach where regular people like you and me help through small scale efforts to improve the context within which groups like KIVA operate. You and I, but pooling our efforts, can  help the environment, the role of women, the education and the availability of food without having to hope that George Bush suddenly decides Africa is worth helping.

My proposal is this: a coordinated effort by the progressive blogsphere that will focus on several interconnected issues with a view towards REGIONAL and COMMUNITY based development. I have been proposing the target area of Uganda/Kenya/Tanzania (roughly the Rift Valley/Lakes region of East Africa) as a trial run for this idea because of the critical environmental issues, the presence of excellent groups like Kiva, and the fact that these nations are just stable enough have a chance for becoming actually prosperous if the immediate crises can be survived.

Here I cover ways we can help deal with the famine, environmental issues (including population control), women's rights, education and economic development (focusing on small businesses, the bedrock of any healthy economy). Pick your favorite issue and PLEASE act upon it in a big way. If we ACT, we will make a difference.

An outline of my proposal:

1. Dealing with the immediate famine: East Africa needs food. Now. That cannot be ignored. The scale of the famine is huge and so far is not being addressed by the international community anywhere near adequately. The only way they will get it is if human beings from all over the world, including us, help them out. You and I can start by helping to get East Africa food aid. A donation to Oxfam is probably the best thing you can do to help East Africa in its most immediate crisis.

2. Dealing with the environmental root causes of drought and famine: What are the root causes of this famine? People can point to several. But fundamentally there are some fundamental problems that quite simply trump all other root causes. Currently Africa is facing, simultaneously, a rapid decline of its fresh water lakes, a rapid decline in its forests, and a rapid increase in population. The combination creates an environmental situation that inevitably will lead to more and more droughts and hence to more and more famines. These environmental issues are on all levels the most important long-term issues that need to be addressed. No economic development plan, no food aid, no political changes from within can end African instability if these environmental crises are not addressed. These African environmental issues are also part of a global trend. The entire WORLD is facing a decline in fresh water sources, decline in forests and increased population and these trends are leading to wars, famines, and global warming.

Across the globe, one of the most destabilizing factors in any society's history, be it Japan or Haiti or Kenya, is deforestation. Sane forest management, after economic problems caused by deforestation, is one of the secrets of Japan's success. Bangladesh, on the other hand, faces an annual cycle of devastating floods followed by devastating droughts because of deforestation in the Himalayas. The theme of the devastating effects of deforestation and the benefits of forest management and reforestation recurs often in Jared Diamond's book Collapse though it is also obvious to anyone familiar with the problems of a nation like Bangladesh. Diamond simply argues it more formally and globally than I have heard before. And, of course, deforestation is also one of the factors contributing to global warming. One of the most important thing that any human being can do to help Africa as well as the world is to contribute to forest management and/or reforestation.

The NY Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has three programs trying to preserve the forests, lakes and wildlife of East Africa. Their focus is on BOTH the environment and the human populations in the area, integrating the economic and social needs of communities with the needs of the environment. One program focuses on preserving the entire regional environment in Albertine Rift region of Africa, mostly centered on Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo. This is one of the most critically threatened regions of Africa's environment. Preservation of this region is critical for the economy and freshwater supply of the region, the ecotourism industry of the region, and for preservation of the world's forests as a buffer for global warming. I strongly urge a donation to the WCS Albertine Rift Program. A second program focues on the preserving the Uganda environment in particular. The third program focuses on preserving the entire habitat of the mountain gorilla, an effort that includes some of the East African environment that provides the watershed for the nations we are focusing on. I include this program partly because it covers some of the same environmental regions as the other two programs, but also because the preservation of the Mountain Gorilla is another of my pet projects. So this is an opportunity to urge people to help two of my pet projects: helping East Africa and saving the Mountain Gorilla.

Overpopulation is also a global problem, as many pointed out in the diary on Daily Kos discussing the politics of African famines. We are all familiar with Planned Parenthood, which addresses BOTH population issues and issues of women's reproductive rights and health. To those who view Africa's and the world's problems as primarily a population issue, Planned Parenthood's International organization will be of considerable interest to you. But this concatenation of population and women's issues leads to my next section.

3. Women's Rights: One of the most important measures of development is the place of women in society. As a first approximation, women's rights go along with development. A more equal role of women in society seems to correlate well with improvements in health, education and prosperity. The equation is not simple, but women's rights are, in my view, an integral part of stable, sustainable development. Furthermore, in addition to access to family planning services (see above for International Planned Parenthood Federation for this), the best means for controlling population increase is through women's literacy and economic empowerment.

So, I want to highlight some groups in East Africa that are addressing women's rights. The Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) is an advocacy and lobbying coalition of National Women's NGOs, institutions and individuals in Uganda, founded in 1993. UWONET was born out of the East African Women's Conference held in Kampala in 1993. Their aim to "engender policies, laws and programmes, structures and processes in order to address the needs of both women and men leading to the achievement of gender equity and equality." In Tanzania, Kivulini Women's Rights Organization is a registered Non-Governmental Organization based in Mwanza, Tanzania. In Kiswahili, Kivulini means "in the shade." The word implies a place under the tree where people discuss and support each other.

4. Education: Education is one of the most important aspect of any individual person's or any society's formula for success. In East Africa, education is not free. School fees prevent many individuals from getting even a basic education. Girls, in particular, are poorly served by education in Africa. You can help sponsor the secondary school education for a child in Kenya or Tanzania, though in this case you have to send a check to the Canadian Harambee Education Society. Find out more on their website.

5. Fair Trade Export Economy: In addition to small business that are the foundation of the local economy, we need to help the developing world enter the global economy not just as exploited victims, but as partners in fair trade. This movement is still in its infancy, and there are not many products that you can purchase from East Africa through fair trade. But there are some. Here are a handful of products you can purchase that are fair trade and will help the economy of East Africa:

Fair Trade Coffee from Ugaqnda. Most of us love coffee. Why not use your addiction to help out farmers in Uganda?

Fair Trade baskets from two companies in Uganda. Very beautiful looking items, if you are into baskets.

How about cool handicrafts from several companies in Kenya? All fair trade, these companies sell items like sculptures, jewelry and drums.

And there are a couple of handicrafts companies in Tanzania as well selling fair trade items.

Finally, SERRV International has wonderful fair trade items from around the world, including many from East Africa. Baskets, coffee, tea, nuts, musical instruments, jewelry, etc. from cooperatives around the world. Great company!

Thank you to all who are joining me in making a difference.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION IN FLORIDA

While a former focus of my anti-Corruption campaign, Randy Cunningham of California, has received an 8-year term for his corruption, the latest in the long litany of corrupt Republicans is none other than the woman who stole 2000 for the Bush family and condemned America to the lousy leadership we currently have: Katherine Harris, former Florida Secretary of State, Congressional Rep. From FL-13, and current candidate for Senate. In addition to being at the center of the 2000 political fiasco, Katherine Harris is also caught up in the same Republican corruption that has brought down Randy Cunningham (R-CA) and Tom DeLay (R-TX) and which is threatening to bring down Bob Ney (R-OH).

As reported in the Washington Post:

Washington defense contractor Mitchell J. Wade admitted yesterday in federal court that he attempted to illegally influence Defense Department contracting officials and tried to curry favor with two House members, in addition to lavishing more than $1 million in cash, cars, a boat, antiques and other bribes on convicted Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.).

The new admissions, including details that identify Reps. Virgil H. Goode Jr. (R-Va.) and Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) as recipients of illegal campaign contributions, are contained in Wade's agreement to plead guilty to four criminal charges stemming from his role in the Cunningham probe. The congressman resigned after pleading guilty in November to taking $2.4 million in bribes from Wade and others in return for steering federal funds and contracts their way…

The member identifiable as Harris received $32,000 in illegal donations from Wade and his employees in 2004. Documents filed with Wade's plea say that he took Harris to dinner early last year, where they discussed the possibility of another fundraiser and the possibility of getting funding for a Navy counterintelligence program in the member's district. One source familiar with the inquiry said Harris made such a request for funding, but it was not granted.

Will Katherine Harris follow Randy Cunningham’s lead and resign? Probably not. Needless to say, Jan Schneider, the once and future Democratic candidate for Harris’ FL-13 seat , is jumping on Harris’ corruption and making the Republican culture of corruption a focal point of her campaign. And rightly so! Democrats have to a.) distinguish themselves from the corruption of the Republicans, and b.) make Republican corruption a major issue in 2006.

From Jan Schneider’s campaign:

Overall, according to FEC records, in the 2004 election cycle, Harris appears to have received $50,000 from MZM. This includes $10,000 from the MZM PAC and an additional $40,000 from MZM employees (with 14 checks for $2,000 each written the same day, March 23, 2004). The employees later claimed that their individual contributions were coerced, but Harris declined to return them.

But the corruption tainting the Harris race against Schneider runs far deeper. In 2004, Harris imported three members of Congress to assist in her campaigning and fundraising against Schneider: former Congressman Randy ("Duke") Cunningham, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and suspect Congressman Bob Ney. The efforts of these individuals met with considerable success and were instrumental in helping her accumulate the $3.5 million warchest Harris spent against Schneider.

1. Duke Cunningham. With great fanfare, Cunningham (R-CA) came to Sarasota to lend his name and prestige to Harris in a veterans' forum. Congressman Cunningham resigned after pleading guilty to fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery and tax evasion. In the charges against Cunningham, the man identified as "Co-conspirator #2" is none other than former defense contractor Wade.

As already mentioned, in last the 2003-04 election cycle, Harris received $50,000 from MZM-related sources. Cunningham's own PAC kicked in another $1,000, bringing the total to $51,000.

2. Tom DeLay. When Majority Leader DeLay (R-TX) was indicted on charges of violating election laws on September 28, 2005, Congresswoman Harris lost another key political ally. Harris was the keynote speaker at the 2002 fundraiser that is central to the charges, and that same day received a $1000 campaign contribution from the Executive Director of the sponsoring TRMPAC. Shortly thereafter Delay came to Sarasota for a fundraiser for Harris.

In addition to the Delay fundraising help and $1,000 from the TRMPAC executive, Harris also received $20,000 from Americans for a Republican Majority. AMRPAC, another political action committee created by DeLay, gave Harris $10,000 for each of her 2002 and 2004 Congressional campaigns.

3. Bob Ney...The third member of the trio, Ney (R-OH), also traveled to Florida, in September 2004, to support Harris. Ney has himself been scandal-ridden in recent months, including being embroiled in DeLay legal battles.

On November 21, 2005, Michael Scanlon, a Washington lobbyist and former aide to Delay, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bribery. Court papers say he and another lobbyist, believed to be Jack Abramoff, bribed a number of public officials, including one identified as "Representative No. 1." Ney has admitted that this reference is to him. While Ney is still under investigation and has not yet been indicted, it is already clear that he received numerous favors from the Abramoff connection (including campaign contributions, lavish dinners at a restaurant owned by the lobbyist and a golfing trip to Scotland).

Either Katherine Harris is a dumb pawn in the Republican game of looting America, or she is as corrupt as the already indicted DeLay and Cunningham.

For more information on Tom DeLay’s corruption, click here and here.

For more information on Randy Cunningham’s corruption, click here.

For more information on Bob Ney’s corruption (as well as the corruption of Ohio’s Republican party in general), click here.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: NY STATE FOCUS

Take Action to Level the Playing Field in NYS Elections

Reform of NY State politics is critical. Here is a step in the right direction. From Common Cause:

On Monday, March 6th, Common Cause/NY released a comprehensive new study on the cost of elections in New York State entitled, The $2,100 Club: What New York State Campaigns Cost, How Much Those Costs are Rising and Who's Footing the Bill.

You can download the full report here.

Our report highlighted some disturbing facts: Campaigns in New York are expensive and getting more so every year. The cost of a winning gubernatorial campaign has almost quadrupled since 1986, and has actually increased eight-fold since 1990. And it's not average New Yorkers who are funding these campaigns. In fact, less than 1% of New Yorkers made a direct campaign contribution in the 2004 legislative election cycle. Even more astonishing is that over 55% of the campaign contributions made by individuals in New York would have been illegal on the federal level because they came in for amounts exceeding the federal individual contribution limit of $2,100.

The rising cost of campaigns is driven mostly by the usual suspects - in 2002 the two greatest categories of expenses in the gubernatorial race were TV and radio ads - but our report also highlighted some unusual suspects. In the 2004 legislative elections, payments in the nebulous "other" category represented the single greatest expense for candidates.

This fact points to the pervasive practice of state-level candidates using their campaign funds for things that stretch the definition of "campaign expense" beyond any plausible limit. For example, we found that Senator Marty Connor spent over $70,000 of his campaign funds on purchases related to a car that he also bought with campaign funds.

The fact that campaigns in our state are being financed by a combination of special interests and an elite group of individuals who are able to give in amounts that far exceed the ability of most New Yorkers should give pause to any New Yorker who cares about democracy in our state. Furthermore, the fact that candidates are able to exploit our weak laws and spend campaign funds on personal uses allows special interests to make an end-run around our gift restrictions and support the lifestyles of candidates.

It's time to take action. Please email Senator Majority Leader Joseph Bruno at bruno@senate.state.ny.us and Assembly Speaker Silver at speaker@assembly.state.ny.us to let them know that a total overhaul of our campaign finance laws must be a priority for our state this year.

Reforms that lawmakers should embrace include, among other things, a ban on soft money, a reduction in New York's sky-high contribution limits, a ban on candidates putting campaign contributions to personal use and public financing of elections. Please review our report and take action by emailing the legislative leaders today!

Thank you for all you do for Common Cause in New York!

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: NYC FOCUS

KEEP ELECTRONIC VOTING OUT OF NYC:

URGENT ACTION TO PRESERVE OUR VOTING RIGHTS

Help PASS City Council Resolution 131, urging selection of PBOS.

Just contact four Council members with the information below. That’s all we're asking.

Message from Wheresthepaper's Teresa: PBOS voting systems have been used for 20 years - they are time-tested, reliable, cost less, and retain local public bipartisan control of elections. DREs have a history of failures during elections, cost overruns as high as 1000%, loss of votes cast in minority languages, and reporting more ballots than voters. DREs require privatization of elections because DREs use secret software -- our Board of Elections would have to turn over our elections to vendors because vendors are the only ones who know how to service and program their own equipment.

Who to call, fax, email, and send letters:
Sample letters you can cut and paste: http://www.wheresthepaper.org/ny.html#whattodoNYC

1./ Speaker of the City Council Christine Quinn: Please co-sponsor Resolution 131, and use the power of the Speaker's office to pass it ASAP.
Speaker Christine Quinn, The Speaker's Office, City Hall, New York, NY 10007
Office (212) 788-7210, Fax (212) 788-7207, quinn@council.nyc.ny.us

2./ Chair of the Governmental Operations Committee, Simcha Felder: Please co-sponsor Resolution 131, and to use the power of your committee to pass it ASAP.
Council Member Simcha Felder, 4424 16th Ave., Brooklyn NY 11204
Office (718) 853-2704, Fax (718) 853-3858, felder@council.nyc.ny.us

3. Lead Sponsor of Resolution 131 Charles Barron: Thank you for introducing Resolution 131. Please act to get it passed ASAP.
Council Member Charles Barron, City Hall, New York NY 10007
Office (718) 649-9495, Fax (718) 649-3111, barron@council.nyc.ny.us

4. Your Own Council Member: Please co-sponsor Resolution 131, and do everything in your power to get it passed ASAP. Find your Council Member: www.lwvnyc.org/TRY_find.html

Always include your name, address and phone number.

Want us to send your letters for you?
Please send your name, address and phone to- admin@wheresthepaper.org
If the link doesn’t work, you may have to cut-and-paste this email address.
Your info will be used only to send letters on your behalf.

More info:
Where's the Paper
New York Verified Voting


THE SITUATION
DRE technology has been notoriously unreliable. It also is not transparent so that, ultimately, there is no public way to check the accuracy of an election. Finally, they are vastly more expensive thab PBOS The Democratic Party leadership has been strangely neutral and mute. WHY??? We have to wake them up before we find our elections privatized and our rights controlled by a company whose CEO is a biased Republican.

Suggestions to better safeguard and amend our regulations have twice been ignored. Trying a third time, with no sign that the State Board of Elections is serious about testing equipment. Reading through, the law seems more about limiting vendor liability than about accurate and verifiable elections.

If our elections are not accurate and verifiable, we are NOT a democracy.

PBOS is a far better solution for counting the votes electronically, with less cost and less risk. It is established technology, transparent and ultimately verifiable. However, all electronics need safeguards. In other states, partisan election boards have blocked verification of PBOS elections. However, those elections are STILL ultimately verifiable if the political will was there. DRE elections are NOT ultimately verifiable because the software is proprietary and the elections run by company employees, not by the public.

Many recent articles have been written about Albany dysfunction and the Department of Justice fines over the state’s non-compliance with HAVA. However, many states are finding HAVA an underfunded mandate. HAVE funding WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF DRE MACHINES.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: BROOKLYN/QUEENS GROUPS AND EVENTS

ALL NYC:

Lobby for Quality Education
Tue, 03/14/2006 - 6:00am

Parents and others concerned about public school education may want to join PTAs, Education Advocacy Groups, the United Federation of Teachers and others lobbying our elected legislators in Albany, NY on Tuesday, March 14, 2006.

Free buses will leave from all five boroughs early in the morning for this all-day effort.

The United Parents Associations has voted to join the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council, Class Size Matters classsizematters.org, the Alliance for Quality Education aqeny.org, Presidents Councils from Districts 1, 2, 3, 30 and HS Region 6. (Presidents' councils are the organization of PTA presidents in a NYC school district) and other groups, in the first ever independent (not sponsored by NYC) Lobby Day.

Reserve a seat on the bus by emailing your name, school, district; region; borough; & phone number to cpac.lobbyday-at-yahoo.com (replace -at- with @). Also please copy Class Size Matters at leonie-at-att.net (replace -at- with @). Flyers as well as position papers will be available soon, on issues ranging from high-stakes testing, charter schools, and governance reform, to CFE and accountability, and class size!
Those interested who cannot attend can participate by lobbying their Assembly members and State Senators in their district offices.

Men of Color: Sexual Health & HIV Conference: Thu, 03/30/2006 - 9:30am

Men of Color: Your Sexual Health & HIV Today

Men Sharing about Sexuality, HIV Prevention & their Overall Well-Being

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2006
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Black Veterans for Social Justice
665 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn
[Between Throop and Marcus Garvey Avenues; Nearest subway trains: "G" & "J"]
Conference attendees will receive METROCARDS

Co-Sponsors: HIV Arts Network, Black Veterans for Social Justice
Keynote Speakers: Professor Darrell Wheeler (CUNY Hunter College/i), Eddie Rivera (NYC HIV/AIDS P.P.G./i)

Panelists & Discussants: Julius Powell, Von’Michael Hanton, Edward
Shaw, Jonathan Santos-Ramos, Yves-Michel Fontaine, Matt Ignacio,
Michael Batshaw, Mark Colter John, Doneley Meris & more...

Program includes: keynote speeches; panel discussion on the state of affairs for men of color and HIV prevention; small group discussions about stigma and discrimination, immigration, mental health, homelessness, substance use/abuse and harm reduction, male sexuality – identity, behaviors and practices, religion, spirituality and family systems, and male well-being

Co-Sponsoring Institutions (in formation):

• Project Hospitality
• Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
• Community Health Action of Staten Island, Inc.
• Hispanic AIDS Forum
• The Institute of Gay Men’s Health – Gay Men’s Health Crisis
• Brooklyn AIDS Task Force

CRITCAL MASS BICYCLE MOVEMENT! Critical Mass is a bicyclist movement (NOT an organized group!) that holds weekly protests all over the world to protest pollution. Rides are the last Friday of every month starting in Union Sq. Park North, 7PM! At a DFNYC meeting attended by Norm Seigel, Norm used Critical Mass as an example of the kind of activism that NYC needs most and the way Bloomberg is trying to squelch our rights and our voices. Critical Mass deserves our help. According to Bloomberg, my inclusion of this in my newsletter is probably illegal. Well, I refuse to let Bloomberg tell me what I can and cannot write in my Newsletter.


And see their worldwide calendar for Bike Workshops and other locations.


There is more you can do to support Critical Mass. This comes from a reader in Manhattan:

To help keep people involved in Critical Mass, people who might be sacred off because of renewed aggressiveness by the police, I have started a pledge drive that sponsors arrestees. This is a great way for people to stay involved in Critical Mass, stay on top of the issue, and use the NYPD and Bloomberg's tactics to work for us not against us. I am pledging $2 per arrestee, and the money will go to the Legal Aid Society. Pledges are made on the honor system. The more bicyclists the cops arrest the more money for defending civil rights is raised.


BROOKLYN EVENTS:

NEW! NEW! NEW!New Democratic Majority in Brooklyn: March 23rd will be the inaugural meeting of the New Democratic Majority’s Brooklyn group. This will join NDM’s Brooklyn membership with Marjorie’s Ozzie’s meetup and may include other progressive organizations as well (remains to be confirmed). I will be a co-host of this meeting. Will meet the 4th Thursday of every month at the 5th Ave. Ozzie’s in Park Slope, 249 5th Ave (intersection of 5th and Garfield) at 7 PM.

Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

Independent Neighborhood Democrats: Contact me or Devin Cohen: devincohen@msn.com if you are interested. http://www.indbrooklyn.org/

Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) (mostly covers Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, and Kensington. http://www.cbidems.org/


Lambda Independent Democrats (Brooklyn’s gay and lesbian organization) for meeting info contact LID@LIDBrooklyn.org.

DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Here are our local Brooklyn groups:

Park Slope: First Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward, Commonwealth, 497 5th Ave (at 12th Street). Hosted by Emily Farris and Peter Wohlsen, parkslope (at) drinkingliberally.org

Williamsburg: Every Tuesday, 8:00 pm onward the Levee, 212 Berry St. (corner of N. 3rd). Hosted by Elana Levin and Michael Freedman-Schnapp, williamsburg (at) drinkingliberally.org

To find your nearest Brooklyn Democratic club, please CLICK HERE.

QUEENS:

Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

Queens Jefferson Democratic Club: Our meetings are normally held the first Thursday of every month, @ 8:00 p.m. (the doors open @ 7:30 P.M.) except for July, August, and months in which a holiday falls on the First Thursday. Meetings are held at the Auburndale American Legion Hall, 198-09 33rd Ave Flushing, New York 11358 (just off Francis Lewis Blvd. near 33rd Avenue).

Queens County Young Democrats: for information CLICK HERE.

DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Here are our local Queens groups:

ASTORIA: Third Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward. Cassidy's, 34-16 Broadway (at 35th Street). Hosted by Bob Chamerda, astoria (at) drinkingliberally.org

To find your nearest Queens Democratic club, please CLICK HERE.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: MANHATTAN GROUPS AND EVENTS

Lobby for Quality Education
Tue, 03/14/2006 - 6:00am

Parents and others concerned about public school education may want to join PTAs, Education Advocacy Groups, the United Federation of Teachers and others lobbying our elected legislators in Albany, NY on Tuesday, March 14, 2006.

Free buses will leave from all five boroughs early in the morning for this all-day effort.

The United Parents Associations has voted to join the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council, Class Size Matters classsizematters.org, the Alliance for Quality Education aqeny.org, Presidents Councils from Districts 1, 2, 3, 30 and HS Region 6. (Presidents' councils are the organization of PTA presidents in a NYC school district) and other groups, in the first ever independent (not sponsored by NYC) Lobby Day.

Reserve a seat on the bus by emailing your name, school, district; region; borough; & phone number to cpac.lobbyday-at-yahoo.com (replace -at- with @). Also please copy Class Size Matters at leonie-at-att.net (replace -at- with @). Flyers as well as position papers will be available soon, on issues ranging from high-stakes testing, charter schools, and governance reform, to CFE and accountability, and class size!
Those interested who cannot attend can participate by lobbying their Assembly members and State Senators in their district offices.

CRITCAL MASS BICYCLE MOVEMENT! Critical Mass is a bicyclist movement (NOT an organized group!) that holds weekly protests all over the world to protest pollution. Rides are the last Friday of every month starting in Union Sq. Park North, 7PM! At a DFNYC meeting attended by Norm Seigel, Norm used Critical Mass as an example of the kind of activism that NYC needs most and the way Bloomberg is trying to squelch our rights and our voices. Critical Mass deserves our help. According to Bloomberg, my inclusion of this in my newsletter is probably illegal. Well, I refuse to let Bloomberg tell me what I can and cannot write in my Newsletter.

And see their worldwide calendar for Bike Workshops and other locations.

There is more you can do to support Critical Mass. This comes from a reader in Manhattan:

To help keep people involved in Critical Mass, people who might be sacred off because of renewed aggressiveness by the police, I have started a pledge drive that sponsors arrestees. This is a great way for people to stay involved in Critical Mass, stay on top of the issue, and use the NYPD and Bloomberg's tactics to work for us not against us. I am pledging $2 per arrestee, and the money will go to the Legal Aid Society. Pledges are made on the honor system. The more bicyclists the cops arrest the more money for defending civil rights is raised.

New Democratic Majority General Meeting:

Please join us for the March General Meeting, to be held on March 13th at the City Center located at 130 West 56th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues at 7:30 PM. We will be in Studio 3.

Our guest will be Drew Warshaw, Policy Associate in the Spitzer campaign. In November, the attorney general came out in favor of a nonpartisan commission to draw district lines, instead of continuing our present practice of allowing the State Senate and the Assembly to draw their own district lines.

NDM Fundraiser with David Sirota - May 11th, 2006
Please join us for a fundraiser with Progressive author and activist David Sirota on May 11th.

David will be joining us to talk about his new book, "Hostile Takeover - How Big Money and Corruption conqured Our Government - and how we can take it back".

To learn more about David, please check out his web site.


Democracy for America Meetings: CLICK HERE!

DRINKING LIBERALLY: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Here are our local Manhattan groups:

Upper East Side Last Tuesday of each month, 6:30 pm onward, Doc Watson's, 1490 2nd Avenue (at 77th). In the backyard, weather permitting. Hosted by Matthew Bachiochi, ues (at) drinkingliberally.org

In Manhattan: Thursday, 7:30 pm onward, Rudy's, 627 9th Avenue (between 44th & 45th Streets). Hosted by Justin Krebs and Matthew O'Neill, nyc (at) drinkingliberally.org

Bar Hopping Manhattan: Second Tuesday of each month, 6:00-9:00 pm
A monthly Democratic drinking club at different gay bars around Manhattan. Join the mailing list to receive updates of future venues. Hosted by Dirk McCall, outnyc (at) drinkingliberally.org

East Village: Last Wednesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward, Grassroots Tavern, 20 Saint Mark's Place (between 2nd and 3rd). Hosted by Quinn Raymond, Elena Morin and Abby Cook-Mack, eastvillage (at) drinkingliberally.org

For those who prefer running to drinking, you can join RUNNING FOR CHANGE: Building a progressive America through organized runs and other grassroots activities.

To find your nearest Manhattan Democratic club, please CLICK HERE.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: NEW JERSEY FOCUS

From Democrats 2000:


I would like to once again take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support last year.

I hope that you will consider renewing your membership with Democrats 2000 by contributing your $15 annual dues as soon as possible.
As a member of Democrats 2000, you have access to the largest network of young professional Democrats statewide, are eligible to obtain discounted ticket prices for both Democrats 2000 and various candidates' fundraisers across the state, and will receive invitations to several free Democrats 2000 events we will be hosting later this year.

Thanks to your help, and the help of more than 1,200 members across the state, Democrats 2000 enjoyed its most successful year in 2005. Together, we raised more than $70,000 and helped elect 30 young candidates at the local, county and state levels. We also contributed thousands of volunteer hours to campaigns statewide and advocated in support of several issues important to New Jersey's young professionals.
We were especially proud to welcome 2004 Presidential Candidate John Kerry to our Beach Barbecue and to host a rally in support of Governor Jon Corzine with DNC Chairman Howard Dean.

Even with all of these accomplishments, there is no doubt that in 2006 we can accomplish even more!

Donate on line HERE,

Or by check: Democrats 2000, P.O. Box 31, Jamesburg, NJ 08831

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

Democracy for America Meetups: DFA is one of the best hopes we have of retaking America. I strongly urge you to get involved with your local group. New Jersey for Democracy Meetups take place on the first Wednesday of every month @ 7pm. There are many meetups around the state: North, Central and South Jersey.

Common Cause: Common Cause is a major force in Progressive Politics. It was founded in 1970 (by a Republican, mind you!) to counter the influence of special interests in Washington. Today they work on many of the same issues I am trying to highlight. Check out the NJ Common Cause website.

Here is how you can find your local Dem clubs. Go to HERE and click on your county.

Drinking Liberally: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Find your local drinking liberally group or start your own with a few buddies:

New Brunswick, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month, 7:00 PM @ Doll's Place, 101 Paterson St. New Brunswick, NJ

Hoboken, New Jersey, Fourth Wednesday of each month, 8:00-10:00 pm, Mulligan's, 159 1st Street (between Bloomfield and Garden), Hosted by Leigh Wolinsky, David Alpert and Morgan Baden, hoboken (at) drinkingliberally.org

Princeton, Every Thursday, 7:00 pm, The Yankee Doodle Tap Room, 10 Palmer Sq W, Princeton. princeton@drinkingliberally.org

NEW GROUP: Montclair Every other Wednesday, 6:30 pm onward, Egan & Sons, 118 Walnut St. Hosted by Jon Hershberg, montclair (at) drinkingliberally.org


RUNNING FOR CHANGE: For those who prefer running to biking, you can join RUNNING FOR CHANGE: Building a progressive America through organized runs and other grassroots activities.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: NATIONAL ACTION

From MoveOn.org

Over the last year, together we helped restore integrity to voting machines in states across the country. More than half of the states now require all voting machines to keep paper records of every vote. But some states are still ignoring the documented problems with unverified voting—we need Congress to act.

In April, you'll have a rare opportunity to meet with members of Congress to ensure every single voting machine in the country is secure and reliable. You can make the greatest impact by going to Washington, D.C. to meet with legislators from your state. If you can't travel to the Capitol, there will also be local meetings set up in some places. A coalition of groups, including Common Cause, VerifiedVoting.org, and VoteTrustUSA, is arranging these meetings.

Tell Congress to get serious about the security of our voting machines. Click here to sign up.

Constituent meetings like this are the most effective way to convince members of Congress they must act. Many MoveOn members traveled to D.C. last June, and they helped convince dozens of representatives to co-sponsor Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ)'s Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (H.R. 550). Voting machine experts consider this bill the gold standard for election integrity.

Since then, one of the bill's most powerful opponents was forced out of his leadership post because of his involvement in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. This, along with concerns about voting machine security raised by the Carter-Baker election reform commission and the non-partisan Government Accountability Office, has opened a new window of opportunity for H.R. 550.

Now's the time to show members of Congress how serious we are about the integrity of our nation's voting machines. As one of the MoveOn members who cares most about election integrity, can you attend a constituent meeting?

Meet with members of Congress this April in D.C. or locally. Click here to sign up.

Thanks for all you do.

–Noah, Carrie, Ben, Tanya and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Friday, March 10th, 2006

P.S. Last summer's constituent meetings drew attention from the New York Times editorial board, which wrote:

There are many problems with American elections, but none more serious than the rise of paperless electronic voting, whose results cannot be trusted. Grass-roots reformers are in the middle of a two-day lobbying blitz on Capitol Hill in support of a House bill that would require that electronic voting machines in federal elections produce voter-verifiable paper records. It is an important measure that should be passed without delay.

Read the rest of the editorial here.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

Tuesday, March 14th, 6:30-9:00pm. Peace-Making: Bridging the faith-secular divide – presented by VGC Faith Outreach. Capitol City Brewing, 2700 S. Quincy St (at the corner of 28th).

Tuesday, March 14th, Protest the Katrina Evictions.
Press Conference: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Rayburn House Office Building - Room #2237
Mardi Gras Style March for Justice: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. March will start from Capitol South Metro Stop at 2:00 p.m. to the White House
Rally & Protest at the White House: 3:00 p.m. - 11:59 p.m. Rally & Protest at the White House - Lafayette Park
For more information, please email protest@hiphopcaucus.org or call 202-545-0113 or 888-545-0113.

Saturday, March 18, 1:00-3:00pm, Campaign for a Living Wage public hearing at Saint Anthony Parish, 3305 Glen Carlyn Road, Falls Church. This fact finding hearing chaired Fairfax County Supervisor Catherine Hudgins, will also feature Jon Liss of Tenants and Workers United and Hugh Carballo of Laborers Local 11. Contact – Clayton Sinyai at 703-476-7381 or csinyai@malalaborers.org

Monday, March 20, 4 p.m., March for Peace and Impeachment. March beginning at the Rotunda at the University of Virginia at 4 p.m. and marching to the Freedom of Expression Wall on the Downtown Mall near City Hall. Come prepared to buy a yard sign and carry it in the march, or bring your own posters, flags, noise makers, musical instruments. Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice http://www.charlottesvillepeace.org

Wednesday, March 22nd, 7:30 – 9:30 PM, The Alliance for Science Public Meeting, The Republican War on Science. Featured Speaker: CHRIS MOONEY
OAKTON HIGH SCHOOL – LECTURE HALL, 2900 SUTTON ROAD, VIENNA, VA 22181 {The Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro Stop on the Orange Line}

Tuesday, April 11th, , 6:30-9:00pm. April with VGC - Smart Growth, Transportation, and the Hidden Tax on Every Virginian. At Capitol City Brewing, 2700 S. Quincy St (at the corner of 28th). Contact - info@vagrassroots.org

Tuesday, May 9th, , 6:30-9:00pm. The VGC May Meetup Program --A Living Wage in Virginia - An Issue of Economic Justice. At Capitol City Brewing, 2700 S. Quincy St (at the corner of 28th). Contact - info@vagrassroots.org

Monday, May 15th, 7:00-9:00pm, A Forum on Iraq with the Democratic candidates seeking the nomination to run against Tom Davis in the 11th Congressional District. So far, the two candidates vying for the nomination are Andrew Hurst and Ken Longmyer. It’s a great chance to come meet them and share your views on the war. The forum will be at the Mason District Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003 from 7-9 PM on May 15.

Democracy for America: One of the best ways to get active! FIND YOUR LOCAL DFA MEETUP AND GET INVOLVED!

The Democratic Party: Here are links to some of your local Dem clubs. This is another very important way to be active.

Albemarle County Democratic Committee, Albemarle County, VA

Arlington County Democrats, Arlington VA. Contact Name: Elizabeth Weitzman mewsician1@msn.com (703) 528-8588

Arlington Young Democrats, Arlington VA. Contact Name: Jaime Mulligan publicity@arlingtonyoungdems.org 571-334-7626

Democratic Party of Fluvanna County, Virginia, Bremo Bluff, Virginia VA

Hanover Democrats, Ashland VA

Loudoun County Democratic Committee, Leesburg, VA. Contact Name: Steve Deak chairman@lcdems.com

Norfolk Democratic Party Meetup, Norfolk VA. Contact Name: Alma D. Kesling akesling@yahoo.com 757 333-8694

Rappahannock County Democrats, Rappahannock VA.

Stafford County Democrats, Fredericksburg VA:

Virginia Beach Democrats, VA

Virginia Young Democrats, Richmond, VA. Contact Name: Justin Wilson justin@justin.net


Drinking Liberally: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Find your local drinking liberally group or start your own with a few buddies. Currently there are only two Drinking Liberally groups in all of VA (see below). But it is easy to start your own!

Charlottesville, Virginia Drinking Liberally: Every Tuesday, 7:30 pm, Mellow Mushroom, 1320 West Main Street, Hosted by Jared Jenkins, charlottesville (at) drinkingliberally.org

Richmond, Virginia Drinking Liberally: Every Thursday, 7:30 pm onward Commercial Taphouse, 111 N Robinson St. Hosted by Scott Goode, richmond (at) drinkingliberally.org


RUNNING FOR CHANGE: And if you want a healthier alternative to Drinking Liberally (or want to do some running after your drinking), you can RUN for progressive causes. Building a progressive America through organized runs and other grassroots activities. To find your local Running for Change events, CLICK HERE.

Progressive Democrat Issue 67: GETTING LOCAL AROUND THE NATION

This is how our coalition will be built: through out local action. Our success depends on you and your activism. There are many ways you can get active. Below I try to provide a good variety of options and urge you all to find a couple that suit you. These groups below are the way we can get our country back. If we don’t get involved we won’t win in 2006 and beyond. Joy and I are currently involved in a few groups plus our own organizing efforts bringing different groups together and we are finding it a good boost to our social life. We are meeting cool people and it makes us get out a couple of times a month more than we would otherwise.

Finding your local groups:

Democracy for America: Founded by Howard Dean, now run by his brother Jim Dean, this group is very effective at the local grass roots. Many think this is the future of the Democratic Party. I think this is partly true, though the neighborhood Dem party clubs will continue to be vital to our efforts as well. This is a group that you really should be active in either by joining a local meetup or starting one of your own.


Drinking Liberally: An informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics. Find your local drinking liberally group or start your own with a few buddies.


The Democratic Party: Now that Howard Dean is in the driver’s seat I am hoping the Democrats will become more effective on the local level. One of the main complaints against the DNC in the past couple of elections is that they didn’t help the local parties in most parts of the nation. If you go to the DNC website and find the “Get Local” pull down menu on the left, you can find your local Dem groups. I strongly urge you to get involved with your local Dem club since it is often these groups that actually do much of the footwork to win each district.

Critical Mass: Critical Mass is a bicyclist movement (NOT an organized group!) that holds weekly protests all over the world to protest pollution. Go here to find the closest Critical Mass action in your area (site covers ALL of North America).


Wellstone Action: Paul Wellstone started something in Minnesota and his death hasn’t stopped it. Wellstone’s family is continuing his work and expanding it throughout the nation. Wellstone Action trains activists and grassroots candidates and they did very well in the last election. I urge you to look into any nearby Wellstone Action events.


Common Cause: Common Cause is a major force in Progressive Politics. It was founded in 1970 (by a Republican, mind you!) to counter the influence of special interests in Washington. Today they work on many of the same issues I am trying to highlight. Look for your state’s Common Cause organization.

To find the League of Conservation Voters branch in your state, CLICK HERE. This is the group you should be involved with if the environment is your thing.

To find the NARAL branch in your state, CLICK HERE. This is the group you should be involved with if choice is your thing.

Finally I suggest Americans for Democratic Action. ADA is a progressive branch of the Democratic Party. Email: adaction@ix.netcom.com for info on local groups.