Progressive Democrat Issue 73: THOUGHTS

This week’s newsletter will again be short and next week there will be no newsletter. This week I have been overwhelmed with a major scandal in one of the local Democratic clubs I am a member of and have been working on that. It is a shame when Democrats act in corrupt and undemocratic ways, but that is what a local club is doing and I am fighting it. That is not something I will here because this newsletter is meant to focus activism on fighting the right wing, not to air battles between Democrats. But the embarrassment of a previously good club taken over by people who are willing to do anything to protect their power has left me a bit tired and uninspired this week. So all I will say about it is this. If people like you and me aren’t active in our local clubs, then those clubs will be controlled by people whose main interests are power and that can lead to corruption within our own party. Our participation in our local clubs is so important if we want our Party to reflect our values.

Next week’s newsletter will be cancelled because of the April 29th DNC Neighbor-to-Neighbor canvassing effort. I am proud that Joy and I were the first in all of NYC to set up an event and, as of last time I looked, ours is the biggest in the city. I also know that at least two readers of this newsletter are holding their own events.

Hopefully April 29th will re-inspire me and my local club’s recent fiasco will seem more of a challenge than an embarrassment to me.

Progressive Democrat Issue 73: ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

My environmental action is to watch TV! More specifically, watch the documentary TOO HOT NOT TO HANDLE on HBO. It airs tonight, 4/22 at 7 PM and will be re-shown throughout the week.

Here is the HBO blurb on the show:

Heat waves. Catastrophic storms. Migrating viruses. All are potentially deadly effects of global warming. Over the past 100 years, the mass consumption of fossil fuels has contributed to global warming--an issue that promises to do far greater damage if we continue to ignore it. Executive produced by environmental activist Laurie David, this cautionary film offers a guide to the impacts of global warming on the U.S.--and the measures that can be taken to reduce this threat.

My wife was interviewed for this show, though we don’t know if the footage of her made it into the show.

Progressive Democrat Issue 73: APRIL 29TH NATIONAL DNC ORGANIZING

Continued from last week

As of today there are almost 1000 DNC outreach events organized by people like you and I for April 29th. That’s pretty good! Joy and I have 20 people signed up to help so far. Hopefully we can do a lot of outreach with a crew that size. This is our chance to form a connection between the Democratic Party and our neighborhoods. This is the epitome of Howard Dean's assurance that WE have the power. We have the power to connect with our neighborhoods and help define the political debate nationwide. Please, sign up for an event in your neighborhood.

If there are none near you, you can set one up yourself with little effort by going here.

More than ever I feel that it is people like us that have to save the country.

Progressive Democrat Issue 73: INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

I will include every week an update on KIVA’s loan needs. KIVA has expanded their efforts greatly. For a while online publicity gained them more lenders than they could match to businesses in need of loans. They have made a huge effort to find new partners in more nations and now have more businesses in need than they have lenders. Time to redouble OUR efforts to get these loans filled!

Currently, there are about 13 loans to businesses in East Africa that need filling. Remember, these are loans, so you will get the money back eventually. And you can start by loaning as little as $25. I keep getting updates on the loans I have made and I am amazed at how much a small loan can matter to these small businesses.

To loan, please go here to find the small businesses that are growing.

But everyone knows that I think the KIVA effort will not work in isolation. We need to combine these wonderful and very effective loans with other actions that help preserve the environments within which these communities exist. But right now East Africa is still facing a huge food shortage due to drought earlier this year. People are starving, as reported in this BBC article.

Please help Oxfam help East Africa get over this crisis!

Progressive Democrat Issue 73: NEW YORK ACTION FOR VOTING RIGHTS

4/24 NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON HAVA

The Government Operations Committee hearing is Monday, April 24th, 10:00, at City Hall. They will consider our voting technology resolutions 131 and 228, and whether to vote them out of committee for consideration by the Council. Come support our issue and our speakers!

If our Council Members remain neutral, or don’t actively select Paper Ballot/Optical Scanner (PBOS), electronic voting will win by default.

Resolution 131 urges the adoption of paper ballots and precinct-based optical scanners and accessible ballot-marking machines for voters with disabilities and minority languages. This resolution is against overpriced, inacurate electronic voting machines!


Resolution 228 urges that the NYC Board of Elections hold public hearings before selecting our new voting machines, and urges public testing to show us that the machines work before selecting them! Sounds simple, but the NYC Board of Elections is not planning to do this at this time.

Progressive Democrat Issue 73: NEW YORK PEACE MARCH

4/29 PEACE MARCH
Join at a meeting place for Brooklyn groups on 19th Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway, or go to the website of United for Peace and Justice www.unitedforpeace.org to learn all the details and other meeting points. Assembly begins at 10:30 AM, and the March starts at noon.

If you want to participate in handing out flyers, or any number of ways, please e-mail outreach@brooklynpeace.org or call the office at 718-624-5921.

VOLUNTEERS FOR NYVV TABLE
New Yorkers for Verified Voting has a table at the festival. I’ve been asked to cajole 10 people into volunteering. We even get a T-shirt! With enough people, we can stagger shifts and also enjoy the experience. We must build awareness of the change in voting and the dangers of the electronic machines. Please email or call me at 718-624-8384 with interest.

The Peace and Justice Festival will be held at Foley Square from 1 to 6 pm. A map of the festival area will be available at the site soon. If you are planning to go straight to the festival, you can reach Foley Square by taking the A, C, 1, 2, 3, J, M or 6 trains to Chambers Street or the N,R,Q, or W to Canal Street or the R to City Hall.

Progressive Democrat Issue 73: HEARTLAND FOCUS

From the Iowa Democratic Party

Make Your Voice Heard:
Become a Member of the Iowa Democratic Party Alert the Media Team!

The Iowa Democratic Party needs your help writing letters to the editor and calling into talk radio programs to spread the Democratic message and help ensure victory in 2006.

Being a member of the Alert the Media team is easy. You will receive email updates from the IDP on the hot topics of the day. The emails will include message notes and background information to help you write your letter to the editor and prepare your question for a radio program. All you have to do is Alert the Media! Finally, your printed letters and call-in questions will be featured below!

If you would like to join the IDP Alert the Media team, email Erin Seidler at eseidler@iowademocrats.org.


Alert the Media Letter of the Week
Letter submitted to the Des Moines Register by Jim Hutter

Spending increases
“The Republican Party is now principally moderate, if not liberal” on spending, Arlen Specter told reporters when asked about the huge budget-busting bills passed by the U.S. Senate.

Thank you, Specter, but Republican overspending is not liberal and certainly not Democratic.

The Republican economic philosophy seems to be tax cuts plus spending increases.

Did you forget? President Clinton reduced the deficits until he balanced the budget three times and had annual surpluses. That’s liberal; that’s Democratic.

— Jim Hutter, Ames.