The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. Originally intended for New York City progressives, its readership is now national. For anyone who wants to be alerted by email whenever this newsletter is updated (usually weekly), please send your email address and let me know what state you live in (so I can keep track of my readership).
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. Jacob saw his first real fireworks display and loved it at first. We were watching from the 12th floor of a building right on the waterfront, so it was spectacular. Unfortunately, he was coming down with a fever and by the end was pretty unhappy. He is fine again now.
There are some major things going on. The FISA vote was, of course, a disappointment. But an expected one. It is unclear to me how we can get our government more responsive to the PEOPLE. I know that surrendering is not the answer. But we have to push harder to elect good candidates and keep them in office when they follow through with their promises. That takes work on our part, but what else can we do. Why is FISA so important? Read this EXTREMELY important article on Salon.com about suing the Bush Adminsitration over illegal surveillance and you will get an inkling of how low we have gone. I meant to write more about it, but lack of time and sheer jaw dropping amazement at how Kafkaesqe/Soviet our system has become has kept me from putting down my thoughts. READ THIS ARTICLE!
On a far more positive note is a Daily Kos diary from a lifelong Republican who is fed up with the Republican Party and EAGER to support Obama, despite FISA. I really think this guy is not alone by any means and, as Chuck Schumer has said, this year will see a tectonic shift in American politics akin to the one led by FDR...or I sure hope Schumer is right! I have also outlined how Bush may be the death of the Republican Party, and why I don't see that as necessarily a good thing. Interestingly, the Republican who wrote the above Daily Kos diary thinks he remembers my diary...perhaps I played a small part in his decisions.
And there was Jesse Jackson's really abyssmally stupid comments, which remind me of why I have never been much of a fan of his. I write about my past brushes with this particular walking ego over at Culture Kitchen. Interestingly, Time magazine read my piece and emailed us about it...trying to get us to link to one of their articles.
GLOBAL WARMING: Top Scientist Tells Us We Have ONE YEAR Left to Act
I covered this somewhat last week, but it is, quite simply, the biggest and most important issue facing us today. So I am going to hammer away at it a bit and I have added a little bit.
Global warming is hitting us already. It is no coincidence that some of the biggest storms and an unexpected number of storms are hitting us now. Nor are food shortages coincidence...nor are they caused primarily by biofuels. Extreme weather, an expected part of global warming, is hitting us hard, damaging crops around the world. Crops are established based on a particular climate. That climate has changed and it will take time for agriculture to adapt and infrastructure to be put into place. Time and money.
Global warming isn't our future. It is our now.
I have covered how the more optimistic scientists think we have 10 years (now more like 8) to deal with global warming before we are hit with the full brunt of it. Essentially that means we have that period to mitigate the eventual effects. Keep in mind that there will be some delay before the worst happens. That relative optimism is fading. Now even some of the most optimistic scietists are realizing that the models were wrong. Global warming is hitting harder and faster than predicted. Things are WORSE than the models predicted. Jim Hansen, possibly the top global warming scientist and the head of NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Sciences (where my wife works), has revised the estimate of how long we have to act to mitigate global warming down to one year. This is our last chance right now. Time has run out to act.
This rather frightening statement is covered in some detail on Daily Kos. The statement that we have one year to deal with this gigantic problem is demoralizing, and it plays into one right wing talking point that has always struck me as particularly stupid: well it's too late now so let's not do anything. In the Daily Kos article it addresses this right wing talking point fairly well:
Some have speculated that we have already passed tipping points, and there is nothing we can do. The first may be right (probably is, unfortunately), but I strongly disagree with the second. a) Keep in mind there are widely varying degrees of badness: 1 million people dying is very different from ten million dying, which is very different from a billion dying, which is very different from 5 billion dying, which is very different from 6 billion dying. I don't know where on this scale we fall, but I think we still very much do have the ability to keep it close to the start. So b) all these windows are closing fast. That's why Hansen-- and so many of us here on dKos-- feel such a strong sense of urgency.
I think we have a year to keep the disaster down to more the million dying mark. If we don't take advantage of that year we have left and, as individuals and as a society, take huge steps in the next year, I believe a billion (as a very, very rough estimate) could die within the next 50 years due specifically to global warming related events. Flooding (of the scale Bangladesh sees annually but much more widespread), famine (already started over a large area of the world), water shortages, the spread of tropical diseases, and war due to dislocations, hunger and competition over water will all take a large toll. And for what? What did we gain by putting it off? Nothing. Not one goddamned thing. The delay by the right wing who ran our country so poorly accomplished nothing except making it harder and harder to pass along an acceptable standard of living to our children.
There is no more time to debate, delay or wait for someone else to deal with it. I have said "ten years" so often now. But global warming accelerated this past couple of years far beyond what any models predicted. Things are worse than even some of the more pessimistic predictions and things have been accelerating. Waiting any longer means, quite simply, more and more deaths.
If you can, offset your carbon usage. I suggest either Native Energy or Carbon Fund, though I use other ways as well (like purchasing energy efficient and solar stoves for families in Darfur or Central America or Haiti...let me know if you are interested in this kind of carbon offset).
Donate to tree planting programs that are designed to effectivly sequester carbon while benefitting both the local economy and environment. Not all reforestation projects are created equal and according to a study done a couple of years ago in the scientific journal Nature, many of the monoculture plantations that are planted are counterproductive. I suggest reforestation through Paso Pacifico, Trees, Water, People, or through the Nobel Peace Prize winning Green Belt Movement which combines empowerment of women with reforestation in Kenya.
And anyone in almost any part of the United States can purchase (sometimes in a roundabout way) their home energy from renewable energy generation companies. Joy and I have been doing this through a NY State program for a few years now and the increase in our monthly bill was only a matter of pennies. You can buy green energy through this website.
These are three ways you can start to make a differnece.
We can't wait any longer.
Stopping global warming is not just about saving the environment for the hunters, fisherman, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts of today and tomorrow. Global warming is a matter of national security. Will we live in a world where we must fight our neighbors for fresh water and food?
[A note and warning to global warming deniers: I am done with you. The scientific evidence is overwhelming, clearly stated by every credible climatologist, and the consequences are too important for dithering denial anymore. I am done with global warming deniers and will delete all but unusually intelligent comments from deniers. We don't have time for your BS anymore.]
Your Health: Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria on the Rise
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists recent newsletter, the antibiotic resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that has been an increasing problem in hospitals around the world is now infecting apparently healthy schoolkids outside of hospitals. This is a major development. Up until now anti-biotic resistance was only occasionally a problem outside of hospitals (so-called community-acquired" cases). This may be changing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, MRSA was responsible for almost 19,000 US deaths in 2005.
Another part of this development is also important. Evidence from Europe indicate that the community-acquired cases of MRSA are often associated with livestock operations. This is yet further evidence that the idiotic practice of pouring massive amounts of antibiotics into the feed of healthy animals is contributing to the public health risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria that treatens our children and people with a compromised immune system.
About 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are routinely added to feed of healthy livestock and poultry. Bacteria that are constantly exposed to antibiotics develop antibiotic resistance. This is simple evolution. Bacteria that develop antibiotic resistance outcompete those that don't and become the more common strain over time. Normally, the antibiotic resistant strains grow slightly slower so remain a tiny part of the bacterial population. Livestock and poultry operations, by constantly exposing bacteria to a selective pressure favoring the antibiotic resistant strains, create a situation where the antibiotic resistant strains become more common. Then when humans get sick from resistant bacteria, the antibiotics prescribed by doctors don’t work anymore. This is all really basic genetics and evolution. Yet despite these basics and the increasing evidence of a health risk to our children, too many large scale livestock and poultry operations insist on using massive amounts of antibiotics on healthy animals.
Some companies are better. For example, the restaurant Chipotle (a pseudo-Mexican food chain) offers all meats raised without antibiotics and many of its meats are free range. And some major poultry companies have phased out the use of antibiotics on healthy animals. But it remains a widespread practice.
The most important thing you can do is to only buy meat and chicken that specifically says "raised without antibiotics" on the label. This is perhaps the most important food choice you can make when buying meat.
You can also urge Congress to take action by passing the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act. You can learn more about this and write your representative through this site. Sadly, my own Rep. Yvette Clarke is not a sponsor of this bill yet. Neither is either of my Senators<, Clinton or Schumer...nor have EITHER McCain or Obama. We really need to contact our politicians and put pressure on them to protect our health and the health of our kids. I can tell you right now that research into new antibiotics is NOT keeping pace with the rise of antibiotic resistant strains.
This is adapted from a diary I wrote awhile back while reading Global Warming: The Last Chance for Change, by Paul Brown (which I reviewed here). I am returning to this subject because now that Jim Hansen (head of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Sciences) has basically told the world that this year is our very last chance to deal with global warming, we have the nuke industry once again pushing for nukes as the cure all for global warming.
I want to be clear that I do not rule out a role for nukes in our energy policy, and I strongly suspect it will be the solution chosen by China, and I have no say what China does. I also want to be clear that we probably have to keep exiting nuke plants on line for the forseeable future. But there are many myths, misleading statements and possibly outright lies told by the nuke industry I would like to address.
First off, I highy recommend the latest book on Global Warming, titled...well, Global Warming: The Last Chance for Change, by Paul Brown, a long-time correspondent for The Guardian. It is excellent, far better than my initial expectations of it. Simply put, it is the most comprehensive and thorough discussion of the issue to date. A must read even for skeptics because if they can't address what is in this book then they have no right to be skeptics. Again, I reviewed the book here
Right now I want to focus on a single chapter of this book: Chapter 13 discussing Nuclear Energy.
I have written about the issue of Nuke Enegery as it applies to Global Warming before. I have been swarmed by Nuke industry advocates, both reasonable and irrational, and discussed it at length. We had some Nuke Advocates of the more or less reasonable end on Culture Kitchen for awhile. But the arguements put forward by the nuke advocates alwasy struck me as too one-sided and too dismissive of any other opinion. In short, their rhetoric reminded me too much of the tobacco industry selling its line about cigarette smoke: they figure if they are dismissive enough about the opposition and sound authoritative enough, they will convince people. It is PR, little more, and is often based on misinformation or even outright lies.
Now, unlike the coal industry shills I have gone head to head with in the past, these Nuke advocates do not deny the existence of Global Warming. Coal shills are part of the very stupid Denial Lobby that would have us blindly destroy our society despite ample warnings that we need to change. They will go down in history as some of the biggest fools in human existance. In fact, if Jim Hansen is correct, they may already have done our society irreparable damage with their lies and delaying tactics. I do not count nuke advocates in the same category as the coal shills.
Nuke advocates, on the other hand, have decided to embrace Global Warming as their savior. In essence, the Nuke industry is a slowly dying one as more and more nations decide to phase it out. The UK wants to revive it. France continues to embrace it. Japan and the US have a love/hate relationship with it. Germany wants to divorce it. No one has a comfortable relationship with nuke energy. It is an awkward partner in any energy policy, made moreso by dramatic events from Three Mile Island to Chernobyl to the three recent nuke accidents in Japan. So the nuke industry clearly has a major PR problem. So they use Global Warming as a way to convince people that we NEED nuke energy. Their arguement goes that the ONLY way we can phase out fossil fuels in a timely fashion is to switch to nuke. They argue that no alternative energy will succeed beacuse they are all too unreliabe, too underdeveloped, and too irregular to meet even a fraction of our energy needs. Their arguement boils down, pretty literally, to: embrace nukes or die. Some have pretty much put it exactly that way.
When I came to this debate, I was treated like a fool by the nuke advocates and told I just don't understand science, which is kind of odd since I AM a scientist. Somehow I suspect that I know more science than most of them. Truth is, what they didn't seem to get was that I was actually open to nuke energy as a necessary evil to get us off fossil fuels, just not the ONLY solution. I realize that some difficult decisions might be neccessary to deal with Global Warming, and nukes just might be one such difficult decision, particularly when the energy needs of a developing China and India were taken into account. But hearing the nuke advocates talk made me really, really suspicious. The way they talked just didn't sound kosher. When they peddle their wares I always feel like I better watch my wallet.
First, whenever a problem arose with a nuke plant, like the earthquake damage at a Japanese nuke plant not too long ago, they went into "don't worry your pretty heads about it mode." They are dismissive of safety issues, calling the dangers "myths" and "imaginary" and telling people they just are too stupid to understand if they worry about nuke energy safety. They completely ignore that this was the third nuclear incident in Japan in a decade, two with fatalities. Rather than recognizing the dangers and problems and discussing how future plants can avoid those problems, they downplayed each and every accident, each and every problem and insulted anyone who considered the accidents and problems worthy of concern. When any industry tells us not to worry our pretty heads about them, I get suspicious immediately. And the more they disregard public concern and downplay accidents, the more suspicious I become. In fact I know that is precisely the time to worry because THEIR hubris will harm many people. I prefer industries that recognize the dangers and are open about them and how to deal with them.
Second, they consistently downplayed the problem of nuke waste. Their solution is to burn it in other reactors. This is a "solution" of sorts, but it does not eliminate the problem, merely reduce it. Their arguement that all you have to do is build more and more reactors is unconvincing...you never can get 100% efficiency in any real world process. Ultimately there will be nuke waste that needs to be dealt with and we do NOT have the capability to store it for even a fraction of its dangerous life. The nuke advocates completely failed to address this issue except to say that MORE reactors can solve it. In fact I hear some say that most of the radioactivity is gone in 30 years. Given that the HALF life of the most dangerous isotopes produced (though lower intensity) range from 100 to thousands of years, this attitude seems pretty idiotic. It is true that many isotopes decay faster and those are the higher intensity ones. But for long term exposure issues, they aren't really a problem. It is the very ones that will not have even lost half their radioactivity in 100-1000 years that future generations will have to deal with. (Pretty good introduction can be found here and another one here, at National Geographic).
Third, I knew that the numbers the nuke industry used to denegrate alternative energy were dubious. They claim no other technology can wean us off fossil fuels. I have now been reading about the potential of various alternative energy sources for 12 plus years. In fact in the last couple of years I have been investing and have made thousands of dollars investing in solar and wind companies, so I have been paying attention to their potential. From what I can tell, the nuke advocates are using outdated claims to denegrate their rivals. For at least a decade we have had the technology to wean us from fossil fuels, but have failed to implement it. And they fail to consider the range of alternative sources. No single alternative energy source will solve the world's problems. But a combination where each one covers the deficiencies of the others can, or so I have argued. The potential of alternative energy is huge and only beginning to be realized. And new technologies are rapidly being developed. By comparison nuke energy has been around awhile now and has failed to really solve our problems.
These were my concerns about what they claimed. Ultimately, their approach and the numbers they quote that so obviously seemed biased in favor of nukes made me wonder if their entire arguement was false. So I went from considering nuke energy a probable necessary part of solving Global Warming to wondering if we could trust anything the nuke industry said. The nuke advocates got me MORE suspicious about their industry than I had been before they opened their mouths. But I have consistently tried to keep an open mind. Oddly, the more open minded my discussions, the more dismissive they were about my knowledge on the subject, making me even more suspicious that I was hitting some nerves they couldn't answer.
Now we come to Paul Brown's Global Warming book. This book is a very hard-headed approach to the topic, so I wasn't sure how he was going to deal with nukes. Some of what he advocates in parts of the book may not sit well with some liberals and Greens, though most will. He seems a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, seeing Arnold as one of the politicians who has done the most to address global warming. But the chapter on nukes will sit just fine with those who are deeply suspicious of the nuke industry. He titles his chapter on nukes "Vodoo Economics," and that is one of the bottom lines that is the nail in the nuke coffin for me. Fundamentally, Paul Brown argues that going nuke does not make economic sense in any way and the numbers used by nuke advocates are largely useless and intentionally misleading no matter how authoritatively they say them. And, far more important, the nuke advocates forget to tell you that the average time of construction for a nuke plant is 10 years. Too long to make a difference. The vast majority of alternative energy technology can be up and running in months to a year (longer I assume for geothermal and hydroelectric projects, but still shorter than 10 years).
Paul Brown discusses the consequences of an accident like at Chernobyl. But I won't discuss that part because I think we all basically know the risks (despite the denegration of those risks by the nuke advocates) and in truth the nuke plants in America and Western Europe ARE far safer than Chernobyl. We have come some distance since Three Mile Island and safety is not as much of a concern as it once was. But the consequences of something going wrong remain severe even if the chances of something going wrong is quite low with newer plants.
It's the cost and the timing that damns the industry for me.
The numbers the nuke industry cite to convince people that nuke energy is competitive with coal and wind power are incomplete. They all equate nuke power with coal in cost and denegrate wind (which is competitive with clean coal) as being unreliable (which it isn't as long as there is another energy source like methane, small hydroelectric, geothermal or solar to complement it). But their numbers are wrong. Nuke energy is NOT competitive. In essence, they do not include the cost to build the plant or the cost of dealing with the waste. Or they imply that the industry bears these costs, which they rarely do even when that is part of the original negotiation. Both of these costs are considerable and make the industry completely dependent on taxpayer subsidies. That means you and I not only pay for the energy we use, but we subsidize the plants not only at the beginning (which is also the case with some alternative energy sources) but also every year it is in operation and far into the future.
The waste is still a problem. Again, we do NOT have the technology to deal with all of the waste and keep it safe for the duration of its dangerous lifespan. And the way we do deal with it is too expensive...and that cost lands on the taxpayers. Here is one example from the book:
In the UK the part of the nuclear industry that was privatized would have gone bankrupt in 2004 if the government had not agreed to pay all nuclear waste costs until 2086, at a cost of $370 million a year. That fact had been hidden from the public.
If the US deals with its wasted differently, then I would like to know about it and how they can make it economically possible while UK could not. I suspect it is being put off for future generations to deal with or there are hidden costs not being discussed by the industry.
And is still being kept hidden from the public by nuke advocates. They're not up front about asking us to foot the bill to build their plants (about $4 billion per plant) and to deal with the waste. I would be less pissed about that if they just said, "look...we have to do it and the taxpayer has to pay it." But they hide these little details. And, one could add, in this day and age you have to consider the cost of defending those nuke sites. They are targets and require security and I guarantee you that cost will fall on you and me. The nuke industry is asking us for HUGE subsidies and not being honest about that.
Now...the safety issue has been greatly improved but still carries major consequences if the worst happens. The waste issue can be reduced by reprocessing, but not eliminated. And the cost of dealing with that waste is large and will be our burden. But if it really was the only answer, then these costs would indeed be justifiable. Lack of honesty on the nuke industry's part aside, there could still be the chance that they would be right...maybe we WOULD have to do it and taxpayers would have to foot the bills.
But...there is a far worse flaw in their arguements. They claim alternative energy sources would take too long to build to make a difference and ONLY nukes could be providing energy fast enough to make a difference. This is a flat out lie. And it was the lie I have been wondering about for awhile. Nuke plants take way too long to build. They could not help us in the time scale that scientists tell us we have to act. They would be too little, too late.
Solar, wind, small scale hydroelectric, methane from waste, etc...all can start providing energy within months. Geothermal, tidal of various forms, and some more innovative technologies can be up and running in somewhat longer times...say a year or two. All can be a part of the solution NOW, at a lower cost with little waste except some production waste, which does have to be taken into account.
It takes 10 years to build a nuke plant, on average.
Yep...a decade and $4 billion of taxpayer money to build a single plant before we see even one atom of carbon reduced from our footprint.
Let me remind you how long scientists think we have to deal with Global Warming: LESS than 10 years...possibly as little as 5 years...only ONE year according to Jim Hansen, arguably the top scientist in the field. There is no way that new nuke plants can be online fast enough to make a difference. Period. End of story. Nukes are NOT the solution. They may be a small part of the solution as needed, but not one that can help us now.
There is also the question of the supply of fuel. According to Brown, it is estimated that it would take 1000+ nuclear plants world wide (up and running NOW, not 10 years from now, I might add) to make a dent in carbon emissions. That woud be a cost (worldwide) of $4 trillion taxpayer dollars to build the plants and $375 billion per year to deal with the waste (not sure about this last figure since I think it is based on UK alone), also paid for by taxpayers. But uraniam is another limited resource much like oil. Even if we had those 1000 plants working, the effort to mine and process the uranium would be enormous, the supply would eventually run out (though, including reprocessing, could last for a good long while) and would continue the dependence of nations on specific regions of the world for their energy. By comparison, alternative energy sources use renewable or unlimited sources of energy, are faster and cheaper to build, and allow each region and even locality to develop an energy policy that creates LOCAL jobs and keeps that locality energy independent. This is also more efficient since less energy is lost in distribution.
There is certainly an arguement for continuing to use existing nuke plants, at least until alternative energy sources become far more widespread. I can accept this. Let's not shut down nuke plants until we no longer need them. But building new plants cannot be a part of the solution because it takes too damned long. The money is better spent on other methods.
You can't solve a problem that requires immediate solutions with a solution that takes 10 years to build.
Time to stop sinking money into new nuke plants. Any that are close to comlpetion, fine, finish them. Any up and running are still needed for now. But $4 billion could do far more far faster than sinking it into a 10 year project to build a nuke plant which will come online too late to matter.
NEW YORK BLOGGING: The Albany Project gives excellent coverage of New York State politics.
The Daily Gotham covers both New York City (with a slight emphasis on Brooklyn) and New York State politics.
Reform NY is the blog of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
On NY Turf is run by someone I know. Long overdue that I add his blog here. Contains political info, good map resources for NYC and discussions of development issues.
Let me highlight some excellent candidates running in New York State.
Let me introduce Don Barber, running for State Senate (SD-51) and endorsed by Democracy for America. You can read about Don on Daily Gotham.
Let me also introduce you to my State Senator, Velmanette Montgomery. She is wonderful, proudly progressive, and up for re-election. Here is her website. And here is a video of her receiving the Margaret Sanger Award:
And let me remind you of another candidate running for State Senate, Jim Gennaro, who I introduced before as working towards an intelligent biodiesel program for NYC's heating needs.
Steve Harrison is running for Congress in the NY-13 race. Steve Harrison is a leading advocate for withdrawal from Iraq and has been endorsed by American Heritage Democratic Organization, Kelvin Alexander (Co-Founderof 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement), Gary Lane (Chairman of IBEW Local 3), Gloria Steinem, Democracy for New York City, the Democratic Organization of Richmond County, John Strika (President of IUPAT Local 806), former Assemblyman Frank Barbaro, among others. Steve is the progressive in the race while his primary opponent is a "Democrat" who is also seeking the Conservative Party endorsement and has told the Conservative Party that he opposes gay marriage and is in favor of continued occupation of Iraq. Steve, by contrast, is in favor of marriage equality and withdrawal from Iraq. You can read more about him in his own words on Daily Gotham. You cand donate to his campaign through my Act Blue site. If you live in the NY-13 district, please volunteer for Steve's campaign.
Norm Siegel for Public Advocate For those of you who live in NYC, let me introduce you to Norman Siegel, one of America's top Civil Rights Lawyers, is running for New York Public Advocate. Here's a Youtube video of him:
And a friend of ours, Devin Cohen, is running for a Brooklyn judicial seat. You can read more about his race here. If you can spare some time to help Devin, please let me know and I can let him know. Also, let's all congratulate Devin and his wife for the birth of their son!
Here are a handful of Democratic Clubs worth checking out:
The Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats is a community-based Democratic club. CBID has fought for reform and progressive causes since 1968. As a Brooklyn-based Club, we have been instrumental in the election of many candidates for public office. Much of this success was a result of our question-and-answer forums with prospective candidates as well as our extensive on-the-street contact with our constituents.
Staunchly opposed to political corruption, we are proud of our independence and our commitment to progressive reform in city, state and national politics. We are a vehicle for citizen empowerment and making government more accountable to our neighborhoods.
We meet monthly, usually the fourth Thursday evening of the month in the basement of the Park Slope United Methodist Church, on the corner of 6th ave and 8th street, at 7:30pm. All are welcome.
New Kings Democrats (”NKD”) is a new, grassroots organization in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York whose primary mission is to recruit and prepare individuals to run for Kings County Democratic Committee. NKD hopes to achieve the goal of an inclusionary and participatory democracy by making it easy for individuals to run for local, elected office. NKD will serve as a training ground for individuals seeking higher office, and hopes to build and nurture a new group of Brooklyn Democratic leaders.
DEMOCRACY FOR NYC MEETINGS: First Wednesday of every month
Upper West Side, The Parlour, 250 West 86th(btwn Broadway & West End), with host Merle McEldowney,7pm
West Village, Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher St. (near 7thAve.) with host Abhishek Mistry,7pm
Astoria, Queens, at Sanford Diner, 30-13 Broadway, with hosts Costa Constantinides and Jeremiah Frei-Pearson.Note: this Linkup will begin at 7:30.
Sunnyside, Queens, at The Grind, 39-24 Queens Blvd. in the back room, with host Dan Jacoby. Note: this Linkup will begin at 7:30.
Bayside, Queens, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics, 7pm
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Wycoff Bennett Homestead, 1669East 22nd Street, 7pm with host Annette Mont
Here is a list of weekly Peace Vigils around NY State:
Schenectady: Counter-recruitment leafleting of high school "Truth in Recruitment" On the second and forth Monday of every month 1:50pm to 2:20pm, counter-recruitment literature is handed-out to the students at Schenectady High School.
Location: Schenectady High School 1445 The Plaza Schenectady, NY 12308
Contact: Elizabeth at 518 374-2949 for confirmation or further directions.
Sponsored by: Schenectady Neighbors for Peace, a branch of Peace Action
Phillipstown for Democracy Demonstration against the War in Iraq Every Saturday at the intersection of Route 9 and 9D from 12-2. For information contact Connie Hogart at conart1_at_optonline.netv
Cobleskill: Vigil for peace Weekly vigil for peace, every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. Location: Main and Union Streets Cobleskill, NY 12043 Contact: 518-287-1771
Sponsored by: Peacemakers of Schoharie County
Marbletown: Peace vigil A peace vigil held every Saturday from at least 11:00am to noon, held by an assortment of local people. Location: Southernmost intersection of Route 213 & Route 209 (the one with the stop light) Marbletown/Stone Ridge, NY 12484
In the event that the community has another pre-arranged event scheduled for this intersection on a given Saturday, the vigil will move on that day to the front of the Stone Ridge Town Hall, south on route 209.
Contact: 845 687-9591
Saratoga Springs: Peace vigil A peace vigil every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. in front of the Post Office.
From the organizer: "Please keep the crosswalks clear and be the peace you want in the world. Many among us will be making signs with positive messages reflecting our hopes or our concerns for the future. Our goal is to: Support the United Nations in promoting peace; Encourage people to consider effective alternatives to war; Empower people to express their views to their elected officials." Location: outside the Post Office Broadway and Church Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Contact: Jim at 518-583-7501.
Sponsored by: Saratoga Peace Alliance (SPA)
Saugerties: Vigil for Peace A weekly peace vigil every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. All are welcome.
From the organizers: "End the War. Bring the Troops Home Now. Fund Education, Healthcare, and Housing... Not War. Join us for an hour, or a few minutes. Bring a neighbor. Let our voices be heard." Location: Corner of Market and Main Streets Saugerties, NY 12477 Contact: 845 246-3449. Sponsored by: Saugerties Committee for Peace and Social Justice
Wappingers Falls: Weekly peace vigil A long standing peace vigil happening every Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm. Pete Seeger attends when he can [cool!!], and the group usually ends singing a song. Location: On the grassy knoll Intersection of Routes 9 & 9D (near the South Hills Mall) Wappingers Falls, NY 12601 Contact: 845 838-1277.
New Paltz: Women in Black peace vigil A peace vigil occurring every Saturday 12:30pm to 1:30pm. From the organizers: "Women in Black has been standing for an end to war and violence in all its forms for over 5 years. We wear black in resistance and mourning for all the senseless killing. We are silent because words cannot express the tragedy of war. Please join us. Men are welcome." Location: In front of the Elting Library Corner of Main St and North Front Street New Paltz, NY 12561 Sponsored by: Women in Black of New Paltz
Woodstock: Women in Black peace vigil A silent vigil for peace every Sunday 1:00pm to 2:00pm, throughout the year. The group seeks "non-violent solutions to world problems, and stands for peace and social justice.
It is suggest that participants wear black clothing if possible. Signs are available.
Men are welcome, as well.
Location: Woodstock Village Green Rt. 212 / Tinker St / Mill Hill Rd Woodstock, NY 12498
Contact: Jane at 845 679-7502.
Sponsored by: Woodstock Women in Black
Delmar: Weekly peace vigil Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace hold these weekly vigils every Monday 5:00pm to 6:00pm.
From the organizers:: "Please join us in taking a stand against the war! Even if you can only stop by for a few minutes, your presence helps make a difference. Those of us who regularly attend the vigil enjoy sharing news and community with each other, and the encouraging honks and support from many drivers. Among other purposes, this weekly vigil serves as a regular reminder to hundreds of people in our community (those driving or walking by) of our viewpoints, issues and information - something they rarely see in the media. Bring a sign or borrow one of our extras. Join us!"
Location: Four Corners Delaware Ave at Kenwood Ave Delmar, NY 12054
Sponsored by: Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace.
Troy: Peace vigil A vigil for peace, held on the first Monday of the month 5:00pm to 6:00pm.
Located on Hoosick St, one of the busiest corridors in the Capital District.
Location: 110 Hoosick St (at 10th St) Troy, NY 12180
Contact: 518 272-1318.
Sponsored by: Troy Neighbors for Peace
Guilderland: Weekly peace vigil A weekly Monday vigil 5:00pm to 6:00pm, with participants holding signs and making a peaceful presence known.
Attendees are asked to bring their own signs.
From the organizers: "A dedicated group of people have been meeting every Monday during rush hour at the corners of Route 20 (Western Avenue) and Route 155. The positive response from commuters has been tremendous! Several new members have joined as a result of passing by our vigil."
Location: Routes 155 and 20, northeast corner (New Karner Rd and Western Ave) Guilderland, NY 12084
Contact: 518 464-6788.
Sponsored by: Guilderland Neighbors For Peace
DRINKING LIBERALLY MEETINGS IN NY STATE:
Clifton Park, New York * First Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * Old Dublin Inn, 130 Meyer Rd (Google maps is wrong, please contact me for directions.) * Hosted by Chris Selkirk, cliftonpark (at) drinkingliberally.org
Ithaca, New York * Every Wednesday, 6:30 pm onward * Felicia's Atomic Lounge, 508 W State St * Hosted by Joseph Cannon Murtagh, ithaca (at) drinkingliberally.org
New York City, New York:
The Original Drinking Liberally * Every Thursday, 7:30 pm onward * Rudy's, 627 9th Ave (between 44th and 45th) * In the backyard, weather permitting * Hosted by Justin Krebs, Matthew O'Neill and Katrina Baker, nyc (at) drinkingliberally.org
Drinking Liberally Steps Out * Third Tuesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm * XES Lounge, 157 W 24th St (@ 7th Avenue) * In conjunction with the Stonewall Democrats of New York City www.sdnyc.org. * Hosted by Matthew Carlin and Greg Rae, outnyc (at) drinkingliberally.org
Harlem * Second Wednesday of each month), 6:30 pm onward * Soundz Lounge, 3155 Broadway (between 123rd and 124th) * Hosted by Yolanda (Shoshi) Shoshana, harlem (at) drinkingliberally.org
Park Slope * Second Wednesday of each month, 7:30-10:00 pm * Commonwealth, 497 5th Ave (at 12th Street) * Hosted by Anthony Accurso, Emilie Harkin and Emily Farris, parkslope (at) drinkingliberally.org
Queens * Fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11102 (group of young liberals taking up one lane) * Hosted by Donald Graff, queens (at) drinkingliberally.org
Upper East Side * Last Tuesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * Doc Watson's, 1490 2nd Ave (at 77th) * Hosted by Matthew Bachiochi, ues (at) drinkingliberally.org
West Bronx * First and third Friday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * An Beal Bocht, 445 W 238th St (between Waldo and Greystone) * 1 to 238th, turn left, straight on 238th, just past the top of the stairs * Hosted by Jamin Sewell and Scott Kennedy, westbronx (at) drinkingliberally.org
Rochester, New York * Every Thursday, 8:00-10:00 pm * Monty's Korner, 355 East Ave * Hosted by Tom Tucker and Tracy Logan, rochester (at) drinkingliberally.org
And then we have: Shooting Liberally Tuesday, Feb 19 From your friends at Drinking Liberally comes the debut of SHOOTING LIBERALLY...
For the First Amendment enthusiast ready to move on to the Second. A social evening at the gun range including training & weapon rental.
For more info and to reserve your spot, contact: Stanley Sherman - maskarts (at) worldnet.att.net
GEORGIA FOCUS: Obama, Veterans For Peace, NAACP, Groups and Events
With Bob Barr in the race for President as a Libertarian, Georgia is actually in play for Obama. Obama and McCain are currently neck and neck in the polls with Bob Barr getting 6%. As part of the Dean/Obama 50 state strategy, I urge a strong effort in Georgia this year. With that in mind I give you the Georgia for Obama Group. Join and participate! Register voters, give your time, make the effort.
South Georgia - North Florida Regional Volunteer HQ (Community Service) (Meeting) Updates and planning for community events. Time: Tuesday, July 15 at 7:00 PM Contact Phone: 1-800-894-7357 Location: South Ga - North FL Regional Volunteer HQ (Kingsland, GA) 597 Harrietts Bluff Road Kingsland, GA 31548
Directions: Take I-95 North of South to Exit 7 in GA. Go one mile West. Look for brick fountain on corner of Harriett's Bluff and Kinlaw.
South Georgia - North Florida Regional Volunteer HQ Brainstorming on efforts to assist Community in getting out the vote, and fundraising. Time: Tuesday, July 22 at 7:00 PM Contact Phone: 1-800-894-7357 Location: South Ga - North FL Regional Volunteer HQ (Kingsland, GA) 597 Harrietts Bluff Road Kingsland, GA 31548
Directions: I - 95 North or South to Exit 7 GA. Go one mile West. Look for the brick fountain on the corner of Kinlaw and Harriett's Bluff Rd.
Barack the Vote!!! This event will provide an atmosphere for discussion of issues,informative literature,and other useful resources to help promote the Obama '08 presidental campaigne. There will be light refreshments served. Get fired up and ready to go so we can Barack the Vote!!! Time: Saturday, July 26 at 4:00 PM Contact Phone: 229-291-2011 Location: Local Residential Home (Albany, GA) 3713 Mayfair ln. Suite B. Albany, GA 31721
Directions: * From 520 West take the Downtown Albany exiting Ramp to Dawson Rd. *At the light make a right on Pointe North Rd. *At the light at the end of the road make a right onto Old Dawson Rd. *Keep straight through one redlight. * Turn Left into St. Andrews. You are now on E. Alberson. *Go through the stop sign and make a left on Old Dominion Rd. *Turn left on Mayfair Ln. * The location will be marked with balloons. *3713 Mayfair Ln. Suite B. Albany,GA 31721 *Contact 229-291-2011 or 478-456-1781 for more detailed directions if needed.
Burning Spears (Voter Registration Drive) Voters Regostration Drive. Time: Sunday, July 27 at 1:00 PM Contact Phone: 478.320.2301 Location: Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church (Macon, GA) Bloomfield Rd Macon, GA 31204 Directions: Call me for driving direction @ 478.320.2301
South Georgia - North Florida Regional Volunteer HQ Event planning. Time: Monday, July 28 at 7:00 PM Contact Phone: 18008947357 Location: South Ga - North FL Regional Volunteer HQ (Kingsland, GA) 597 Harrietts Bluff Road Kingsland, GA 31548
Directions: Take I-95 North or South to Exit 7 in GA. Go one mile West. Look for the brick fountain on the corner of Harriett's Bluff and Kinlaw.
David Sirota, noted author, columnist, and populist political activist will be visiting Atlanta on July 23rd and 24th, 2008. Georgia for Democracy is proud to host David Sirota at Manuel’s Tavern on Wednesday, July 23, at 7:00 PM for a book signing and reception. The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington is the latest work from this renowned author and progressive strategist.
Join Georgia for Democracy , Atlanta WAND and A Cappella Books as we host David Sirota for this special event on July 23rd at 7:00 PM at Manuel’s Tavern, 602 N Highland Ave. Mr Sirota’s visit to Atlanta is part of his national book tour in support of his new book. This event is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and great educational and community-building opportunity for progressive-minded activists.
The reception is free, and copies of The Uprising will be on sale courtesy of A Cappella Books. For more information, please visit our website at www.georgiafordemocracy.org.
David Sirota will also be the guest of honor at a private dinner/fundraiser the following evening, Thursday, July 24th. For details about this event email: catherine@georgiafordemocracy.org or make your reservations for Dinner with David Sirota here. The $100 includes a copy of The Uprising, which David will sign for you! Funds raised from this event help to pay for David's visit to Atlanta, which is completely paid for by contributions to Georgia for Democracy.
Here are a couple of Democracy for America meetings in Georgia:
Decatur Meeting: First Wed. of every month, 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM, Location: ChocoLate Coffee, 2094 North Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA, 30033 US Contact: Susan Keith susan_at_georgiafordemocracy.org
The North Fulton/East Cobb Democracy for America: Second Tuesday of every month, 7:00 PM, sign up here to find out where and more details.
Veterans for Peace, Atlanta has several vigils and rallies around Atlanta. Here is their weekly schedule. I urge you to join them if you can to show your support:
Tuesdays 12:45-1 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Emory University , in front of Woodruff Library. For more information e-mail: thee.smith@emory. edu.
Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at CNN, Marietta and Centennial Olympic Park. For more information e-mail John.Zientowski@ turner.com
Fridays 12:00-1:00 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Colony Square , corner of Peachtree and 14th Street . For more information, e-mail bobbiepaul@rp.cbeyond.com
Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Marietta Square ( Cobb Court House). For more information e-mail cobbpeace@comcast.net
Saturdays 12:00-1:00 Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at Dekalb Farmers Market At 3000 Ponce de Leon Avenue , Decatur For more information, Fro more information e-mail John.Zientowski@ turner.com
Sundays 12:15-1:00 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at the corner of MLK Drive and Washington Street (across from the state capitol). For more information, e-mail elogan@gsu.edu or peggyhendrix2000@yahoo.com.
12:00-12:30 pm Weekly "Stand for Peace" vigil at 910 Ponce De Leon Ave NE ,Open Door Community. For more information contact Lauren Cogswell at lauren_cogswell@yahoo.com, 404-874-9652
Next let me highlight some NAACP groups:
The Cobb County NAACP monthly meetings are the first Monday of the month at the branch office at 6:30 p.m.
General membership meets the fourth Tuesday of the month, mostly at the office location but varies based on programs. Members are encouraged to attend these meetings. Join a committee today. Elections of officers are held in even years.
For more info contact the branch office: 605 B. Roswell St Marietta, GA 30061 770.425.5757 info_at_cobbnaacp.org
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, is the oldest, largest and strongest civil rights organization in the United States. The principal objective of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of the United States.
The NAACP is committed to achievement through non-violence and relies upon the press, the petition, the ballot and the courts, and is persistent in the use of legal and moral persuasion even in the face of overt and violent racial hostility.
Fayette County NAACP Branch General Membership Meeting: 2nd Saturday Each Month - 4:00 PM, Flat Rock AME Church
And if you want contact info for other NAACP branches in Georgia (mainly addresses), please go here.
Here are more groups and events in Georgia:
Lowndes County Democratic Party Annual BBQ Start Time: Jul 7 2008 - 6:00pm Knights of Columbus Hall 306 N. St. Augustine Road Valdosta, GA, 31601 United States
Lowndes County Democratic Party Annual Barbecue draws hundreds of Democratic activists from across south Georgia. Lowndes County Democratic Party headquarters is located at 1008 Slater Street, Valdosta, GA 31601. For more information, call LCDP HQ at 229-241-1694 or email lowndesdems_at_bellsouth.net or visit our website at http://campaignwindow.com/lowndescountydemocraticcommittee
Cobb County Young Democrats Monthly Happy Hours on the first Fridays of every month and monthly Business Meetings on the third Tuesdays of every month. Both are great opportunities to meet fellow Cobb County Young Democrats and learn about the 2008 heated races taking place in Cobb County.
Happy Hours: BLACKBIRD, 114 W Hancock St, Milledgeville, GA, 31061 US Contact: Christin Ivey, Christin_ivey@ecats.gcsu.edu,
Business Mettings: Little Azio Pizza and Pasta 1675 Cumberland Pkwy, Ivywalk Unit #415, Smyrna, GA, 30080 US Contact: Alexandra O'Callaghan, alli@georgiayds.org,
Cherokee County Democratic Party Meeting Third Monday of Every Month, 7 PM Hot Springs Community Center 100 Hickory Circle Holly Springs, GA More info here.
Drinking Liberally is a grassroots social organizations for people who like to meet fellow liberals over a good beer. Here are the Drinking Liberally chapters in Georgia:
Atlanta, Georgia * Every Thursday, 8:00 pm onward * Thinking Man's Tavern, 537 W Howard Ave, Decatur * Hosted by Erin Abrahams, atlanta (at) drinkingliberally.org
Dunwoody * First and third Wednesday of each month (next meeting January 2), 7:00 pm onward * Ye Olde Dunwoody Tavern, 5488 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd (map) * Hosted by Hillary Meister, dunwoody (at) drinkingliberally.org
Augusta, Georgia * Second and fourth Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * Helga's Lounge, 2015 Central Ave * Hosted by Margie Hobbins, augusta (at) drinkingliberally.org
Savannah, Georgia * First and third Thursday of each month, 7:30 pm onward * Crystal Beer Parlor, 301 W Jones St (corner of west jones and jefferson) * lots of parking * Hosted by John Mattingly, Victor Fishman and McKay Schwalbach, savannah (at) drinkingliberally.org
Vote for Change Southside (Voter Registration Drive)
This will be the last big push to get voters registered before the deadline for the August primaries. We want a big enough group of volunteers in order to spread out into the community. We will be meeting at the Southside Shopping Center at 2526 S. Monroe Street at 9am on the Wendy's side. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. YES, WE CAN!
Time: Saturday, July 19 at 9:00 AM Location: Southside Shopping Center (Tallahassee, FL) 2526 S. Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32301
Our Children For Obama Summer Party (Organizing)
The Future is within our children. Let's teach them about unity and peace from now. Come Celebrate with each other a day of fun, A bounce house, clowns, rides, games and food will be included. Seeking everyone who wishes to help with this event. A great location will be Miramar Regional Park which includes a brand new Water Park. The park charges a small fee of $3.50 for each person for the water park and $1.00 per person to get in the park. If you will like to help organize this event. Please Send me your info at keppyparties@yahoo.com. Also each person brings food and drinks. Donations for a shelter will be great.
Time: Saturday, July 19 at 12:00 PM Contact Phone: 954-826-5992 Location: Miramar Regional Park (Miramar, FL)
Obama Victory in 2008 (Voter Registration Drive)
Democratic Rally to promote Activism among regional Democrats Time: Saturday, July 19 at 6:00 PM Location: Our Democratic Home (Hobe Sound, FL) 8367 SE Pine Circle Hobe Sound, FL 33455
Brevard County Young Democrats (Meeting) Monthly Brevard Young Democrats Meeting Time: Wednesday, July 23 at 7:00 PM Location: House of Joe (Melbourne, FL) 1220 W New Haven Ave # 150 Melbourne, FL 32901
"Pizza & Politics" in Sarasota (Meeting)
Join the Suncoast Stonewall Democrats and the Sarasota-Manatee Young Democrats for Pizza and Politics! Bring your Obama signs, generate excitement about the campaign and meet other local Democratic candidates to discuss our issues.
Time: Friday, July 25 at 7:00 PM Contact Phone: 941-320-8643 Location: Primo Ristorante (Sarasota, FL) 8076 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34243
We will be meeting at the Save-A-Lot on Broad Street (get mapquest directions) at noon. We will break into groups and canvas surrounding neighborhoods to encourage registration. I will provide all of the documents needed. The stand at the Save-A-Lot will be presented in a non-partisan manner, but feel free to wear whatever gear you want.
Time: Saturday, July 26 at 12:00 PM Contact Phone: 352-327-3728 Location: Save-A-Lot (Brooksville, FL) 676 S Broad St. Brooksville, FL 34601
Register (Voter Registration Drive)
South St. Petersburg Florida needs to get people registered and excited about the process. Florida will be a crucial state in the general.
Time: Friday, August 15 at 6:00 PM Location: Coquina Key Shopping Plaza (Saint Petersburg, FL) 6th St South and 43rd Ave South Saint Petersburg, FL 33705
Next I want to continue to present information on some good candidates in Florida. Here is a video from Christine Jennings campaign for Congress (13th District) thanking her supporters:
Here are some Florida groups, events and chances to help out some good candidates:
Miami-Dade Democratic Black Caucus Regularly Scheduled Meeting Second Saturday of every month at 10 AM Event Location: El-Portal City Hall 500 NE 87 Street, The Village of El-Portal.
We welcome new membership, please join us, free continental breakfast served! Honorable Joyce A. Davis, President 305-754-0934
Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Miami-Dade Fourth Wednesday of every month, 7:00PM Hoja Nueva Restaurant at the Westin Colonade Please attend the monthly meeting for the Miami Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida. For more info: 305 632-0036
Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club Breakfast Meeting Event Location: “Versailles” restaurant located at 3555 SW 8 ST Miami, FL 33135 Fourth Saturday of each month, 9:00 a.m. (If this is the same Versailles Cuban restaurant that I know in California, the food is fantastic! Particularly the roast chicken and rost pork).
The Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club invites you to its next breakfast meeting at “Versailles” restaurant located at 3555 SW 8 St Cost: $15 per person.
For more info contact: Hector Caraballo (President, Miami Dade Cuban American Democratic Club) at hector_at_miamicubandems.org
MIAMI-DADE YOUNG DEMS MONTHLY MEETING Fourth Tuesday of every month, 7pm Location: Gordon Biersch 1201 Biscayne Ave. Miami, FL 33131 For info: 786-425-1130
Peace Vigil West New Haven 5:00PM - 6:30PM First Wednesday of the month at the "Peace Corner" 1700 West New Haven (just west of the Melbourne Square Mall). Signs provided or bring your own. Please bring nonperishable food items for "Food Not Bombs". Food is distributed to local families in need.
More info 321-720-3520 or vimpoco@cfl.rr.com Organization: Patriots For Peace
Weekly Peace Vigil in Homosassa Every Tuesday, 4:00 PM Meet at Hardee's at Route 19 & Hall's River Road - Homosassa
Call Ed Murphy 382-0876 for more info
Weekly Peace Vigil in Inverness Every Thursday, 5:00 PM Old Citrus Courthouse
Call Beverly at 400-4174 for more info
Planned Parenthood Mixer Join us at On Tapp Lounge for our monthly mixer with Planned Parenthood. On Tapp is located on New Haven Haven just before you go over the Melbourne Causeway on the left side.
We meet at 5:30 pm the 4th Tuesday of every month. Brevard NOW and Planned Parenthood will celebrate the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade and discuss the 2008 plans for both our organization. For more info, please call Michele Paccione/President at 480-9295 or e-mail at shellymk1@aol.com Organization: Brevard NOW Event link: www.myspace.com/brevardnow
Sumter County Democratic Club P.O. Box 1066 Wildwood, FL 34785 General Meeting at 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of every month Sumterville Community Center
Tri-County Women's Democratic Club General Meeting at 9:30 a.m. on the 1st Monday of every month at the Sumter County Sheriff's Annex on Highway 466 @ Morse Boulevard.
Charlotte County Democrats meeting The Charlotte County Democratic Club meets on the second Saturday of every month. Please join us at 9:30 AM for coffee and snacks. The meeting starts at 10 AM. Location is the upstairs meeting room at the Public Library on Aaron Street in Port Charlotte. Call 743-5560 for directions or more info.
And for those interested in a more fun way to be liberal, here are Florida's Drinking Liberal groups:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida * Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward * Island Jack's Patio Bar and Grille, 5425 W Atlantic Blvd, Margate (just East of 441) * Hosted by Jacqueline Hope Derby and Dave Pfeffer, ftlauderdale (at) drinkingliberally.org
Orlando, Florida * Every Wednesday, 6:00 pm onward * Johnny's Fillin' Station, 2706 S Ferncreek Ave (NE corner of Michigan and Fern Creek) * Hosted by Dan Hill, orlando (at) drinkingliberally.or
Pensacola, Florida * Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward * Intermission, 214 S Palafox St * Hosted by Terry Welch, pensacola (at) drinkingliberally.org
Tallahassee, Florida * Third Thursday of each month, 6:00 pm onward * Gill's Tavern, 2545 North Monroe Street * Hosted by Sharon Collins, tallahassee (at) drinkingliberally.org
South Tampa * First Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward * MacDintons Irish Pub, 405 S Howard Ave, Tampa (map) * Hosted by Shadia Alame and Kirk Sander, southtampa (at) drinkingliberally.org
St. Petersburg * Last Thursday of each month, 8:30 pm onward * Limey's Pub, 1492 4th St N * Hosted by Connor Davis and Dave Lee, stpetersburg (at) drinkingliberally.org
Brandon * Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward * Old Chicago, 2042 Badlands Dr (Outside patio) * Hosted by Joe Litton and Shirley Litton, brandon (at) drinkingliberally.org
Land O Lakes * Second Tuesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm * Rapscallions, 4422 Land O Lakes Blvd (US-41) * Hosted by Brian Reach and Michael Greenman, landolakes (at) drinkingliberally.org
This comes from Iowa State Rep. Elesha Gayman's (D-Davenport) newsletter:
FLOOD RECOVERY UNDERWAY
Now that the waters have receded, the heart breaking task of clean up and damage assessment is underway. Last week, House Speaker Pat Murphy, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Legislators joined Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Representatives in viewing the damage in those two cities. Murphy and McCarthy both indicated that what one sees on television does not begin to show the extent of damage that occurred in those areas of the state.
Deadline Extension for Aid
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted an extension of the filing deadline to apply for federal individual assistance. Iowans will now have until September 27 to apply for help. Governor Chet Culver had asked FEMA Director David Paulison for the 60-day extension due to the magnitude of the disaster.
This week, eight additional Iowa counties - Clinton, Decatur, Dubuque, Greene, Keokuk, Pottawattamie, Van Buren, and Washington - were granted a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance. Sixty-two counties in Iowa have now been approved for Individual Assistance, which allows eligible homeowners, renters, business owners and non-profit organizations to recover from the effects of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that began May 25. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses can apply for assistance by registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.
In addition, 77 counties across the state have been approved for Public Assistance. Public Assistance funds pay the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities. A series of applicant briefings will be held for local officials to explain the application process.
Governor Culver and Legislative Leaders agreed to the appointment of a special committee to help direct rebuilding efforts in Iowa. The Rebuild Iowa Advisory Committee will be chaired by General Ron Dardis, who currently serves as Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard. The other 14 members represent a broad spectrum of Iowans from across the state. The commission will report to the Governor and to the Legislature within 45 days of the first meeting. This report will include an assessment of the storms’ impact on the state - including on people, schools, businesses, and private and public infrastructure - and recommend initial steps the legislative and executive branches can take to assist in recovery.
The commission will develop a comprehensive long-term vision for rebuilding a safer, stronger, and better Iowa. The commission will continue to advise on the state’s ongoing recovery efforts at the federal, state and local levels, and assess progress towards meeting the rebuilding vision. The commission will also be able to create and appoint ongoing task forces focused on specific issues, and, as necessary, develop further recommendations in these areas in order to support a strategic recovery process.
"In Tom Latham, we have a congressman who has continually opposed women’s reproductive rights and has given a green light and a blank check to George Bush’s war in Iraq.
Together, we will make a difference for those struggling to get by on the minimum wage.
We will make a difference for those who cannot afford access to quality healthcare.
We will make a difference for those brave men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and facing life with an injury and the scars of war.
We will make a difference when we repeal the unfunded mandate known as No Child Left Behind.
We will make a difference when we invest in homegrown energy alternatives which lessen our dependence on foreign oil, clean up our environment, and put Iowans to work at high-paying jobs which can’t be outsourced and can be unionized."
Weekly Anti-War Vigil at Nollen Plaza Every Thursday 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Nollen Plaza, 3rd and Locust Des Moines, IA Contact: Wendy Vasquez Please join us for this weekly witness against the war. For more information, contact Wendy Vasquez at 515-771-8656.
Women for Peace Knitters Supporting the peaceful arts of knitting and crocheting. This group meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 am at Prairiewoods, 120 E Boyson Rd, Hiawatha. (Group also meets fourth Tuesdays each month at Marion Public Library, 7-8:30 pm., Marion.) For more information call 377-3252.
Cedar Rapids Peace Vigil Women for Peace, Iowa, meet each Saturday at noon at the corner of 1st Avenue and Collins Road.
And for those who are focused on combining fun and politics, here are the local Drinking Liberally groups in Iowa:
Ames, Iowa * Every Friday, 5:00 pm onward * Legends American Grill, 200 Stanton Ave, 7th Floor (in Campustown) * The group will meet in the large accessible party room left of the elevators unless it is booked by a larger group. We will then be in the Sky Box. Ask a waiter for our location. * Hosted by Jan Bauer and Brent Wynja, ames (at) drinkingliberally.org
Des Moines * Every Thursday, 8:00 p.m. onward * The Lift, 222 4th St (between Court Ave and Walnut) * Hosted by Amanda Mittlestadt, Tricia Kell, Cassie Samspon and Matt Jesson, desmoines (at) drinkingliberally.org
West Des Moines * Third Friday of each month, 5:00-7:00 pm * Tonic, 5535 George M Mills Civic Pky (within West Glen Towncenter) * Hosted by Cassie Sampson, Mikael Brown and Jenny Irlmeier, wdsm (at) drinkingliberally.org
Eating Liberally * Second Monday of each month, 6:00-7:30 pm * Continental Wine Bar, 428 E Locust St * Hosted by Marcus Walsh and Tricia Kell, desmoines (at) eatingliberally.org
Iowa City, Iowa * Every Thursday, 8:00 pm onward * The Mill Restaurant, 120 E Burlington St
Seems the Wisconsin Dems have an excellent ground game for challenging most state-level districts this year. This comes from the Wisconsin Democratic Party:
I hope you had a safe and enjoyable 4th of July. With the summer holiday behind us, we now have less than four months until the November 4th fall election. That means Democrats are gearing up around the state, ready to challenge Republicans in every corner of Wisconsin.
With yesterday being the last day to file candidacy papers, Democrats have been successful in fielding candidates for 12 of the 16 Senate races and have a candidate in all but a few of Wisconsin’s 99 Assembly districts. This is real progress, and it puts us in the best position in years to strenghten our numbers in the Senate and take back the Assembly.
As we move forward, Democrats are opening offices throughout the state, and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin is leading the charge. We are expanding our efforts on the ground and ramping up our online organizing as well. Last week, I sent you an annoucement detailing the launch of our new website as part of a dynamic new set of online tools aiding our efforts this year.
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to visit the new site today to see all it has to offer – improved usability, up-to-date news, and information on how to help Democrats take back the State Assembly, expand the majority in the State Senate, and send Barack Obama to the White House. New tools, additional pages, and up-to-date content will be continually added in the coming weeks and months.
I personally would like to highlight the following candidates:
Alison Page Senate District 10 Website : http://www.pageforsenate.com Address : 430 Crescent St., River Falls, WI 54022
Jessica King Senate District 18 Website: http://jesskingforsenate.com/ Address : P.O. Box 853, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Tara Johnson Senate District 32 Address : N980 Bloomer Mill Road, La Crosse, WI 54601
Spencer Coggs Senate District 06 Address : 3732 North 40th Street, Milwaukee, WI 54216
Lena Taylor Senate District 04 Address : 4039 North 15th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53209
21st Assembly District – Candidate: Lt. Colonel Glen Brower (note: this is on reccommendation of Justine Kozanoglu, who formerly was running for this seat) Website: http://www.glenbrower.com
Also see my Wisconsin Focus page below for more candidates
And here is an article I came across on Urban Farming in Milwaukee, an idea whose time has come. And once again Wisconsin is ahead of the pack.
WISCONSIN ACT BLUE SITE: Wisconsin is a critical state this year both because it is always a Presidential swing state, and because there are some important local elections. You can give through my Act Blue site to help win Wisconsin big this year.
[Note: the candidate Justine Kozanoglu who I endorsed before has dropped out and endorsed a candidate who entered the race after I endorsed: Glen Brower. I haven't looked into him yet, but Justine tells me he is an excellent candidate and she supports him wholeheartedly. Here is an article on Glen Brower's campaign kickoff.
And here are some other candidates endorsed by Progressive Majority: (Progressive Majority candidates win about 50% of the time in Wisconsin elections...so these people have a good shot)
Jessica King Candidate for Wisconsin State Senate - District 18 (Challenger) Oshkosh, East Winnebago County
Progressive Majority in Wisconsin helped Jessica win election to the Oshkosh City Council in 2007, where she ran an aggressive race that unseated an incumbent. During that race she impressed us with her work ethic; she raised over $11,000 for her race and knocked thousands of doors. Jessica is now looking to move up and challenge Carol Roessler, a conservative member of the State Senate. This seat is one of our top targets for 2008 because an additional victory will bolster the one-seat majority in the State Senate. Jessica has attended Planned Parenthood and It's Up to Us training and is a recent graduate of Emerge - an intense, eight month leadership development program for Democratic women. Jessica is a practicing attorney and is active on numerous community boards including the Grand Opera House Foundation, the City Energy and Environment Committee, Transit Committee, and United Way.
Sandy Pasch Candidate for Wisconsin State House - District 22 (Open Seat) Fox Point, River Hills, Glendale, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood
Sandy Pasch is running in an open seat vacated by Democrat Sheldon Wasserman, who is running for the State Senate to challenge conservative Alberta Darling. The 22nd is a seat that Democrats must protect. Sandy Pasch entered the race early and has been campaigning aggressively. Sandy has attended Camp Wellstone and secured the endorsement of the Inspector of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department, the Milwaukee District Attorney, and many prominent progressive activists. Sandy is a registered nurse and 21-year resident of the 22nd district. She is married and has rasied three grown children. As a second job, Sandy teaches ethics, mental health, and community nursing at Columbia School of Nursing. She also serves on numerous community boards and works with the Milwaukee Police Department conducting training on how to effectively deal with people living with mental illness.
Paul Tubbs Candidate for Wisconsin State House - District 34 (Challenger) Oneida and Vilas Counties
Paul Tubbs is running for State Assembly in Wisconsin's 34th District. This will be Paul's second run for the 34th Assembly District. As latecomer to the 2006 election, despite having a small budget, he out-performed all other Democratic challengers who had run for this seat since 2000. This cycle we recruited Paul to run again. Paul is currently a member of the Rhinelander School Board, has worked as a school counselor for 34 years, is a member of Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), and is a 30-year resident of his district. Paul owns a small business that has sold recreational equipment since 1988. His wife Cheryl is a teacher and they have three children.
Kristen Dexter Candidate for Wisconsin State House - District 68 (Challenger) Altoona, Eau Claire, Fall Creek
Kristen is running for the State Assembly in the 68th District, a top target for us in 2008. Kristen has lived in this district for 14 years and was elected to the Altoona School Board in 2002. She serves on the Regional Steering Committee for Health Literacy Wisconsin. She owned a small business working as a metalsmith for several years. She has been married for 15 years to David Dexter, a neurologist at Luther Midelfort/Mayo, and she is a mother of 3 children. Kristen was a star campaign volunteer for Pat Krietlow, a Progressive Majority candidate elected to the State Senate in 2006.
Dale Klemme Candidate for Wisconsin State House - District 96 (Challenger) Prairie du Chien, Gays Mills, Viroqua, Hillsboro
Dale Klemme is running for the 96th Assembly District seat - a top target for us in 2008. We identified and recruited Dale to run in the Spring of 2007. Dale is working to unseat Lee Nerison, a conservative Assembly member who has consistently voted along party lines. Dale is a community development planner who has lived in the district for 30 years, and his wife is the Mayor of Prarie du Chien. He is an active member of the Praire du Chien community, participating in the Praire du Chien Chamber and School Board. He is also a Vietnam veteran.
Here are some Wisconsin Democracy for America Groups:
Democracy for Wisconsin - Madison Meets first Wed. of each month, 7 PM, Madison, WI
Join us in building a brighter and more progressive future for our country.
For more information (including where) email: russwallac_at_aol.com or go here.
DFA Northeast Wisconsin DFA - Northeast Wisconsin (DFA-NEW) meets the first Wednesday of each month to discuss issues, promote progressive candidates and actively work to bring democracy to the political process locally, regionally and nationally. Sign up here to get information on their meetings.
Democracy for Stevens Point: A group of progressive, concerned citizens in the Stevens Point, WI area who are interested in political change as described in Democracy for America, and organization originally begun by Governor Howard Dean.
Ozaukee First Friday Forum First Friday Forums - public affairs breakfast forums co-sponsored by MATC-Mequon, UW-Extension and the Ozaukee County Board.
Held on the first Friday of every other month from 730am to 900 am at MATC-Mequon. $5 registration fee per session. Additional information: Sandra Webster 262-238-2205/ websters@matc.edu
Milwaukee County Democratic Club: We meet on the fourth Monday of most months, 7 PM in the Hall of Fame Room of the Pettit National Ice Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park. We look forward to seeing you there!
Petitt National Ice Center 500 S. 84th St Milwaukee, WI, 53214
For the bicycilists in Madison, here's Critical Mass Madison:
Critical Mass is a movement (not an organization) that advocates for better transportation alternatives. Meets 5:30 PM, the last Friday of Every Month, no matter the weather. Gather where West Washington meets Capitol Square. Where the ride goes after that is decided by whoever shows up.
And for those who like to combine social events with politics, here are the Drinking Liberally Groups in Wisconsin:
Fitchburg, Wisconsin * Second Thursday of each month, 5:30-7:00 pm * Kelly's Grill, 2685 Research Park Dr * Hosted by Alice Jenson and John Mosman, fitchburg (at) drinkingliberally.org
Sister Bay, Wisconsin * Every Tuesday, 7:00 pm onward * Shipwrecked Restaurant & Brewery, 7791 Egg Harbor Rd (Hwy 42), Egg Harbor (village center on Hwy 42) * ALERT! We are currently on seasonal hiatus with our next gathering in May of 2008. * Hosted by Dick Kaiser, sisterbay (at) drinkingliberally.org
