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 am continuing to focus more on local rather than national issues. This is simply because I am too busy to cover everything and, what with important NYC races, some Wisconsin elections, and some important events in several other states, I think my efforts are better applied to local stuff. Hopefully once my real job queits down and I get some repairs done in my apartment, I will have more attention for national issues. For now all I can say is my crusade against Bank of America, Citibank and AIG seem more justified than ever. Their behavior just gets worse and worse. I will also add that there right now is a clear difference between FedEx and UPS in the delivery business. FedEx is making some serious anti-union efforts while UPS is choosing to cease advertising on Bill O'Reilly's show. Together these actions mean if I possibly can I will not use FedEx and definitely use UPS.
I also want to put in a plug for Jennifer Brunner, running for Ohio Senate in 2010. I supported Jennifer as Secretary of State for Ohio, and she did an excellent job in that office. Now I think she'd make an excellent Senator. Now would be an excellent time to donate to her campaign to give her a strong lead. I did so some time back as soon as I heard she was running. In addition I donated to the Secretary of State Project to make sure we are set up to replace her as Secretary of State with another honest Democrat.
The Reagan doctrine for US-Latin American relations has died.
With the democratic electoral win for the FMLN in El Salvador, the Latin American left dominates politics throughout Central and South America. The FMLN in El Salvador. The Sandinistas in Nicaragua. The South American left wing governments in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and other nations.
Back in the 1980's, a dominant part of Reagan's foreign policy was to support right wing dictators and right wing death squads in Latin America to topple existing left wing governments (e.g. Nicaragua) or to prevent a left wing take over (e.g. El Salvador). The atrocities Reagan was willing to accept from his proxies were disgusting. The rape and murder of nuns. The destruction of entire villages. Torture and terrorism worse than anything Saddam Hussein ever perpetrated. And remember that Reagan was even willing to deal with Iran in order to keep weapons flowing to his brutal anti-communist proxy armies.
Many of the civil wars this policy perpetuated were horrific affairs. Possibly none more so than the civil war in El Salvador. Reagan's policies in Latin America represent something of a low point for American foreign policy and was responsible for a great deal of hatred worldwide against America. It was part of the decline in respect that many people around the world had for America because we were willing to tolerate atrocities in the name of fighting communism and we were willing to violate US law and international law.
Now across Latin America left wing governments are being democraticly elected. These elections are the model of fairness according to observers. The governmetns elected are popular and are improving the conditions for the average citizen at least when compared with the practices of the right wing governments they replace, though often that standard is rather low.
Left wing governments are not all the same. In the 1980's the Sandinistas were reasonably moderate, tolerating considerable dissent within Nicaragua, although their policies towards the Miskito Indians was similar to that of any colonial-derived government towards a native population. In America we were told lies about the Sandinistas and the brutal contra rebels were called freedom fighters (Note: many elements of the contras were brutal right wingers...some elements were not and were more moderate...Reagan did not distinguish between these elements). In the end, the Sandinistas called elections, lost fair and square, and surrenderec power peacefully. To me that was the ultimate denunciation of Reagan's policies. His biggest bugbear, the Sandinistas, had proven to be accepting of true democracy.
The FMLN were a different breed. The right wing government they were fighting was far worse, arbitrarily murdering, raping and destroying villages. But the FMLN were more than willing to use brutality as well. I never trusted the FMLN, though I did see them as at least marginally better than the government they were fighting. But I always wondered if they were more likely to behave like the Khmer Rouge than the Sandinistas. But however they were back then, that was 20 years ago. I never expected that the Salvadoran civil war could ever be peacefully ended because of the brutality on both sides. The desire for revenge would, I thought, be too great. Yet a peace agreement was signed and kept by both sides for 20 years. And now a peaceful, democratic change of government has occurred with the FMLN now taking power. And the leader of that faction of the FMLN has shown considerable moderation since the civil war days.
I am not pro-communism. I do not believe communism is, in any pure form, a viable economic system and is almost synonymous with dictatorship as a government system. This does not mean I automatically support any right wing dictator who says he's anti-communist. Far right wing dictators, whether Samoza in Nicaragua, Pinochet in Chile, or the right wing governments of Guatamala and El Salvador in th 1980's, are often far worse than all but the most brutal of communist governments. No one can beat the brutality of the Khmer Rouge or North Korea. But many right wing dictators do their best to out do these communist regimes both for keeping their people in poverty and for brutality. I believe in mixed economies like in Western Europe and democratic systems of government. One party states of either the left or the right are generally pretty bad. But what we are seeing in Latin America is a true interplay between left and right in fair democratic elections (even in Venezuela, from what independent observers say) with sometimes the right winning, and sometimes the left winning. THAT is the true victory and is the true defeat of the Reagan doctrine which generally supported dictatorships. I should note it also is the defeat of the Krushchev doctrine, if I may call it that, that wanted a spread of left wing dictatorships. Instead of either the left or the right winning, we have democracy winning with two or multi-party systems and fair elections. And in general, possibly with Hugo Chavez aside, the left wing governments elected today are more moderate than they would have been in the 1980's, both economically and in style of government.
I believe that electoral battles between left and right with neither side permanently winning is the best system because it balances the two doctrines while avoiding the tendency towards dictatorship both the left and the right have. So congratulations to Latin America for overcoming the Cold War years where the Reagan and Krushchev doctrines supported the worst of both left and right. Congratulations to democracy for ultimately defeating the ditatorial tendencies of both the left and the right and for moderating those who fought in those bad old days of Cold War driven civil war.
Developers, Development and Conflict of Interest in Politics
"Developer" is an oft cited bogeyman in NYC politics. I cite it often myself. But recent discussions I have had make me realize that focusing on developers can miss some critical points as to why developer money is such a problem and why developers are often political donors not to be trusted.
Development per se is not bad. It can be bad or good depending on how it is done. I remember when I was living in San Diego there was a huge controversy over the revitalization of downtown. Ultimately what they did with the downtown seems excellent to me. Similarly, redevelopment of downtown Los Angeles seems ultimately to have been done well. There are always problems about gentrification, changing historic communities, balancing profit and community benefit. If done right, with a strong local government calling the shots, development can be good. But if developers call all the shots, as they do in NYC, the results are disastrous for the community.
The answer is not to attack all developers. And pledges of "no developer money" by politicians can be misleading. I have seen the term "developer" defined so narrowly, in such a pedantically precise manner as to make the "no developer money" pledge almost meaningless. And yet I have also seen perfectly good contributions made by good people who happen to be developers given back because if a "no developer money" pledge. I think such pledges do help to draw distinctions among those politicians who eagerly grab developer money and give favors back in return with no qualms (Marty Markowitz, Mike Bloomberg, Melinda Katz...) and those who at least recognize that the pay-to-play system that was so horrible nationally under Bush is no better under Bloomberg in NYC. But the "no developer money" pledge and the knee-jerk negative reaction to developers misses the underlying problems. Or, more precisely, oversimplifies the underlying problems to one word: Developer.
I see two basic issues that underlie this debate: the actual corruption that occurs in a city dominated by developers, and the more general issue of conflict of interest that may primarily involve developers and development in NYC, but goes beyond that.
The first problem is indeed the overwhelming influence developers and development (which includes not just developers but the contracting industry and even some unions) has on NYC politics. The history of Bruce Ratner's leverage of his personal friendship with Pataki into a series of backroom deals that nearly got him a free hand in a huge swath of Brooklyn (not just "Atlantic Yards"), with huge amounts of taxpayer money funding him, in exchange for vague and unenforceable promises of "affordable housing" and "jobs" will illustrate the problem. And Ratner's influence, though it may have initially depended on his law school friendship with Pataki, became a simple buying of politicians like commodities...often through non-developer channels. Here is one example where "no developer money" would break down. Brooklyn Party Boss Vito Lopez suddenly received some large donations from relatives of Bruce Ratner, none of whom were developers themselves. Immediately afterwards, Lopez proposed a bill in the State Assembly that was so blatantly favoring Ratner himself that even Bloomberg balked. Money in exchange for a favor in a fairly blatant way, and yet "no developer money" didn't apply because Ratner himself didn't front the money. Also, not all benevolent sounding organizations that advocate for nice things like affordable housing are so benevolent. Ratner himself set up some pro-affordable housing organizations whose sole purpose seemed to be to give his Atlantic Yards project cover and supposed "community support." Those organizations aren't "developers." Yet their efforts and their money has gone largely to provide political support to a specific developer's project. "No developer money" would miss this one because, in essence, the developer money is laundered through a front organization. Finally, even union support, and my family has been pro-union since the days my great-grandfather lost an eye and part of a hand in an industrial accident, can front for developers. One example of how this works is the pro-Ratner "rallies" put on to counter community rallies against Atlantic Yards. These "rallies" are made up of union workers being paid union wages to come out and "protest." In all these examples a particular developer is using his money to subvert the system and in none of those cases would the political activity be directly covered by a "no developer money" ban.
But it isn't just Ratner, of course. Backroom sweetheart deals orchestrated by politicians like Bloomberg and Marty Markowitz and other developer shills are common, including a deal given to developer Stephen Ross that gave him prime Manhattan real estate for a mere $100,000. This isn't capitalism! It is cronyism of a sort I usually associate with Republicans...yet Democrats participate in as well in NYC. I mentioned Vito Lopez's corruption vis a vis Ratner above. But favors for developers in exchange for favors for politicians dogged members of the previous Brooklyn machine as well. And our City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, always acts oh-so-shocked when the details come out of such backroom schemes, yet the truth is, there is no effective oversight of these backroom deals and the ultimate winners are developers at taxpayer expense, often with little or no actual affordable housing or lasting union jobs coming out of the whole thing.
Developers are one of the dominant financial influences in NYC politics. Take the NYC Comptroller's race. Before John Liu entered the race, there were three mediocre candidates. Melinda Katz is well known for being one of the largest recipients of developer money in the city and openly shills for them. David Yassky and David Weprin take less blatant approaches and actually have taken stands that would be unpopular among developers (most recently this by Yassky). And yet Yassky, at least, has shown an amazing willingness to appease developers in order to beg for crumbs from them. This is a defeatist approach that my wife felt repelled by before I caught on to it. And for each of the three candidates, Katz, Yassky and Weprin, the two largest sources of donations were developers and lawyers. Many developers donated to more than one of them, clearly not favoring a particular candidate on merit so much as trying to establish a blanket obligation by the next comptroller to that developer's interests. It is in such cases that "no developer money" can best serve to distinguish developer friendly politicians from community friendly politicians. But even here, many of the developers didn't list themselves as developers. And there can be funneling of money from developers through relatives and front organizations, like Ratner does. Only with the entry of John Liu into the Comptroller's race did NYC get a more community-friendly option for the person who will keep an eye on our city's money. But will Liu also become a target for developer money?
But it isn't just developers. It is the development industry. Contractors, unions, etc. also try to influence politicians in favor of developers (as the Ratner example shows) because they see their livelihood influenced. I don't know why subway upgrades, building new school buildings and upgrading our sewers isn't seen by people as also creating jobs completely separate from developers. But somehow ONLY developers are seen by some as providing new jobs to working class New Yorkers. I think that is a mistake and our city suffers. And it drives a wedge between unions and progressives which benefits no one but developers.
These examples show how developers and the whole development industry per se are a big corrupting influence on our city. But beyond this is the fact that political donations often create conflicts of interest and it is those conflicts of interest, not just developers, that are a corrupting influence. And in many cases the "no developer money" pledge in no way removes such potential conflicts of interest. "No corporate donations" pledges go further in avoiding these conflicts of interest, though not always completely.
Is it a conflict of interest for a person fishing for a judgeship to make political donations to the very people who can offer him an appointed judgeship? Of course it is and it actually is illegal to buy a judgeship. This kind of conflict of interest has dogged Brooklyn judges, landing some in jail and damaging the chances of others when they later (after failing to buy a judgeship) ran for a judgeship.
And is it a conflict of interest when a company whose stated purpose is to buy undervalued companies and use negotiations with government to secure a better financial situation for those companies to donate to political candidates who may very well be part of the government making decisions that will turn that company a profit? Of course it is a conflict of interest. But this conflict would be ignored under the knee jerk "no developer money."
And it is a conflict of interest for Bill de Blasio (running, rather cynically perhaps, for NYC Public Advocate) to take gobs of money from the billboard industry right before advicating that NYC should: "Leave billboards ALONE!" It is amazing how $8000 from the industry got de Blasio's advocacy skills so active advocating for that self same industry.
To see who a politician is beholden to, look to where their donations come from, keeping in mind that a name on a donor list may not reveal their industry without a search. Linking a name to a company is generally required to know. But it is worth noting that developers donate to Melinda Katz so much yet still hedge their bets by donating to Weprin and Yassky as well. It is worth noting that Weprin also gets donations from the garage and horse carriage industries and this seems in line with his legislative stands. It is worth noting that Vito Lopez is showered with money from developers and chiropractors. Of course the people least beholden are the ones who bring in money mainly from average folks with little to spare, so they bring in the least money and so have the toughest time winning. Norman Siegel, running for Public Advocate, is so scrupulous about donors and so scrupulous about not being influenced by big money that it is hard for him to raise money. The people whose best interests are to elect Norm Siegel don't have as much money to donate as those whose best interests are in electing a far less scrupulous candidate.
Money from companies who want politicians to advocate for their industry is common practice. And yet it is also, in a very real sense and even when not illegal, corruption. Well accepted and legalized corruption is still corruption. It means money buys influence in a pretty blatant way. And although developers are the biggest donors and expect the biggest returns on their donations, it is a problem throughout the system.
These are the underlying problems that too often get ignored when people, in a knee-jerk way, attack developers and when politicians declare a "no developer money" policy. Look carefully at ANY politician's donors and ask just what those donors are expecting from that politician. Don't take a "no developer money" pledge to mean "no conflict of interest." Pay to play is an integral part of the American political system. Nationally Republicans took it to extremes during the Bush years. But under Pataki in NY State and Bloomberg in NYC, and with the complete connivance of way too many NYC Democrats, pay to play is taken to extremes in NYC, particularly in favor of wealthy developers. Finding the candidates who take money with the least strings, or at least take money with strings you are most comfortable with is the trick.
Momentum Buidling for April 4 March on Wall Street
National Mobilization New York City
On April 4th, massive numbers of people will be in the street in a unified and nonviolent call to cut military spending and to fund human needs and ecological sustainability.
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4, 1967
On the April 4th anniversary of Dr. King’s prophetic “Beyond Vietnam” speech delivered at Riverside Church, people will gather in New York City to protest war and rally for justice, equality and peace around the world. Groups for racial justice and economic equality, against war and occupation, for a new economy based on people’s needs, green union jobs and sustainability will all come together for a massive march on Wall Street.
Read what David Swanson, one of our most important progressive voices, has to say about this major mass action to take place in NYC on April 4:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/41001
Assembly Time: 11:00 AM
Assembly Location: Leonard, Franklin and White Streets, between Broadway and Lafayette St.
This is just south of Canal Street and close to several subway stops.
Canal Street stops on the J, M, Z lines at Centre Street 6 line at Lafayette Street N, Q, R, W lines at Broadway A. C, E lines at Sixth Ave. Franklin Street stop on the 1 line, at Varick St.
Veterans, Military Families and Others Associated With the Military — Leonard Street Labor — Leonard Street Students and Youth — Franklin Street Brooklyn — White Street (between Broadway & Lafayette)
March Step Off-Time: 12:00 PM noon
March Route: South on Broadway to Stone St., East on Stone to Broad St., North on Broad to Wall St. This route is a little less than 1.5 miles and takes us through the heart of the financial district, ending right in front of the NY Stock Exchange.
QUEENS, NY: Democracy for America, Candidates and Drinking Liberally
Democracy for NYC in Queens:
Democracy for New York City (DFNYC) is a volunteer-driven non-profit politicalaction committee. We are part of a national coalition of local groups committed to the ideals espoused by Democracy for America, the organization founded by Howard Dean.
We work both locally and nationally to ensure that fiscally-responsible and socially-progressive candidates win elections at all levels of government. We develop innovative ways to advocate for the issues that matter to our members and promote legislation which has a positive effect in our communities. We engage people in the political process and give them the tools to organize, communicate, mobilize, and enact change on the local, state, and national level.
Currently there are three Brooklyn chapters: Each meets the First Wednesday of every month.
Astoria, Queens - 7:30pm, - Ommonia Cafe 32-20 Broadway, with host Jeremiah Frei-Pearson and Costa Constantinides.
Sunnyside, Queens - 7:30pm, Bliss Street Station restaurant, 47-02 Greenpoint Ave., with host Dan Jacoby.
Bayside, Queens - 7:00pm, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics.
Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens
The Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens (LGDCQ) is the only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender independent Democratic club in the Borough of Queens.
The LGDCQ was founded eleven years ago to increase the visibility of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the political arena of Queens, New York City, New York State and the nation.
To receive the monthly newsletter or to be put on the Club's mailing list contact; Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm at Write "LGDCQ Newsletter" in subject title.
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES IN QUEENS:
Marquez Claxton for City Council: A former NYC Police Officer and co-founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, Marq Claxton is running for the City Council District 31 seat in Queens. He is currently the chair of the Public Safety Committee for Community Board 13. He has been endorsed by Eric Adams (who I know and respect) and is being considered by the Working Families Party as a candidate. Here is Eric Adam's endorsement statement:
Here is Marq Claxton opposing Bloomberg's term limits coup:
Daniel Dromm for City Council: a public school teacher running for the City Council District 25 seat in Queens. He was a founder of the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens and chapter leader of United Federation of Teachers, PS 199Q. He has been endorsed by the United Federation of Teachers, Mark Green, and others. WFP seem to be considering him as well. Dromm received the "Community Service Impact Award" from the Times Ledger Newspapers (2006), the "Outstanding Teacher of the Year" PS 199Q Principal's Award (2006), and the "Citation of Honor" from the Queens Borough President (1995). Seems like exactly the experience we need on the City Council.
Here is a video of Daniel Dromm at Pride '09:
Here is a video of Daniel Dromm protesting the Con Ed rate hikes and inadequate service:
This guys sounds pretty exciting given his experience. From his website:
Melquiades Gagarin was born in Elmhurst, Queens to a diverse family background. Mel was raised by his grandmother and mother, a nurse, who emphasized the value of hard work and service to others. Mel carries these values with him into his campaign to represent the 29th Council District.
Mel is a graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School, in Jamaica and received his degree in Political Science from the American University in Washington D.C. After graduation Mel worked for the National Foundation for Women Legislators, a non-profit organization that assists female state legislators develop leadership skills.
In the fall of 2005, Mel and his future wife Aleda returned to New York and moved to Kew Gardens where they would start their family. Mel served as the Communications Liaison to New York State Senator José Serrano before being hired by Congressman Anthony Weiner as his Community Representative. As the Congressman’s Community Representative Mel was dedicated to assisting constituents and working to solve their problems.
Mel now serves as the Media Manager for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, where he is responsible for spreading the organization’s message of equality and justice for all Americans. He lives in Kew Gardens with his wife Aleda, son Micah, and daughter Zoe Frances.
And a video from his website:
Some other endorsements I am making in Queens:
19th City Council District: Steve Behar. I have met Steve at several Democracy for NYC events. Great guy who has worked tirelessly for progressives in NYC and throughout the state.
24th City Council District: Jim Gennaro. Excellent environmental advocate pushing for more biodiesel in NYC to reduce pollution, and a strong advocate for preserving the safety of our drinking water.
DRINKING LIBERALLY IN QUEENS:
An informal, inclusive progressive social group. 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.
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
BRONX, NY: Green Collar Jobs, Food Co-ops, City Council Candidate
Training a New Generation of Green Collar Workers
Celebrating Over 100 Graduates and 5 years of Success
BEST & Introducing BEST for Buildings
The Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training (BEST) program is one of the nation's first and most successful green-collar job training & placement systems. Students graduate with several certifications, job readiness preparation, and a powerful environmental justice perspective on all of the important work they are qualified to do. Nearly all of the students were on some form of public assistance, and about half have prison records. This 14-16-week program is free to qualified applicants. We work with our graduates to help them find the right job, and we track their progress for 3 years in case they need help finding their place in this growing and rewarding job market. Now in its 5th year of operation, over 80% are employed and 15% have gone on to higher education.
Due to the ever increasing demands in the burgeoning green-collar economy and its successful track record of pathways out of poverty, SSBx is proud to announce its new 10 to 13 week pilot job training program in basic building construction, energy retrofits, and home energy audits - BEST for Buildings! Accepting applications NOW!
HOW TO APPLY- We are currently accepting applications for both BEST training programs now! Download application!
BEST CURRICULUM Hands-On Training:
River BankRestoration Bioremediation Green Roof Installation Green Roof Maintenance Phytomediation Ecological Restoration Wetland Restoration Stream Bank Stabilization Landscape 101 Plants, trees, shrubs, identification Water and Soil Quality Testing Wildlife Identification Brownfield Remediation Hazardous Waste Cleanup Asbestos Abatement Power Tool Safety & Operation
CERTIFICATIONS: First Aid and CPR NYC Tree Pruner Entry Level Tree Climbing 40 Hour Hazardous Waste Cleanup 10 Hour OSHA Herbicide/Pesticide Applicator
New York Botanical Garden Classes: Intro to Horticulture Intro to Ecology Chainsaw safety and usage Preparation for Pesticide Applicator Certification Examination Intro to Wetland Restoration
BEST for BUILDINGS CURRICULUM: CERTIFICATIONS: OSHA 10 Hour Safety for Construction Lead Awareness Asbestos Handling
SOUTH BRONX FOOD CO-OP:
It took nearly 7 years living within a few blocks of one of the biggest food co-ops in America before Joy and I joined it. We were definitely reluctant. But, in the end the lack of good produce and the decline of our local supermarkets led to us joining. And the result is a slighly more inconvenient shopping trip each week, but much healthier, higher quality and cheaper food. I recommend joining a co-op if there is one nearby. You will save money and eat healthier. So I will try to highlight some co-ops in the coming week.
Here is a food co-op in the South Bronx:
The South Bronx Food Cooperative (SBxFC) is a green shopping alternative to the profit-oriented commercial food markets found in the Bronx. Founded and operated by committed residents, the SBxFC is dedicated to making a difference in the community by working together to provide healthy and affordable food to all who want it.
The South Bronx Food cooperative carries a wide variety of products, including local, organic and conventionally grown produce; pasture-raised, grass-fed and free-range meats and poultry; bulk grains, sugars, spices and pastas; fair-trade coffees and chocolate; environmentally safe cleaning supplies, and much more. All of this plus a selection of standard supermarket items makes the SBxFC a one-stop shopping destination. Sales are brisk at the SBxFC and inventory is replenished often ensuring that the products we sell are as fresh as possible..
As a member of the SBxFC you share ownership of the coop with fellow members. Members have a voice in the decision-making process and participate in directing the organization's future. Equally important, as a shopper you will know where your food choices come from. By becoming a member you and your family not only have access to fresh foods at reasonable prices, you will learn about our local farmers, organizations and vendors.
In addition to providing green/local products and democratic operations (common at most cooperatives), the SBxFC provides various health and nutrition services including workshops, cooking classes and education seminars. Our community education programs are designed and administered by local medical professionals and nutrition specialist. The goal of the SBxFC is to correct the various health disparities faced by Bronxites including diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.
They seem to even have an online shopping option (members only).
Hours:
11:00 am – 8pm, Thursday – Monday CLOSED Tuesday & Wednesday (Additional hours and days of operation will be added in the very near future)
Location:
3103 Third Avenue Bronx NY 10451 (The corner of 158th St)
BRONX CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE:
Here is a City Council Candidate I am considering supporting in the Bronx
Hello, My name is Jerome Rice, I am running to be your next City Councilman for District 12. I am a family man and resident, that attends church in the Bronx, where I serve as both Trustee and Co-chair to Public Safety. I have a Master Degree in Business Administration from Monroe College. I have served 22 years in the New York Army National Guard, before retiring with the rank of First Sergeant. I have a total of 21 years in the NYC Department of Correction, holding the rank of Captain. I have spent the last 13 years in a Civil Rights organization known as 100 Blacks In Law Enforcement Who Care, where I serve as its Director.
I fought against: Wrongful Police Shooting & Policies such as Stop & Frisk, Operation Lucky Bag, Disparate Treatment against Blacks & Hispanic being arrested for lower crime, Privatizing and Re-Zoing of Harlem. Both your Civil Rights and the Bronx are not for sale.
I have been fighting and will continue to fight for those who can't.
Here are some of the concerns, I will address: Affordable Homes: Why are we allowing homes to be built in our community, that we can't afford? Homes ranging from $350,000-$400,000 and the average income is only $40,000 - $60,000 a year. Lets make homes affordable. Also I will increase inspections and penalties on Landlord that refuse to provide you a comfortable living envirnoment.
Education: I have both created and facilitated informative survival workshops on issues affecting our community such as: What to do, when stopped by the police What to do, when you go to court "Because its Just-Us" Gangs "Our community domestic terrorist' Disaster awareness "Are you ready" and Hunting Season "No where to run, No where to hide"
Our Youth should learn in a comfortable learning envirnoment, by ensuring that each school has enough School Safety Officers to patrol our school ground. I will also ensure that each school has Up-To-Date programs to prepare our youth for the REAL WORLD.
Economic Development: Bring in New Business and support existing business. Open more centers for both our senior citizens and youth.
Public Safety- I will call for increase in Police Patrol, in areas that are seriously impacted with crime. I will introduce new programs to educate our youth and senior citizens on issues regarding crime and health.
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 in Brooklyn:
Democracy for New York City (DFNYC) is a volunteer-driven non-profit politicalaction committee. We are part of a national coalition of local groups committed to the ideals espoused by Democracy for America, the organization founded by Howard Dean.
We work both locally and nationally to ensure that fiscally-responsible and socially-progressive candidates win elections at all levels of government. We develop innovative ways to advocate for the issues that matter to our members and promote legislation which has a positive effect in our communities. We engage people in the political process and give them the tools to organize, communicate, mobilize, and enact change on the local, state, and national level.
Currently there is only one Brooklyn chapter:
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn - Meets First Wednesday of every month. 7:00pm, Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead 1669 E. 22nd St. with host Annette Mont and Estelle Glasser.
I love Brooklyn—our neighborhoods and our people, the incredible warmth I feel walking around our vibrant and diverse communities. Like you, I know that Brooklyn is a terrific place to live and raise our families. But everywhere we look these days, the things that make our borough great are under assault. Developers and out of touch politicians seem determined to transform our community into an endless series of high-rise condos and strip malls. I believe that unchecked development threatens the beauty and integrity of our neighborhoods, overtaxes public services, and places an incalculable burden on our fragile ecology. I’m willing to stand up to the developers, and I hope you’ll stand with me.
As President of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) for the past two years, and as an executive member of Democracy for New York City, I've had the honor and pleasure of working with fellow concerned citizens to help change Brooklyn for the better: Local government that doesn't fear its constituents, but embraces them. A political ecosystem that nourishes and amplifies our core values rather than suppresses them. Transparency, honesty, community empowerment, and more than just lip service for the progressive values our neighborhoods share. I will continue to work on behalf of schools and teachers for our children, an environmental policy brave enough to protect the planet for future generations, and I will stand strong and defend our neighborhoods from the out of control, out of context development that seems to be everywhere, and advocate for smart growth and community based planning.
I look forward to bringing the enthusiasm I've shared with so many of you to city council.
Here are some more of my endorsements in Brooklyn:
34th City Council District: Diana Reyna. The first woman of Dominican-American descent to be elected to NYC public office. Reyna is being heavily targeted by Brooklyn Boss Vito Lopez because she hasn't gone along with his corruption. Seems to me a certain Surrogate Judge had a similar experience and won when Vito tried to take his revenge. I think we can defeat Vito again. I don't consider Reyna my ideal candidate (she is one of the Bloomberg 29, for example), but I certainly won't support Vito's corruption candidate against her.
35th City Council District: Letitia James wholeheartedly. An amazing woman!
38th City Council District: David Galarza wholeheartedly. I know him and he is a good guy. Smart, honest, progressive and reform minded.
40th City Council District: Rock Hackshaw. He is a fellow blogger and his knowledge of Brooklyn politics is amazing. I differ with this guy on some issues. He is too conservative to my mind. But I know him and his honesty and integrity are exceptional and I think he would be an excellent City Councilman. Since he is running against a guy who lies about being a doctor and is as strange and squirrely as you can get, Rock would be a very welcome change. (No website yet?)
45th City Council District: Two candidates I like. First Terry Hinds. I have three people giving very good recommendations for this guy. But I also think Rod Daley is good and represents a chance to get another educator on the city council.
DRINKING LIBERALLY IN BROOKLYN:
An informal, inclusive progressive social group. 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.
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
FOOD CO-OPS IN BROOKLYN:
Park Slope Food Co-op 782 Union Street Brooklyn, New York 11215 Phone: (718) 622-0560 FAX: (718) 622-5685 linda_wheeler@psfc.coop http://www.foodcoop.com/
This is the largest Food Co-op in America. Joy and I are members (as are City Council Candidates Ken Baer and Josh Skaller). Low prices and high quality even if it can be a bit inconvenient at times.
Flatbush Food Cooperative 1318 Cortelyou Road Brooklyn, New York 11226 Phone: (718) 284-9717 FAX: (718) 284-9719 info@flatbushfoodcoop.com http://www.flatbushfoodcoop.com/
Established in 1976, and located on Cortelyou Road in the heart of Victorian Flatbush since 1985, Flatbush Food Coop is a community-owned, full-service natural foods store specializing in organic products. We are committed to serving the diverse community in which we are situated, and beyond, by providing goods and services that promote personal and environmental well-being. Like the 300 food coops across the nation with which we are affiliated, we are open to all—it is not necessary to be a member to shop. By joining the Coop, however, you become a joint owner of our business and are able to take additional savings on your purchases. There are opportunities for varying degrees of involvement in the coop, and our member-owners are able to influence the direction of our organization. We are particularly proud that the dozens of ethnic groups in Brooklyn’s most diverse neighborhood are reflected in our staff, our close to 3,000 members, and countless shoppers.
NEW YORK STATE FOCUS: Blogs, 2009 Candidates, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events
Here are some articles worth reading:
Rockefeller Drug Law Reform Deal Reached...It is about time! Although Albany remains dysfunctional even under Dem control, this shows that long-needed reforms can still be accomplished once Dems are in control. This is HUGE reform. Now prisons won't have to release rapists because they have to make room for minor drug offenders because of these ill-conceived laws.
Rock Hackshaw and Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats join Democracy for NYC, Senator Eric Adams and myself in endorsing Norm Siegel for Public Advocate. Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats also endorses John Liu for NYC Comptroller
New state budget packed with pork for Albany legislators, despite economic crisis...let me be clear that a lot of things dismissed as "pork" are actually good programs, more like bringing home the bacon for a district. But there is no question that there is also a lot of corruption in the pork processing procedure in Albany
Stealth Online Election for NYC Education Boards: I am not sure I share this guy's enthusiasm for online elections, but this whole election for Community and Citywide Education Council seems to be poorly publicized.
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
No Land Grab: News from the point of view of Brooklyn opposition to overdevelopment
True News from ChangeNYC.Org: ChangeNYC.Org is an organization unifying our City’s Democratic Party by welcoming all New Yorkers back into the political process. We are a coalition of real, everyday New Yorkers – young voters, progressives, neighborhood leaders, community bloggers, good government groups, and even conservatives – who believe that in cooperation we can bring the change to our City that together we have begun to bring to our nation.
Let me highlight some excellent candidates running in New York in 2009: (also see my borough specific sections where I also discuss candidates)
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. He has so far been endorsed by Democracy for NYC, Room 8 Blogger Rock Hackshaw, State Senator Eric Adams, and the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats.
And here is Youtube footage of Norm Siegel and the NYC Coalition To Preserve Term Limits Press Conference:
More Races: Here is a Facebook Site highlighting some good primary challenges against those City Council members who voted themselves a pay raise then voted themselves a third term in the council over the vote and objections of the voters. In the future I will be highlighting some of these challengers, though for now electing Norm Siegel and Josh Skaller are my main efforts. I am particularly watching the following people to see if they are running for City Council. If they run, I am likely to support them:
David Galarza, Council District 38 (I hear he IS indeed running!)
Rocky Chin, Council District 1 Rodrick Daley or Terry Hinds, Council District 45
* A $2 billion investment by Spanish energy company, Iberdrola, will double New York's 1,000-megawatt wind capacity to 2,000-megawatts - providing enough electricity for nearly 600,000 homes.
* New York's energy efficiency programs save enough electricity to power almost 115,000 homes for a whole year, save almost $140 million in energy costs, and prevent the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking over 60,000 cars off the road. Although great progress, the state still has much more potential to increase its energy efficiency.
* The state has a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that requires all public utilities to generate 24% of their electricity from renewable energy resources by 2013.
What you can do for Clean Energy:
For pennies per month more than you currently pay for energy you can buy 100% green energy from Con-Ed. Joy and I have been doing it for years, seriously reducing our carbon footprint and giving NY State cleaner air. Here's how it works:
Clean Energy for Residential & Small Business Customers ConEdison Solutions is leading the way in promoting pollution-free electricity by offering WIND and GREEN Power - clean, 100% renewable power. Instead of drawing on traditional power sources, such as nuclear power and fossil fuel sources, GREEN Power is generated from regional wind and low-impact hydropower sources. GREEN Power is composed of 65% run-of-the-river hydro and 35% wind power. See content label WIND Power is composed of electricity exclusively generated from 100% wind power. The benefit of clean energy is that it produces none of the detrimental environmental effects associated with electricity production that results in air emissions.
ConEdison Solutions is committed to making a difference in the environment and together we have the opportunity to help make a powerful impact. The cost for renewable energy has fallen dramatically in recent years and is only a fraction higher than electricity generated from traditional power sources. ConEdison Solutions' GREEN Power costs only an additional one cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) more than our standard offer and WIND Power is an additional 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) more than our standard offer. Upgrading to renewable energy makes a difference and is a very affordable way to show that you care about the future of our environment.
Here are a handful of Organizations worth checking out:
The Environmental Business Association is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to supporting the growth of the environmental industry in New York State. Specifically, we help to promote and serve serving the industry sectors of Climate Change, Greening Communities, Energy and WALCE (Water-Agriculture-Land Use-Conservation-Environmental). News here. Events list here (not recently updated).
NY Citizens for Clean Elections: We are committed to passage of Clean Money Clean Election legislation in NYS that provides a non-partisan approach for full public funding of campaigns for all qualified candidates who refuse private money and abide by spending limits. We want to ensure that all Americans, regardless of wealth, have an equal voice in the political system and that qualified candidates are not discouraged from running because they do not have access to the money needed for a competitive campaign.
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.
Stonewall Democrats of Western New York is the GLBT Democratic voice in WNY. Our mission is to advocate for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community within the Democratic Party and to encourage GLBT participation within the Democratic Party. Our membership includes representatives from State, County, and City government, and several Democratic committee members amongst the various County Committees in WNY.
Drop the Rock: Enacted in 1973, the Rockefeller Drug Laws require lengthy prison terms for the possession or sale of a relatively small amount of drugs. There are over 13,000 people in New York’s prisons incarcerated under the drug laws, most of them minor offenders with no history of violent behavior. It costs New York $500 million a year to imprison drug offenders. 90% of the people locked up in New York for drug offenses are African American or Latino, despite research showing that the majority of people who use and sell drugs are white. Research shows that drug treatment is less expensive than imprisonment and more successful in reducing drug-related crime. Repealing the Rockefeller Drug Laws would save the fiscally strapped state over $220 million per year. Get involved here.
DEMOCRACY FOR NYC MEETINGS: First Wednesday of every month.
Upper West Side - 7:00 pm, The Parlour (back room) - 250 West 86th Street (btwn B'way and West End Ave.), with hosts Bernadette Evangelist and Sally Swisher.
West Village - 7:00pm, Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher St. (near 7th Ave.) with host Tracey Keij-Denton.
Astoria, Queens - 7:30pm, - Ommonia Cafe 32-20 Broadway, with host Jeremiah Frei-Pearson and Costa Constantinides.
Sunnyside, Queens - 7:30 pm, Bliss Street Station restaurant, 47-02 Greenpoint Ave., with host Dan Jacoby.
Bayside, Queens - 7:00 pm, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics.
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn - 7:00pm, Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead 1669 E. 22nd St. with host Annette Mont and Estelle Glasser.
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 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
Mar 29 Sunday 3pm, Anaheim: the Harvey Milk Stonewall Democrats of Orange County will be holding its general meeting on Sunday, March 29, at 2:00 PM at the Unite Here Local 50 HQ at 527 S Harbor Blvd in Anaheim
Apr 1 Wednesday 6:30-9pm, Newport Coast: Microfinance Event w/Author Dana Whitaker This event is co-sponsored by RESULTS Global: Orange County, California.
Hear the inspiring success stories of real people who have achieved extraordinary results with their small loans as told by Dana Whitaker, author of Transforming Lives $40 at a Time - Women and Microfinance: Upending the Status Quo. Dana is the Chair of the Alameda County Board of Women's Initiative for Self Employment and Membership Chair of Women Advancing Microfinance. She is also the founder of Opening Eyes LLC, a personal and professional coaching service. Helping one person living on less than a $1 a day, start or expand their enterprise with a small loan pays big dividends. It spreads wealth in their communities and encourages other entrepreneurs to do the same with their businesses. And that means helping people help themselves in a dignified, sustainable way. Visit Dana's website at openingeyes.net Kindly RSVP to reserve your seat as space is limited. RSVP to attend in person by emailing Diana de Castro at decastrod@aol.com. Register to attend the event via webinar here. Crystal Cove, Canyon Club, 22828 Reef Point Dr., Newport Coast, CA
Apr 1 (1st Wednesday) 7pm, Costa Mesa: Democracy for America-Orange County Monthly meeting Karl Strauss Brewery, 901 South Coast Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92627. Debbie Cook unfortunately will not be able to speak at the April meeting. However and very fortunately, Merle Moshiri, President of Residents For Responsible Desalination, will speak on the issue.
Florice Hoffman - EFCA and Planned Parenthood Florice Hoffman is a labor attorney and vice-chair of the OC Democratic Party. She will explain the Employees Free Choice Act and present an update on the County Supervisors decision to terminate funding of Planned Parenthood's Education Program. For more information, contact Susan Kopicki at sckopicki@yahoo.com or 949/872-0966.
Apr 4 Saturday 10am-2pm. Irvine: OC Equality Team Canvass in Irvine We're ready to hit the pavement to talk to our neighbors, share our stories, and win the hearts and minds that are crucial to winning back our rights! For our first walk we'll be targeting Irvine and Costa Mesa, two OC cities where we narrowly won last November. In order to win statewide we must do better in Orange County, so please join us to make a difference... And have a good time while doing it.
Please RSVP here: couragecampaign.org/page/event/detail/specialpresentation/wrwj . If you have any questions, please call me at 949-813-2131 or email me at atdnetx@gmail.com. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you
Apr 4 Saturday 9:30-1pm. Irvine: Women For: Orange County presents --- THE 24TH ANNUAL GREAT AMERICAN WRITE-IN. The Pen is Mightier than the Sword ~ Raise Your Voice by Writing! Lakeview Senior Center at Woodbridge Community Park, 20 Lake Road, Irvine. This JAMBOREE is FREE! Over forty local groups tabling for the causes you believe in. Postage, supplies and refreshments provided by Women For: Orange County. Remember your return address labels, and help the Earth by bringing your own mug. You truly do not want to miss this inspiring event. More information: womenforoc.org/_wsn/page4.html, 949.276.7298, 949.581.3938. WF:OC, a grassroots advocacy organization founded in 1984 -- become a member: womenforoc.org/_wsn/page2.html
Apr 11 (2nd Saturday) 6:30-8:30pm, Irvine: ReclaimDemocracy.org Orange County: Screening of "News War (second half of film)" refreshments at 6:00pm, meeting at 6:30pm Please join us! And if you know someone who may not be familiar with ReclaimDemocracy.org themes, please invite them come along. As always, there is no charge and free refreshments will be available. at the Irvine Ranch Water District building at 15600 Sand Canyon Ave. ReclaimDemocracyOC.org
Apr 5 (1st Sunday) 11:30am, Tustin: LGBT Brunch Rutabegorz, 158 West Main, Tustin, CA 92780
The Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) social group of Church of the Foothills has started a monthly Brunch social, which takes place on the first Sunday of each month, following fellowship, at 11:30AM. April?s brunch will be held at Rutabegorz in Tustin, and is a great opportunity for those seeking a progressive Christian church to meet other LGBT church members.
For more information about the LGBT First Sunday Brunch Bunch, please contact Kergan Edwards-Stout at 714.552.2348 or at proud2bedad@yahoo.com
Apr 6 (1st Monday) 6:30pm, Santa Ana: Democratic Club of Central Orange County Guest Speaker Lindsay Hopkins Democratic Party OC 34 City Strategy Marie Callendar's, 1821 N. Grand Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92701 6:30 P.M. No Host Dinner 7:00 P.M. Meeting democratsofcentraloc.org
Apr 14 (2nd Tuesday) 7pm, San Juan Capistrano: South Orange County Democratic Club Gustavo Arellano, Author and Award Winning Journalist Arellano's most recent book, "Orange County, a Personal History", tells the story of his own family?s assimilation into OC American culture amid racism, mega churches, and master planned communities. We hope you will join us for what promises to be an entertaining, thoughtful, educational presentation. Buffet Dinner 6pm $20 inclusive Cash please Meeting Only 7pm $3 Members, $5 non members
RSVP's are required for dinner OR meeting only Reservations required by Friday April 10 Contact: kenton805@ cox.net or 949-498-1372 Since all reservations are guaranteed, if you can't attend, please phone in any cancellations 24 hrs prior. socdc.org
Apr 15 Wednesday 7pm, Laguna Woods: Laguna Woods Democratic Club (3rd Wednesday this month instead of because of Passover) Clubhouse 3, Dining Room 1 Guest speaker Debbie Cook lw-dems.org
Apr 16 (3rd Thursday) 7pm, Anaheim: Anaheim Democratic Club at Mimi's on Euclid, just south of the 91 Freeway
Apr 18 Saturday 9am-5pm, Irvine: UCI Earth Day * promotes a healthy environment and a peaceful, just sustainable world. * aims to increase public awareness of critical environmental issues. * will feature over 30 non-profit agencies, and an array of vendors. * will occur in conjunction with Celebrat UCI the campus' Annual Open House; the campus is estimated to receive 20,000 visitors. * will feature interactive, hands-on, educational booths and displays, eco-friendly vendors, entertainment & much more. * will host the Annual Re-Use Art Competition, consisting of recyclables &/or trash art, & the brand new "Pause for a Cause" Video Competition, a 3 minute video demonstrating the impact that tobacco has on the environment. * is collaborating with ASUCI's Wayzgoose as the whole park turns eco-friendly for the first time, using Bio-Diesel Generators & a concert style Solar Powered Stage. * will be a styrofoam free, solar powered event. Aldrich Park www.volunteer.uci.edu/programs/earthday/
Apr 18 Saturday 3pm, Yorba Linda: Democratic Diva Dessert Hosted by the OCYD Women's Caucus will host a Democratic Diva Dessert at the home of Anne Thahim located at 17274 Blue Spruce Lane, Yorba Linda. Enjoy an afternoon of networking and celebration of pioneering women in Orange County. Host committee rates are Prima Donna $500; Diva $250; and Leading Lady $100. Tickets rates are $50; Young Dem/College Dem $25. You can purchase tickets at ocyd.net. Proceeds will benefit the Orange County Young Democrats Women;s Caucus.
Apr 19 (moved from usual 2nd Sunday) 1-3pm, Fullerton: Progressive Women of North OC Meeting Monkey Business Cafe, 301 E Amerige, Fullerton progressivewinoc.org
Apr 25 Saturday 9am-9pm, Santa Ana: Queer People of Color Conference Reclamando Nuestros Colores: Rooting Ourselves In The Community
El Centro Cultural De Mexico 310 W. 5TH Street (2Nd Floor) Santa Ana, CA 92701 All ages, races, genders and sexualities WELCOME! The conference will be directed and will include Latino LGBT issues that affect the latino community in Orange County. There will be several educational and informative workshops along with performances and a dance in the night to end the conference. We still need sponsors and resources so if you can help please contact me. All ages, races, genders and sexualities welcome. jgkahlo@gmail.com
Apr 25 Saturday 10am, Irvine: Irvine Global Warming Group Waste Management's Irvine Recycling Center near Jamboree & Barranca 16122 Construction Circle Irvine, CA 92606 Guided Tour with presentation at the Waste Management Recycling Center of Irvine: meetup.com/Irvine-Global-Warming-Group/calendar/9929278
Apr 25 Saturday 4:30-8:30pm, Santa Ana: Spring Bacchanalia Benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Africa Project, Orangewood PALS & other Bacchus supported charities 801 N. Main St. Santa Ana, 92701 BACCHUSSOCIETY.ORG www.OC-Bacchanalia.com
May 4 Monday 5pm, Statewide: LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE in the May 19 Special Election
May 16 Saturday 7am-1pm, Anaheim: OC AIDS WALK Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA 92806-6143 aidswalk.org/oc
May 17 (moved from usual 2nd Sunday) 1-3pm, Fullerton: Progressive Women of North OC Meeting Monkey Business Cafe, 301 E Amerige, Fullerton progressivewinoc.org
California Statewide Special Election. Tuesday, May 19th. Measures include creating a state spending cap and rainy day fund, modifying the minimum funding guarantee for schools, changing the state lottery and shifting money from mental health and child-development programs. For a list of the ballot measures click HERE.
3rd Annual Red to Blue Grassroots Dinner with Gov. Howard Dean Event Date: Apr 25, 2009 Event Time: 6:00 PM PDT (9:00 PM EDT) Venue Name: 3rd Annual Red to Blue Grassroots Dinner *Pay & RVSP @ ActBlue* Address: 1400 J Street City: Sacramento State: CA Zip Code: 95814 Phone: 415.457.3914 Website: actblue.com/page/redtobluedinner Hosted by: Take Back Red California
Agenda:
THE 2009 RED TO BLUE DINNER IS SOLD OUT!
CALL 916.734.2782 TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST FOR DINNER
You are still welcome to join us for cocktails at 6 p.m. This invitation is open whether or not you are a delegate or a convention-goer.
Sacramento Convention Center 2nd Floor Landing (in front of rooms #202/203)
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3rd Annual Red to Blue GRASSROOTS DEMOCRATS NETWORKING DINNER
California Statewide Special Election. Tuesday, May 19th. Measures include creating a state spending cap and rainy day fund, modifying the minimum funding guarantee for schools, changing the state lottery and shifting money from mental health and child-development programs. For a list of the ballot measures click HERE.
SILICON VALLEY AREA FOOD CO-OPS: These are the only ones I could find near Silicon Valley, though they are all somewhat peripheral
Kresge Food Co-op 600 Kresge CT, Kresge College UCSC Santa Cruz, California 95064 Phone: (831) 426-1506 coop@dv8.org http://k9.dv8.org/~coop/
The Kresge Food Coop is a student-run cooperative health food store located at Kresge College on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus. We currently consist of twelve Core Collective Members who own the coop and are responsible for its daily operations and for any number of working members. This page has been created in order to better serve our community. Through this page you can email the coop, learn about our Core Collective Members, sign up to be a working member, make suggestions, check sales, read and reread our newsletter, and browse our links to other coops and health food stores.
The Cooperative Grocery (The CoG) 1450 67th Street Emeryville, California 95616 Phone: (510) 868-2883 FAX: (510) 868-2893 info@thecog.org http://www.thecog.org/
The Cooperative Grocery—The CoG—is a non-profit, working members cooperative that offers high-quality groceries at an affordable price to individuals and families in our community.
Members of The CoG work 2 1/2 hours every 4 weeks, performing jobs like stocking shelves, building orders and providing member services. By providing much of the labor for the store, our members keep our operating costs to a minimum. We then pass the savings onto our members in the form of lower prices. Our model is based on the successful Park Slope Food Co-Op in Brooklyn, NY, which serves 13,000 members.
To further control costs and grow our co-op in a responsible manner, we launched the CoG as an online store that is served from a warehouse located in Emeryville, with easy access to communities in Berkeley and Oakland. Our long term plan is to build a retail business as finances allow.
Bolinas Peoples Store P. O. Box 808 Bolinas, California 94924 Phone: (415) 868-1433 FAX: (415) 868-1219
Rainbow Grocery Co-op 1745 Folsom San Francisco, California 94103 Phone: (415) 863-0620 FAX: (415) 863-8955 comments@rainbowgrocery.coop http://www.rainbow.coop/
We have been in San Francisco's Mission District since 1975. We strive to offer resources, education and a forum for informational exchange for many local communities and organizations.
Rainbow Grocery is open every day from 9AM to 9PM
We are located in San Francisco's Mission District at 1745 Folsom Street. Our cross street is 13th Street (also known as Duboce), which runs directly under the central freeway. Use the map below for directions by car. Click here for Public Transit directions. Click here for bicycling directions.
Other Avenues Community Food Store 3930 Judah Street San Francisco, California 94122 Phone: (415) 661-7475 FAX: (415) 661-0835 info@otheravenues.org http://www.otheravenues.org/
Community Discussion on Local Media April 2, 2009 (Thursday) 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Coloma Center Auditorium 4623 T St. in Sacramento
Let’s hear from you about how local media can serve our communities.
Sacramento area residents, media professionals and media consumers are invited to attend a community discussion on local media to consider these topic areas:
· Public Affairs · Diversity · Political Coverage · Community Input · Broadband Internet Access
For more info contact:
JoAnn Fuller, Associate Director California Common Cause 1005 12th Street Suite C Sacramento, CA 95814 T 916 443 1792 extension 11 jfuller@commoncause.org www.commoncause.org/CA
Ron Cooper, Executive Director Access Sacramento 4623 T Street Sacramento, CA. 95819 (916) 456-8600 #112 rcooper444@aol.com www.AccessSacramento.org
Time: Thursday, April 2, 2009 - 6:00pm PST
Placer County Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Sunday, April 19, at the Blue Goose Fruit Shed in Loomis
Last year's event attracted a sold-out crowd of more that 300 attendees and 16 organizations and individuals stepped up to sponsor the event.
This year's theme is "Community Service: A Call to Action" and the evening includes dinner, an awards presentation, special guest speakers, a no-host bar, raffle and much more. Tickets are $30 (in recognition of the tough economic times we are living in, we lowered the price by $5) and we expect them to go fast.
To order tickets online: http://www.actblue.com/page/placerdinner
Or send a check to: Placer County Democratic Party P. O. Box 423 Roseville, CA 95678
Here are the details:
What: The annual Placer County Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Dinner When: April 19, 2009, 4-8 p.m. (Dinner hour 5:30 p.m.) Where: Blue Goose Fruit Shed, 3550 Taylor Road, Loomis, CA. Cost: $30 per ticket (table sponsorships available)
For more information and for sponsorship information, please contact Kim Haswell at kim_haswell@yahoo.com or 530-889-2278.
We are looking forward to another fantastic event. Please mark it on your calendars today!
Planned Parenthood Capitol Day 2009 Other local event · Reproductive Freedom · Women · Women submitted by billl on Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 7:03pm PST
Planned Parenthood Capitol Day 2009 State Capitol 4/22/2009 from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm Hosted By: Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California RSVP by: March 27, 2009 at 5:00 pm http://ga0.org/prochoicepower/events/pp_capitol_day_2009/details.tcl
Join Planned Parenthood volunteers, activists, and staff for a Day of Action at the Capitol in Sacramento!
* Participate in the Planned Parenthood Education Fair * Talk with legislators about reproductive health issues that are important to you * Learn about reproductive freedom issues and advocacy opportunities
Join hundreds of other Planned Parenthood supporters as we gather in Sacramento to support reproductive health care access for women and families in California!
The 2009 Planned Parenthood Capitol Day Theme is: Yes We Plan: Taking action for a healthy California.
Time: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 8:00am PST
Friends of the River; the voice of California Rivers
New York City has Central Park. Sacramento has the American River Parkway.
2009 Capitol River Awards
When: Thursday, May 7, 5-8 PM Where: Private home Crocker Cir Cost: Individual tickets - $50, Sponsorship - $1,000
River and nature lovers in the Sacramento area owe a tremendous debt to the visionaries that waged the campaign to create the American River Parkway. The Save the American River Association led that campaign from its start 50 years ago and continues to lead efforts today to maintain and improve the parkway. This year as part of the Capital River Awards, Friends of the River will present the Peter H. Behr Award to SARA in gratitude for its long-standing and successful efforts to create, protect, and preserve the American River Parkway.
Accepting the award on behalf of SARA will be long-time SARA board members and parkway advocates Frank Cirill and Felix Smith.
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Paul Tebbel Executive Director
50% of the ticket proceeds will be given to Save the American River Association to support their continued work.
Time: Thursday, May 7, 2009 - 4:00pm PST
California Statewide Special Election. Tuesday, May 19th. Measures include creating a state spending cap and rainy day fund, modifying the minimum funding guarantee for schools, changing the state lottery and shifting money from mental health and child-development programs. For a list of the ballot measures click HERE.
Four Freedoms Award Dinner Civil Rights & Justice · Democrats · Equal Rights · LGBT Americans · Other local event submitted by billl on Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 10:53pm PST
Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento Presents: 6th Annual Four Freedoms Award Dinner
Honoring Attorney General Edmund G "Jerry" Brown
Wednesday, May 20 5:30 - Cocktails and Auction 6:30 - Dinner
at the Radisson Hotel Sacramento, 500 Leisure Lane
Contact David Troxel for more information about tickets or sponsorships 916-600-8075 or bestfriendsdavid@aol.com
Location: Radisson Hotel, 500 Leisure Lane When: 5:30 PM Tickets/More Info
Time: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 4:30pm PST
ImaginEquality Rally May 30, 2009 Saturday
Equality Action NOW, and many other equal rights organizations will be pulling together a huge rally at the State Capitol to kick off our month of June Pride throughout California. Join us on the step of the capitol and help us pull our ImaginEquality into a REALITY. Real and true equality for all. Info@EqualityActionNOW.org.
Please consider joining this event as a supporter: Send us a link to your web site. We will post your link on our site, we will list your group on materials to show your support of this rally and the equality movement. Let us know if you know of any other grassroots or groups fighting for equality that we may have overlooked - we want as many groups to sign on as partners in this statewide show of solidarity. Unions, faith based organizations, family and friends that might want to show solidarity with our fight for equality - bring them in. A contribution of $500 or $1000 to help us offset the high expenses for an event of this size. Your name will apprear on all printed materials and the web links. If you can't afford the financial contribution, it is still important to request being added to the supporter list.
It took nearly 7 years living within a few blocks of one of the biggest food co-ops in America before Joy and I joined it. We were definitely reluctant. But, in the end the lack of good produce and the decline of our local supermarkets led to us joining. And the result is a slighly more inconvenient shopping trip each week, but much healthier, higher quality and cheaper food. I recommend joining a co-op if there is one nearby. You will save money and eat healthier. Here is the only Sacramento food co-op I could find:
Our co-op began as a food buying club in 1972 and opened a storefront of primarily bulk foods at 16th and P Streets in downtown Sacramento. In 1973, this buying club was incorporated as the Sacramento Natural Foods Cooperative, a Board of Directors was elected and the first paid employee was hired.
In recent years we have enhanced our gourmet food selection, including an excellent selection of specialty, artisan cheese and wine. Our Produce Department now sells organically grown fruits and vegetables exclusively. We have also added organic red meat to our product offerings.
2001 also marked the year that we first opened the doors to our Co-op Community Learning Center, adjacent to the Sacramento store and home to cooking classes, health seminars and a variety of owner meetings and special events. We are committed to serving our Co-op owners and supporting our community through consumer education, owner meetings and events, outreach activities and charitable programs and projects.
