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Mole's Progressive Democrat

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).

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Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States

I am a research biologist in NYC. Married with two kids living in Brooklyn.

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  • Sunday, February 20, 2011

    Houston/Harris County, TX Focus

    For all my Texas Readers: CRITICAL: Three things you can do to help save Texas public schools...I will never understand why Republicans hate education so much. It has been shown over and over that strong education programs reduce poverty, crime and drug use, yet Republicans seem to prefer poverty, crime and drug use to supporting education


    UPCOMING EVENT: This is a rally that hopes to draw from all over Texas. I hope some of my Houston readers can make it.

    It's Raining in Texas Rally
    03/12/2011 (All day)
    The State Capitol Building in Austin, Texas.

    For your GPS: 1100 Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas, 78701

    Dear Fellow Educators, Students, Parents, Administrators and any Texan, who cares deeply about education and the future of Texas,

    We all appear to be at the mercy of our governor and the Texas State Legislature. Governor Perry's and the legislature's unwillingness to tap into the 9.4 billion dollar "Rainy Day" fund is mind boggling. If it's not raining in Texas now, then it's never going to rain!

    The proposed 5 to 10 billion dollar cut in education funding will result in millions of dollars of budget cuts for each school district of Texas; hundreds of millions of dollars in Houston ISD alone. Those of us in education know how detrimental these cuts will be. We cannot allow this to happen!

    The state of Texas is already ranked 43rd nationwide in per-student expenditures. With the proposed cuts, we will land near the bottom! We understand the need to balance the budget, but the education budget should be sacred in Texas as we are already woefully underfunded at the current levels. Instead, the legislature and Mr. Perry would rather mortgage the future of our kids and our state by balancing the budget on the backs of our students and teachers.

    In Governor Perry's last re-election campaign, he claimed that Texas was "open for business." Well, we are on track to have a less educated workforce that will not serve to lure any businesses to Texas and will not promote a brighter future for Texans.

    How much more can we accept as students, parents and educators? Should we remain quiet and watch our Texas education system be destroyed? How many years will it take for funding to return just to the inadequate levels that we have now?

    Recent polls show that 70% of Texans oppose any cuts to public education.

    The time to be heard is NOW! This is the rationale for the Rally in front of the state capitol building on March 12th.

    Will YOU be there? Can you sacrifice a weekend for the future of education in Texas?

    We hope to have representation from every single school and district in the state of Texas! This rally is not our only recourse, but it IS our first step in securing a first class education for our Texas children and changing the status quo.

    For more info: www.itsrainingintexas.com

    Here is the tentative schedule for the day of the rally.

    10:00am (approx.) March from Auditorium Shores up Congress Avenue to the Capitol
    (about 1 1/2 miles), arriving between 11 and 11:30.
    11:30 Pre-rally activities, including a music performance and pre-rally speakers
    Noon: Main rally begins with guest speakers
    2:00pm Main rally ends.
    2:00-5:00pm Mobilizing sessions for community and school leaders at First United Methodist Church Conference Center, right across the street from the Capitol. These sessions will be aimed at equipping folks to go back and continue to lead effective efforts to support the changes we want to see.

    We are excited to announce that we are joining forces with

    Save Texas Schools for one HUGE rally!

    Please visit their website for detailed information about the rally and for important information on what you can do NOW to make a difference!

    www.savetxschools.org


    Alternative Radio Houston:
    KPFT 90.1FM Pacifica Radio

    Pacifica Mission Statement here

    DeclaraciĆ³n de la misiĆ³n de Pacifica aqui

    Check out their Program Schedule here.


    CURRENT TV:
    Current TV, founded by Al Gore, includes some of the best journalism in America today. In particular their Vanguard series is amazing and should not be missed by ANYONE who wants to know in depth coverage of some of the major stories in the world.

    In most areas Current TV is available on:
    DIRECTV Channel 358
    DISH Network Channel 196
    Comcast Digital: Channel 107
    AT&T U-Verse: Channel 189

    Check out their program schedule here.


    EVENTS:

    You can find many local Houston and Harris County events at the Harris County Democratic Party Here are some of recurring events that are listed:

    Come Join in the fun at the weekly TGIF Coffee Break at the Harris County Democratic Party (HCDP):

    Stop by for coffee and conversation at the HCDP office every Friday from 9:30 to 11 am. Email martha@hcdp.org for more information. Open to all.

    Houston Stonewall Young Democrats Monthly Happy Hour

    Houston Stonewall Young Democrats Monthly Happy Hours are the last Friday of each month. Location varies but announced on website: www.houstonstonewallyd.com. For more information, contact Brad Pritchett, 713.898.9734.the last Friday of each month. Location varies but announced on website: www.houstonstonewallyd.com. For more information, contact Brad Pritchett, 713.898.9734.

    Harris County Democratic Party Brown Bag Lunch
    The Brown Bag Lunch is a monthly event of the Harris County Democratic Party, held one the Third Tuesday of every month at our offices, 1445 North Loop West (exit Ella Blvd.) Come meet Fellow Democrats. You bring your lunch, we provide the soft drinks and guest speakers.

    Harris County Democratic Party Issues and Answers Evening Program
    Please join fellow democrats at their monthly evening Brown Bag Speaker Series, the last Tuesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, at the HCDP HQ, 1445 North Loop West, Suite 110, Houston 77008.


    Houston Hispanic Women's Network of Texas:
    The Hispanic Women's Network of Texas (HWNT) is a state-wide organization of individuals from diverse backgrounds who are committed to promoting the participation of Hispanic women in public, corporate and civic arenas. HWNT seeks to advance the educational, cultural, social, legal and economic well-being of all women through a broader awareness of their role in society, business and family. Members strive to celebrate the positive image and values of the Hispanic culture.

    P.O. Box 27892
    Houston, TX 77227-7892
    houston@hwnt.org


    NAACP HARRIS COUNTY:
    The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.

    Here are some local NAACP branches:

    Houston NAACP
    2002 WHEELER
    Houston, TX 77004
    713-526-3389

    University Of Houston Downtown Chapter
    Houston, TX 77025
    832-366-7444

    Missouri City And Vicinity Branch
    PO BOX 1053
    Missouri City, TX 77459


    DEMOCRATIC CLUBS IN HARRIS COUNTY: Here is a partial list of the local Democratic Clubs in Harris County. Click on the link or phone for more info.

    Texas Democratic Veterans-Houston Area
    Phone: 281-520-1604

    Democracy for Houston
    Phone: 832-474-3926

    Harris County Young Democrats
    Phone: 281-851-1868

    Houston Area Stonewall Democrats
    Phone: 832-474-3926

    Asian American Democrats of Texas
    Phone: 713-702-2377

    West University Area Democratic Club
    Phone: 713-665-0154

    Rice Young Democrats
    Phone: 503-502-9912

    Harris County Tejano Democrats
    Phone: 713-695-6006

    Greater Heights Democratic Club
    Phone: (713)305-5468

    Katy Area Democrats
    Phone: 956-472-4440

    Bay Area New Democrats (BAND)
    Phone: 713-992-4295

    Bellaire Democrats
    Phone: 713-665-4409

    Braeswood Democrats
    Phone: 713-665-4357

    Cy-Fair Area Democratic Club
    Phone: 832-633-1030

    Kingwood Area Democrats
    Phone: 281-796-1017

    Oak Forest Area Democrats
    Phone: 713-670-4348

    Sharpstown Democrats
    Phone: 713-270-1318

    Spring Branch Democrats
    Phone: 713-467-9020

    West Houston Democratic Club
    Phone: 281-584-9707


    BIODIESEL IN HARRIS COUNTY:

    Biodiesel is an American produced fuel that is cleaner than traditional diesel. Up to B20 (a 20% blend of biodiesel and traditional diesel) any diesel engine, car or truck, can run on it. Above B20, some older engines may have problems but newer diesel engines should be ok. Here are some gas stations selling biodiesel near Houston:

    ORourke Petroleum: 223 McCarty Street, Houston, TX 77029, 713-672-4500. Offers B20 (good in any diesel engine). CFN CARDLOCK ONLY

    hyperfuels.com: 12969 W Hardy Frontage Toll Rd, Houston, TX 77037, 877-447-7207. Offers B100 (good in newer diesel engines, older engines may have problems). Open 9 AM - 5 PM.

    Peachleaf Bio: 1611 Peachleaf St, Houston, TX 77039, 281-449-9500. Offers B99 (good in newer diesel engines, older engines may have problems). COOP SIGNUP NEEDED. Call for details. Open M-F 8-5.

    Houston Biodiesel: 723 N Drennan Street, Houston, TX 77003, 713-222-0832. Offers B100 (good in newer diesel engines, older engines may have problems). Open 9:30-6 M-F; WEEKENDS CALL

    American Greenfuels: 6421 Eppes St, Houston, TX 77087, 713-634-0033. Offers B99 (good in newer diesel engines, older engines may have problems). CALL FOR AVAILABILITY


    GREEN BUSINESSES IN THE HOUSTON AREA: These are some of the best local businesses around. Taken from the Green America Green Pages

    Green Hotels Association
    www.greenhotels.com
    "Green hotels work to protect the beautiful destinations we all love." Membership for hotels, green vendors, supporting organizations, educators, and individuals. Catalog of environmental products.
    Phone: (713)789-8889
    Fax: (713)789-9786
    P.O. Box 420212
    Houston, TX 77242-0212

    Taiga Company
    www.taigacompany.com
    Specializes in sustainability consulting services for businesses and individuals seeking consultation and programs in integrating sustainability-related concepts into their workplace and daily lives.
    Phone: (888)824-4220
    P.O. Box 271255
    Houston, TX 77277

    Environment Associates, Architects & Consultants
    www.environmentassoc.com
    "35 years pioneering authentic environmentally responsible architecture. Award-winning design. Nationally recognized." Healthy, high-performance green homes and remodeling, building consulting, and design consulting services.
    Phone: (713)528-0000
    5828 Langfield Rd.
    Houston, TX 77092-1429
    United States
    www.environmentassoc.com

    Roger E. King, King Investment Advisors, Inc.
    www.kingadvisors.com
    National investment advisory firm managing over $400 million in assets. "Over the years, we have weathered the spectrum of investment markets and have provided our clients with proven long-term returns."
    Phone: (713)961-0462
    Fax: (713)961-5613
    1980 Post Oak Blvd.
    Ste. 2400
    Houston, TX 77056-3898

    108 Mala Inc.
    www.108mala.com
    A social entrepreneurship committed to sustainable, handmade, eco-friendly, and organic products from around the world.
    Phone: (877)390-8467
    Fax: (917)210-3800
    5007 Briar Stone Ln.
    Sugar Land, TX 77479


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