Hands Off Soc Sec and Medicare Capitol Hill on Nov 30

You've probably heard that the National Fiscal Commission is looking to carve up Social Security and Medicare like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Join  activists on Capitol Hill on Nov 30th at 10am for a Lobby Day to tell Members of Congress directly to keep their hands off Social Security and Medicare.  If the Deficit Commission were serious about reducing the deficit they would look to a single-payer health care system that would save $400 billion annually on the national level, cutting the military budget, or taxing the rich.

Details:
10:00am - Pick up packets at room 2226 of the Rayburn Building

For questions, please contact Andrea Miller at amiller6210@gmail.com.

For Improved Medicare for All,
Katie Robbins
Healthcare-NOW! National Organizer

The election's winner? Big money Baltimore Sun

The election's winner? Big money Letter to the Editor published in the Baltimore Sun
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-campaign-finance-reform-letter-20101119,0,3579976.story

Now that the election is over, the tallies are in, and the numbers are shocking — and no, I'm not talking about the votes. I'm talking about the record-breaking amounts of anonymous money poured into campaign coffers by shadowy front groups like American Action Network and American Future Fund. American Action Network spent over $16 million on electioneering in 2010 but did not disclose where a single penny came from. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent over $31 million, but they also did not disclose their donors. They are not alone. The percentage of organizations disclosing their electioneering communications donors has fallen from 97 percent in 2004, to 34 percent in 2010, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Thank the Supreme Court. In case after case, including the landmark Citizens United v. FEC, they have chipped away at barriers between corporate influence and democratic elections. While some may applaud the court's ruling for bestowing every American, from BP to your grandmother, with the right to anonymously spend millions of dollars on elections, the ability of foreign and domestic corporations and unions to launder large independent expenditures through front groups is just another way the voices of individuals are being drowned out.

Action is being taken to mitigate this. Congress has a second chance to pass the Disclose Act, which would require groups to identify their donors. And in Maryland we are lucky enough to have a similar package going to the General Assembly, introduced by Sens. Jamie Raskin and Brian Frosh, which would guard our local officials from anonymous smear campaigns and pay-to-play politics. I hope Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller will understand the need for these protections and use his extensive experience in the General Assembly to advocate for passage of these important bills.

Jessica Sharp, Laurel

Upcoming hearings for the House of Delegates in Rockville

Monday, December 6, 2010

House Hearing for local bills - 7:00 p.m. - 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850 - Local bills refer to legislation affecting issues specific to Montgomery County.

Click here to sign up to testify.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

House Hearing for bi-county bills - 7:00 p.m. - 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850 - Bi-County bills refer to legislation that requires the approval of the Montgomery County and the Prince George’s County Delegations. 

Click here to sign up to testify.

Free Speech for People--We're making a difference!

Dear friend -

Great news: we’re seeing a tremendous response to our campaign, just in the past few days since our last message.   In fact, it’s been one of our strongest responses ever.  It’s clear that people are ready to stand up and fight to take our democracy back from the corporations.  

There’s also been a ton of press coverage on all the money spent in the recent election.  And that coverage gives us an important opening to make our case for a constitutional amendment, using letters-to-the-editor to reach policy-makers and the public.  

Can you take 5 minutes right now, to send a letter to your newspaper?  We’ve made it easy by providing sample letters and an online tool to help you send one to your paper, here:

       Send a quick letter to the editor now.

Letters-to-the-editor are really powerful: they’re widely read, especially by elected officials, who pay extra close attention to get a feel for what the voters are thinking about.  

After the election, you can bet they’re watching to see if we’re going to roll over and accept the latest power grab by corporations, which just spent hundreds of millions of dollars to influence the last election, with the Supreme Court’s blessing.  Or, if we’re standing and fighting.

Which will you do today?

       Click here to stand up and be heard.

Our constitutional amendment will make it clear once and for all that free speech and other constitutional rights are for people, not corporations.

Your letter will help tell the world that the fight for the future of our democracy is on.

Thanks again for standing with us.

Sincerely,

- John

John Bonifaz
Free Speech for People
November 17, 2010

monthly meeting of Healthcare-Now of Maryland

Join us for the monthly meeting of Healthcare-Now of Maryland, working
for universal, single-payer healthcare. Newcomers, friends, members all
welcome. Thursday, Nov. 18th, 7:15-9:15 PM in Baltimore at the
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, 6 E. University Pkwy (ne corner
University Pkwy and N. Charles St.) Ample free parking (enter from N.
Charles St.) For more info, email info@mdsinglepayer.org

UPDATE: Libby Kimzey Maryland Organizer for Common Cause will join us at 7 PM to discuss the Fair Elections Now Act.

UPDATE: Libby Kimzey Maryland Organizer for Common Cause will join us at
7 PM to discuss the Fair Elections Now Act.

Combined MeetUp/Meeting for MCPA, DFMC, PDA, and more.
Progressive Coalition Meeting to plan future events and actions.

Report on progress in our county and state on Healthcare, the
Environment, Education, Labor, Transportation, Energy and other issues.
We're building up our coalition and lobby efforts on the state and
national level, planning special events, forming a steering committee,
and working on meetings with legislators, and other organizations.

If you haven't paid your dues for 2010 (or want to pay for 2011) please
take this opportunity to do so now.

Please pay online:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=TQJP7KPCH6HN6
or bring dues to our meeting:
Saigonese Restaurant, 11232 Grandview Ave
Silver Spring (Wheaton), MD 20902
Public Transportation: Short walk from Wheaton Metro (red line)
Google Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11232+Grandview+Ave+Silver+Spring+MD+20902

Please join the Montgomery County Progressive Alliance Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/mcprogressivealliance

If you're on Facebook, please join the MCPA group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3401340272&ref=ts

Thanks!

Mike

Four Meetup groups--Progressive Victory in 2010, Democratic Party /
MCPA, Montgomery County Progressive Alliance and this one--get together
with like-minded activists working for Progressive Victories in 2010 and
beyond. We meet at least once each month to discuss and plan events and
actions. Of these groups, Progressive Victory has the most members, and
we hope you will join that Meetup to save time, money, and effort
organizing our meetings and actions. See:
http://www.meetup.com/progressive-victory/ We'll eventually close the
other Meetup groups.

1. MCPA: The Montgomery County Progressive Alliance is a result-oriented
coalition working on local, state, national and international issues.
MCPA includes more than 1,000 local activists, mainly in and around
Montgomery County Maryland. The organization began in 2003 when
Democracy for America Meetup members reached out to other Meetup groups
and other groups. In 2004, 100s of Montgomery County for Kerry members
and local Progressive Democrats of America members joined the MCPA. MCPA
adopted a mission statement, organized special events, and has held
meetings nearly each month since 2003.

2. DFA/DFMC: Democracy for America emerged from Gov. Howard Dean's
presidential campaign in 2004, and has organized grass-roots activists
to support socially progressive, fiscally responsible candidates. DFMC
is Democracy for Montgomery County, a local DFA-inspired organization
which is not directly or legally affiliated with DFA. DFMC has organized
events and meetings; and endorsed and organized volunteers for several
candidates. DFMC is currently seeking additional steering committee
members. Please contact me, mikehersh@mikehersh.com if you're
interested. You can sign up for DFA here:
http://democracyforamerica.com/session/new

3. PDA: Progressive Democrats of America began just after the 2004
Democratic National Convention in Boston. Bringing together people from
the 2004 Kucinich and Dean Campaigns with other progressives, PDA
adopted an "inside/outside strategy" uniting activists working inside
the Democratic Party with those working in peace and justice movements.
PDA's core issues include clean, accurate and transparent elections;
environmental protection; single-payer healthcare; economic and social
justice; and peace. See: http://www.PDAmerica.org You can sign up for
PDA here:
https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/309/personal2.asp?formid=joinusshort&c=5052037

Other organizations working in our area:

PWG: The Progressive Working Group is a coalition promoting progress and
reform, economic fairness and equality, protecting the environment, and
more. PWG is not part of the MCPA, but the MCPA is part of the PWG which
currently includes: Audubon Naturalist Society, CASA of Maryland,
Democracy for Montgomery County, Equality Maryland, Health Care Now,
Montgomery County Progressive Alliance, Montgomery Health Care Action,
PeaceAction Montgomery, Peace and Justice of Prince George's County,
Progressive Cheverly, Progressive Democrats of America (Maryland),
Progressive Neighbors, Save Our Votes, and Upcounty Action. PWG will
focus on 2 or 3 issues during the 2010 session. Progressive
organizations are welcome to join PWG. Please contact Wally Malakoff
malakoff@starpower.net for more information.

NOW: The National Organization for Women has been advancing womens'
issues including general progressive causes for decades. See:
http://www.now.org/ for more information. Contact Montgomery County NOW
membership chairperson Jeannette Feldner lj.feldner@verizon.net to join.
Men as well as women are welcome to join NOW.

OfA: Organizing for America emerged from President Obama's campaign in
2008, and is organizing grass-roots activists to support the Democratic
National Committee/Obama agenda. OfA is sponsoring local efforts in each
congressional district which are not directly or legally affiliated with
the DNC. OfA is currently sponsoring phone banks, organizing meetings,
and building a "rapid response" media effort. Please contact Jon Randall
jrandall39@comcast.net for more information. See
http://www.barackobama.com/learn/about_ofa.php

MoveOn is a national political action organization and has a local
council in Silver Spring and elsewhere around Maryland. Local MoveOn
members have cooperated with MCPA on town halls, vigils, phone banking,
and other actions. See http://www.moveon.org to join your local council.

To have your organization or events listed here, please contact me.

Thanks for reading down this far, and hope to see you at the meeting and
future events,

Mike Hersh, Meetup Organizer
Chairperson, MCPA and DFMC
Maryland State Coordinator, PDA
Steering Committee, PWG

TONIGHT: Girls at Risk: the bullying of sexualization of girls

REMINDER: The Montgomery County Chapter of the National Organization for Women invites you to attend an engaging, informative panel-led discussion and workshop on "Girls at Risk: the bullying of sexualization of girls." Free, open to the public, free parking. Refreshments.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010 FROM 7 TO 9 P.M.
WHEATON REGIONAL LIBRARY Large Meeting Room on the ground Floor
11701 Georgia Ave., (corner of Arcola Ave.) Wheaton, MD 20902

Directions: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/libraries/branchinfo/wh.asp#map

Falling Off The Edge: Maryland’s Education Funding Cliff

Maryland Education Coalition presents... Falling Off The Edge:
Maryland's Education Funding Cliff

Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Bowie High School 15200 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD 20715

Maryland Education Coalition will host a presentation and panel
discussion on Maryland's budget crisis, threats to state education
funding, and the potential impact on school districts, teachers, and
students in Maryland.

Presentations and Panel Discussion Guests

Dr. William Hite, Superintendent of Prince George's County Public School
System John Woolums, Maryland Association of Boards of Education Clara
Floyd, Maryland State Education Association Neil Bergsman, Maryland
Budget and Tax Policy Institute

Light Food and Refreshments will be served. For more information and to
RSVP for the event, contact Ellie Mitchell at 410.625.7976 or
emitchell@safeandsound.org. 


Crisis in Education Funding
• $430 million in federal stimulus funding for education WILL BE LOST
for next school year • Federal stimulus funding for IDEA and Title I
WILL ALSO BE LOST • A shift of teacher pension costs from the state to
local school districts could lead to HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS CUT FROM
CLASSROOMS • Maryland faces $1 billion+ in revenue shortfalls for fiscal
year 2012

Will you act to prevent cuts to Maryland's public schools? Join the
Maryland Education Coalition!