URGENT: Action needed on verifiable voting in Maryland ASAP!

URGENT: Action needed on verifiable voting in Maryland ASAP!

Time-sensitive request for help requested from one of our PWG member
organizations, SAVEourVotes:

Progressives have been pushing the state to switch to a new, reliable,
recountable voting system for years. A just released independent study,
funded by the MD General Assembly, has revealed what we have been saying
for years: the switch will not only protect our voting results, it will
save us millions!

Gov. O'Malley must include a very minimal amount of funding for the
switch in his budget announcement in mid-January or the new voting
system won't be in place in time for the FY 2012 elections. (While
minimal funding will be needed for the switch in FY 2012, it will be
recouped very quickly and lead to savings of $9.5M over the next 7-8
years.) We need the help of your members to ask the Governor to do this
BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS!

Could you please send an email blast ASAP to your group's members asking
them to tell Gov. O'Malley to include the switch to a new optical scan
voting system in his FY 2012 budget before the holidays -- before the
budget is finalized? It's quick and easy. Just direct them to the action
alert at http://www.saveourvotes.org/opscan4md

Thanks very much for your help! If you have any questions, go to
http://www.saveourvotes.org and/or feel free to contact Shelley Fudge at
SAVEourVotes at shelley@saveourvotes.org or 301-580-9224.

Saturday in Silver Spring Celebrate and Support Healthcare Progress

We are close to our final goal of fundraising for the Economic Impact Study for our state single payer health care bill: The Maryland Health Security Act http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/bills/hb/hb0767f.pdf

We hope to have the final amount needed by the end of December so that we can have the results of the study available during the 2011 Legislative Session.

To celebrate we are having a party
This Saturday December 11th  1 to 4 pm
McGinty's Public House
911 Ellsworth in Silver Spring

Short walk from Silver Spring Metro. Free or affordable public parking near by.

Featuring the blues and swing sounds of Deadwood.

Bring your dancing shoes or sit back and sing along while you sip one of McGinty's many fine beers. Bring your friends and family and meet other single payer supporters. The cost of tickets is $20 in advance and $25 at the door and 100% of the proceeds will go towards the economic study.

We will also have canvas shopping bags available for sale. These limited edition bags include the logo for "Got P.I.I.S.D.*" (visible at www.md.pnhp.org) created by our Dr. Carol Paris, a practicing psychiatrist in Southern Maryland who is seeing an epidemic of this condition. Her diagnostic criteria for this disorder were recently published in Psychiatric Times: http://www.pnhp.org/news/2010/november/diagnostic-criteria-for-piisd-%E2%80%93-private-insurance-induced-stress-disorder. We guarantee that these bags will spark conversations wherever you take them!

If you are unable to attend this Saturday, please consider making a donation to the study online at http://www.mdsinglepayer.org/impact-study/.  Donations are tax deductible. Every amount helps. Please give what you can and help us pass the Health Security Act--a publicly financed, privately run, patient-directed health plan (aka single payer health care) in Maryland. Single payer saves lives. Our study will show how much money it will save our state as well.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Progressive Democrats of America/Maryland

Local Civil Rights Restoration Act

• The Local Civil Rights Restoration Act aims to (a) reiterate Fourth Amendment standards constraining suspicionless data collection / intelligence gathering, (b) create enforceable remedies to address racial & ethnic profiling, and (c) impede collaboration between local police agencies and federal agencies (including ICE and the FBI) unrelated to criminal law enforcement.
  
  
• Suggested talking points in "plain English" are posted online.
  
  
• A recent blog post explains the strategy and why these particular reforms are compelling in the wake of SB1070 and recurring FBI scandals. 
  
  
• Our request of grassroots groups at the outset is simply for their "name only" support of these proposed reforms, around which we can mobilize further support.  As allied groups join the coalition, we can shift into a more public phase including mobilization and outreach to officeholders. 
  

celebrate progress on healthcare THIS Saturday!

We are close to our final goal of fundraising for the Economic Impact Study for our state single payer health care bill: The Maryland Health Security Act http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/bills/hb/hb0767f.pdf

We hope to have the final amount needed by the end of December so that we can have the results of the study available during the 2011 Legislative Session.

To celebrate we are having a party
This Saturday December 11th  1 to 4 pm
McGinty's Public House
911 Ellsworth in Silver Spring

Short walk from Silver Spring Metro. Free or affordable public parking near by.

Featuring the blues and swing sounds of Deadwood.

Bring your dancing shoes or sit back and sing along while you sip one of McGinty's many fine beers. Bring your friends and family and meet other single payer supporters. The cost of tickets is $20 in advance and $25 at the door and 100% of the proceeds will go towards the economic study.

We will also have canvas shopping bags available for sale. These limited edition bags include the logo for "Got P.I.I.S.D.*" (visible at www.md.pnhp.org) created by our Dr. Carol Paris, a practicing psychiatrist in Southern Maryland who is seeing an epidemic of this condition. Her diagnostic criteria for this disorder were recently published in Psychiatric Times: http://www.pnhp.org/news/2010/november/diagnostic-criteria-for-piisd-%E2%80%93-private-insurance-induced-stress-disorder. We guarantee that these bags will spark conversations wherever you take them!

If you are unable to attend this Saturday, please consider making a donation to the study online at http://www.mdsinglepayer.org/impact-study/.  Donations are tax deductible. Every amount helps. Please give what you can and help us pass the Health Security Act--a publicly financed, privately run, patient-directed health plan (aka single payer health care) in Maryland. Single payer saves lives. Our study will show how much money it will save our state as well.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Your friends at Healthcare-Now of Maryland and Maryland chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program

Silver Spring fundraiser for universal healthcare

Want universal healthcare at a reasonable price? Think healthcare is a human right? Got P.I.I.S.D. (Private Insurance Induced Stress Disorder)? Want a solution?

Please join us at McGinity's Pub (911 Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring, MD) on December 11th from 1 to 4 PM for a fundraiser for the Maryland Economic Impact Study.

We are getting very close to our goal of $40,000 and this event could put us there. Come dance to the sounds of DEADWOOD. Get a ticket in advance by making a donation of $20 or more to the study here. Tickets are $25 at the door.

Checkout the flyer for more details. If you have time, please download the flyer and post it where appropriate.

Thanks for your support,
Healthcare-NOW! of Maryland

Healthcare-NOW! of Maryland survives on the generosity of our supporters.
Please consider making a donation.

www.MDSinglePayer.org | info@mdsinglepayer.org

Criminalizing Dissent: WikiLeaks, FBI Raids, Maryland Police Spies and YOU*

Criminalizing Dissent: WikiLeaks, FBI Raids, Maryland Police Spies and YOU*

Sunday, December 5 · 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Busboys and Poets, 5th and K st. NW

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1025+5th+St+NW+Washington+DC+20001
Closest metro stop: Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center (Green/Yellow
lines)

(*You - could be anyone of good conscience)

Information and Organizing meeting for activists and civil libertarians
to discuss recent (ongoing) government attempts to criminalize dissent
and what we can do to counter such attacks on our civil rights.

From the September FBI raids of peace and solidarity activist homes in
Minneapolis & Chicago; the campaign to discredit Julian Assange and
WikiLeaks; Maryland State Police spying o...n local activists and more,
our government is intent on quashing dissent (especially when it has to
do with foreign policy) using a variety of tools and tactics. And we can
fight back.

Pass a local Civil Right Restoration Act to safeguard our civil rights
and civil liberties in DC, MD and VA

Develop a rapid response network to demonstrate our solidarity with
allies under attack

More ideas are welcome!

Sponsored by Bill of Rights Defense Committee, DC National Lawyers
Guild, CodePink, Defending Dissent Foundation, Peace Action, Progressive
Democrats of America, United for Peace and Justice

David Swanson will discuss and sign his new book War Is A Lie

David Swanson will discuss and sign his new book War Is A Lie.
http://warisalie.org

6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 18th

Busboys and Poets 5th & K Sts.
1025 5th St NW
Washington DC 20001

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1025+5th+St+NW+Washington+DC+20001
Closest metro stop: Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center (Green/Yellow
lines)

Cosponsors:
Chesapeake Citizens
CODE PINK
Democracy for Montgomery County
Democrats.com
Free Speech TV
Global Exchange
Montgomery County Progressive Alliance
Progressive Democrats of America
PDA - Maryland
WarIsACrime.org
Washington Peace Center

"David Swanson's War Is A Lie may be the most comprehensive antiwar
statement available in the English language." --Kevin Young

"Not since General Smedley Butler's War is a Racket has a simpler, more
brilliant, or truer book been published." --Geoffrey Millard

"David Swanson despises war and lying, and unmasks them both with rare
intelligence. I learn something new on every page." --Jeff Cohen

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