There are two events tonight (Monday, July 17), see Progressive Prince George's and Take Action AA below. And the long game on health care, which nevertheless means the pressure has to stay on even when the Senate plan experienced a hiccup... Also Note a health care correction to the emailed Memo; Tuesday's "People's Filibuster" has been canceled/postponed...
Alerts: two events TONIGHT; see Progressive Prince George’s and Take Action AA listings below…
HEALTH CARE EVENTS AT A GALLOP, THROWING A SHOE…
As the week begins, it looks as though the Senate health care cliffhanger will play out for another week or more – but don’t underestimate Mitch McConnell, the wily GOP leader.
Playing the long game, Progressive Maryland and many allied groups are working to develop public awareness of a positive fix for the health care system. Short term we save the Affordable Care Act and force Trump & Co. to stop sabotaging the state insurance markets to make the ACA appear to be failing – which it isn’t. But it’s not the long-term solution, and we’re canvassing our neighbors all over Maryland to hear their concerns and to put the issue of health care in focus as a human right.
DETAILS: This past Saturday, the decision was made for the planned vote in the Senate for healthcare to be delayed, due to not having crucial votes. We at Progressive Maryland are wishing Sen. John McCain well after his surgery; however, elected officials do not have any more of a right to healthcare than anyone else.
A CBO score on this version of the bill is being delayed, as well. While all of this was happening over the weekend, "the White House launched an aggressive drive Friday to persuade key Republican governors to stop criticizing a Senate proposal to overhaul the nation’s health-care system [...]." Governor Larry Hogan was in attendance, but did not mention anything about criticism of the Senate bill from the National Governors Association gathering in Providence, Rhode Island.
We are calling for Governor Hogan to lead, and not remain unapologetically silent on how harmful the Senate healthcare bill will be for all Maryland residents. For instance, the terror of a life-altering cancer diagnosis should not include a fear of being "destroyed by the expenses." Nancy, a Maryland resident, in her OpEd in the Baltimore Sun, writes, "I call upon Gov. Larry Hogan to strongly oppose the bill and to stand for comprehensive health care coverage that also covers prescriptions pre-existing conditions at rates that average Marylanders can afford."
Nearly 800 people who have signed our petition calling on Gov. Hogan to come out LOUDLY, PUBLICLY and FIRMLY against the Senate bill! We could not agree more! Take a minute to sign our petition today!
Keep up to date with our Maryland for Guaranteed Healthcare events:
Tuesday 7/18 - People's Filibuster HAS BEEN CANCELED/POSTPONED
National partners - Planned Parenthood, MoveOn.org, SEIU, Center for American Progress Action Fund, AFSCME, Health Care for America Now, Protect Our Care, and Families USA. will be discussing when it can be most effective as the Senate schedule lurches.
Wednesday 7/19 - Public Forum on Medicaid
Join us in Salisbury for a forum we are sponsoring with Maryland Health Care for All, Maryland NAACP, 1199 SEIU, among other allies. We know that Medicaid matters to you, and we want to hear your stories! Please join us for an opportunity to share how Medicaid has impacted you and your family.
RSVP on the links or contact Beth Landry at [email protected] if you are interested in attending either of these events!
Check out our healthcare campaign event calendar to see what else we are doing around the state.
P.S. Don't forget to sign our petition for Hogan to denounce the Senate bill,
Also, Rep. Harris needs encouragement to NOT VOTE NO if you haven't already!
Beth Landry, BSN, RN
Healthcare Organizer, Progressive Maryland
Chapter Updates
Take Action AAC
Monday, July 17 Annapolis Monthly Meeting featuring Represent Maryland 5:30 p.m. 49 West Coffeehouse on West St. in Annapolis. Please join us to learn about fighting corruption in government! The Maryland chapter of Represent.US will be speaking about The American Anti-Corruption Act. Light refreshments will be served. rsvp
Wednesday, July 19 Public Forum on Medicaid in Maryland 6:30 p.m. at One Stop Job Market in Salisbury, MD -- Join us in Salisbury for a forum we are sponsoring with Maryland Health Care for All, Maryland NAACP and 1199 SEIU. We know that Medicaid matters to you, and we want to hear your stories! (read more) rsvp
Progressive Prince George’s
Monday, July 17th – 7 p.m. -- Prince George’s County Zoning Rewrite Town Hall Meeting with County Council -- County Administration Building, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive - Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Tuesday, July 18, Forum to Resist Mass Incarceration 6:30 p.m. Mt Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton Since 1980, the number of incarcerated people has grown by 500%. Many of those caged behind bars haven't even been convicted of a crime -- they just can't afford to pay bail. (read more) rsvp
Tuesday, July 18th- 6:30-8:30 p.m. Voter Education Town Hall -- First Baptist Church, Highland Park, 6801 Sheriff Road, Landover, Maryland
Sunday, July 23rd - 5:30 p.m. Book Study – “The Color of Law” Busboys and Poets
Hyattsville, If interested, please email [email protected] for capacity.
Deep Canvassing
In towns and neighborhoods across the country, we hold conversations with voters about the issues of the day and the world we’re fighting to build. We train volunteers to knock on the doors of neighbors and transform their communities into a force at the polls. We ask candidates tough questions and secure policy commitments. If you are interested in being a part of this movement of transformational canvassing, please reach to Amanya Paige our amazing student intern@[email protected].
Progressive Maryland’s Prince George’s Chapter will be deep canvassing in a community near you! This is an opportunity for help grow the Progressive Prince George’s Chapter, learn about the political landscape of Prince George’s County for the upcoming 2018 race and most importantly make your community stronger.
Take advantage of this great opportunity by registering here.
This is also a great opportunity to meet people that share common interests as you! Progressive Maryland’s main goal is to mobilize people around issues and not elections!
Sunday, July 23rd, 1:30-4:30 p.m. -- Fairmont Height Branch Library, 5904 Kolb St Fairmount Heights, MD 20743 Get Directions CONTACT: Amity Pope [email protected]
Issue Groups
Our chapter has identified seven key issues of concern in our county: criminal justice, economic matters, education, fair elections, health care, immigration rights & protection and transportation. Email the issue leads below to join a group.
❏ Criminal Justice - Krystal Oriadha: [email protected]
❏ Economic Matters - Belina Winbish-Haile: [email protected]
❏ Education - Rob Anthony: [email protected]
❏ Education Meeting Saturday, July 22, 2-4 p.m. - Kettering/Largo Library
❏ Fair Elections - Linda Thomas-Thorton: [email protected]
❏ Health Care - Delia Clayton: [email protected]
❏ Immigration Rights & Protection - Charles Smith - [email protected]
❏ Transportation - John Tabori - [email protected]
County Council
We are looking for a point person for each County Council District. This team will mobilize when needed to advocate with their councilperson on a progressive issue, or to support new candidates for the office. If you are interested in this, please reach to Diane Teichert, County Council Lead [email protected].
Progressive MoCo
July 24th, 2017 July District 5 Happy Hour
Join the District 5 chapter of PMD Montgomery for this month's happy hour to network with fellow progressives, discuss the issues concerning Montgomery County, and build power in Maryland. 7:00-9:00 P.M. Kaldi's Coffee Rooftop (918 Silver Spring Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910)
If you weren’t able to attend our previous event, please come on out to meet your neighbors, find out about what Progressive Maryland is doing in Montgomery County, and let us know what you’d like out of your county chapter and district team. We hope to see you there!
Montgomery County Chapter Meeting
Save the Date! August 15th, 7:30 P.M. Location T.B.D.
Join the Montgomery County Chapter at our upcoming chapter meeting on August 15th at 7:30 P.M. We will be discussing how to get more involved with the Montgomery County Chapter. This is your chapter, so we want you to have a voice in its future! Location is to be decided.
Progressive HoCo
Wednesday July 19 Fair Elections Celebration
Join us for an informal celebration of the passage of CB30 the Citizens' Election Fund. Drop by, say hello, share some thought about CB30 or other issues facing Howard County, 5:30 p.m. at lack Flag Brewing Company 9315 Snowden River Pkwy Columbia, 21046
Save the Date: Join Progressive HoCo on the weekend of August 4-6 (Fri-Sun) for a state-wide canvass sponsored by Progressive Maryland. We will be conducting a deep canvass in Howard County to talk to our neighbors about issues that are important to them. The time and date will be announced shortly.
Baltimore comrades, Check in on Max Obuszewski’s highly useful calendar and tip sheet at http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
To keep up with progressive events in and around DC consult the invaluable calendar at the Washington Peace Center, http://washingtonpeacecenter.org/alerts
It all happens for free… right? Not exactly. Organizing for change in our society and our high-maintenance politics requires both people and money. Keep change moving with a quick, secure impulse-buy contribution here.
BLOG POSTS THIS WEEK
Reading the Progressive Maryland BlogSpace: our blogs for the previous week are shown below, but if you want a handy way to keep track – and never miss a blog post – you can sign up to get this Weekly Memo by email. Remember this is your blogspace and your participation is heartily invited. See something going on that you don’t like – or that you do like and hope to see more of? Send us your thoughts; submit to the moderator at [email protected]
We recently posted these blogs:
July 13, 2017 Hogan is still dodging his constituents on the health care disaster
A train wreck of a health care bill in Congress threatens to cost Marylanders huge cutbacks in their coverage and, just incidentally, cost the state government a cool $2 billion, is getting no attention from Gov. Hogan, who acts as if there's nothing to see here and invites us to keep
July 12, 2017 Trumpcare is Hogan's worst nightmare and it's lingering into August
Seasoned Maryland political commentator Barry Rascovar in "Repealing Obamacare is Hogan’s conundrum" almost makes us feel sorry for Larry Hogan. Almost. Sure, being Republican is the family business for Hogan – but it was his choice to go all in, and now the GOP barbarism over healthcare in the US Congress could mean chaos as he approaches a reelection campaign in 2018. Now Mitch McConnell stretches the Senate's agony into August to avoid his healthcare bill's implosion, and “The price to Maryland state government of an Obamacare repeal is in the billions.” Not what Hogan wants to run on, not even….
July 11, 2017 Arrest powers are not appropriate for nonviolent school behavior -- let's end them
School security and law enforcement officers should not arrest students for nonviolent behavioral issues in our schools. But they have the authority, and frequently abuse it. Amity Pope, who urged the National Education Association convention to take action on this issue, says we should begin to remedy this locally as well.
July 10, 2017 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for July 10-16
Welcome to a week full of activity -- canvassing and health care advocacy, among other things -- with our growing network of county and local chapters. Plus links to our most recent blog posts.
Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace since June 2015 are all available with descriptions and links here.
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