New stuff in Congress on health care repeal to be watchful about; leadership training opportunities; statewide and chapter activism and calendar of events, and the most recent blogs nicely packaged for binge-reading.

PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND WEEKLY MEMO FOR SEPT. 11-17

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." Thomas Jefferson never said that, though it is often attributed to him, as well as to Edmund Burke. One of them should have, we feel, but there it is: no record in the third president’s writings or speeches.

Take it to heart anyway, folks out there. Bad people are getting away with a lot because you are coming up short. So send us a blog post about something that makes you mad. See below.

And welcome to the Weekly Memo. Start scheduling your week now.

STATEWIDE ACTION

 HEALTH CARE CRITICAL – AGAIN – A new bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act and wreck medical care for millions is gaining steam in Congress and appears to have gained the support of Sen. John McCain, whose thumbs-down doomed the Senate’s last attempt at repeal. As Beth Landry, PM’s health care organizer, says, “this version [from Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham]  of repeal is as bad as past iterations: it restructures Medicaid, cuts subsidies to buy insurance on the exchanges and allows insurance companies to opt out of covering essential health benefits, putting people with pre-existing conditions at risk.”  

 PM Health Care Calendar:

 National Call Congress Days, Sept. 12-15:
CALL CONGRESS TO STOP THE CUTS: Following the webinar, Progressive Maryland is promoting call-in days to the offices of Governor Hogan and Rep. Andy Harris to express our views on its tax and budget priorities as well as fully funding CHIP, which will soon be put to a vote. You can use this page, call 888-516-5820, or click Progressive Maryland's page for Hogan/Harris contact info!

Wednesday, September 13th from 2-3 p.m.:
Senator Sanders is introducing his Medicare for All bill in the Senate! This coming Wednesday in the Senate Hart Building, room 216 (Facebook event here). Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren have recently stated their support for this bill. Our campaign, like many, have not yet seen the language for the bill and are eager to see what is contained within it!


Wednesday, September 13th at 6 p.m.:
Healthcare is a Human Right Team September Call: Join team coordinators Dr. Bill Honigman and Kurt Bateman and Special Guest: Lori Kearns, Sen. Bernie Sanders staffer for healthcare policy.  RSVP here to ensure there are enough phone lines for everyone and obtain the call-in number. 

Tuesday, September 19th from 7-9 p.m.:
Progressive Maryland, along with the NAACP, 1199 SEIU, and Maryland Healthcare for All are sponsoring a Public Forum on Medicaid at the Silver Spring Civic Center. Join MD CD 8 Representative Jamie Raskin and Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Uma Ahluwalia at this forum! RSVP HERE!

Do you have a passion for teaching, training, or mentoring?

Progressive Maryland needs you! We are creating our statewide leadership development and training program that will support our grassroots network of member leaders as they organize for social, economic, and environmental justice. We are looking for people from around the state to be part of our team of trainers, curriculum developers, peer mentors, and event planners who will help our members grow as organizers and as developers of other leaders.

 

This team could be right for you if any of the following are true:

  • You're interested in teaching, training, or public speaking
  • You're excited about helping others become more powerful leaders
  • You're good at advising and inspiring others
  • You have a knack for thinking through details
  • You want to grow as an organizing leader

Want to know more? Email Brandy Brooks, Progressive Maryland's Leadership Development Organizer, at [email protected] to set up a time to talk.

 

OUR CHAPTERS STATEWIDE

 Progressive Prince George’s

A major event upcoming in our campaign to get a Small Donor elections support program in Prince George’s is coming up September 28. Our Fair Elections Town Hall features former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-4th) at College Park City Hall, 7 to 9 p.m. Save that date; more information as the event approaches.

More on the calendar for Progressive Prince George’s:

  • Tomorrow! Tuesday, September 12th - Community-Wide Discussion on Concrete Batching Plant - 6:30 p.m. – with guest Prof. Sacoby Wilson of UM Public Health Dept. Colmar Manor Town Hall - Contact Denise Hamler 240-476-4349
  • Sunday, September 17th - Canvass on Mass Incarceration – 3 p.m.  - 7:00pm - 406 71st Ave. Capitol Heights, MD. 20743
  • Wednesday, September 20th – 7 p.m.  - Mass Incarceration Potluck and Discussion -  406 71st Ave. Capitol Heights, MD. 20743
  • Sunday, September 24th Immigration Forum with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh - - University of Maryland, College Park Campus - Stamp Student Union – 4 p.m..
  • Wednesday, September 27th '13th' Showing & Panel Discussion - - 6:30 p.m.  - Laurel Library - 507 7th Street Laurel, Md.

 You matter!  Get involved and get your issues addressed.  

 Email the issue leads below to join a group. RVSP meeting attendance with the issue lead.

 Join Our County Council Teams Today!

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].

 

PMD Montgomery

Frederick County Progressives

Take Action Anne Arundel County

 Progressive Howard County

A voter registration drive is getting under way focusing on underrepresented voters in the county. If you are interested in helping with voter registration in Howard County, volunteer at http://www.progressiveHoCo.org/volunteer

Talbot Rising

ARTWORKS FOR FREEDOM
An arts event in Easton will raise awareness about human trafficking. The art exhibit will be held at the Waterfowl Building, 40 S. Harrison St in Easton from September 8 - October 1, 2017. It will include indoor and outdoor art exhibits, multi-media installations, lecture, panels and films addressing human exploitation. 
 This exhibit is free to the public and volunteer-run, so please help!
Sign up for one or more shifts to sit with the exhibit at the Waterfowl Building.  If you know someone who may be interested in volunteering, please feel free to share this email.  Sign up here-
 www.signupgenius.com/go/508084fa8a62ba3fa7-easton 
*** 

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

WITH OUR ALLIES – events and actions

Monday, Sept 18 Reel and Meal at the New Deal presents "P:ieces of Tangier," the story of a Chesapeake Bay island community being slowly submerged by the sea level rise brought by climate change. New Deal Cafe, Roosevelt Center, Greenbelt. Vegan meal at 6:30 is $14, film at 7 p.m. is free.

Tuesday, September 19 -- Zoning Rewrite presentation. This is an open meeting of the Port Towns Community Development Corporation to hear about and discuss the Prince George’s County Zoning Rewrite progress. Also engaged: Progressive Cheverly. The MNCCPC staffers Brittney Drakeford and Chad Williams will present how the  changes might affect us in the 47th district and in the Port Towns area. RSVP :  [email protected] PARKING: Can be difficult. If you want to carpool, contact [email protected] 6:30 pm -- light refreshments, 7:00 pm -- presentation followed by Q & A, Colmar Manor Town Hall & Community Center 3701 Lawrence Street, Colmar Manor

 

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.

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:

September 06, 2017 Union Density In Maryland Traces Slow Progressive Decline

 Much of the press’s discourse contains annual descriptions of labor’s decline, some sympathetic and some not.  Whatever its causes, the story is true: union influence over the economy and American quality of life has been shrinking for decades.  Maryland is not immune. In this re-post from Seventh State, Adam Pagnucco, a labor scholar, itemizes the damage.

September 04, 2017 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for September 4-10

Nothing going on in the fall? Think again. Congress is back and feuding with the president, but that does not mean the rest of us are safe. We’ll have to watch out for the collateral damage and keep pushing to make health care for all an idea and a reality that the GOP will have to deal with – or else.

And the Maryland General Assembly is only 120 days from the opening gavel. Watch out for legislative briefings in the meantime, including those sponsored or supported by Progressive Maryland and our allies.

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.

 

 

woody woodruff

About

M.A. and Ph.d. from University of Maryland Merrill College of Journalism, would-be radical, sci-fi fan... retired to a life of keyboard radicalism...