Welcome to the Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for May 8-14. It’s a busy week (starting tonight; see below) and a busy month, with Progressive Maryland local groups and affiliates gearing up to bring progressive politics to courthouses and town halls. Plus the blogs for the past week.

In the wake of the US House GOP majority squeaker passage of a catastrophic Trumpcare bill, sent off to a US Senate that hardly wants to touch it with a long stick, here's a roundup of information on the bill and some marching orders for progressives on how we can make those who voted for this bill pay for their mistake.

From the People's Action "Progressive Breakfast" blog: the political truths behind a recent poll finding that voters in the US want more government -- more of the things that improve the economy, job security, health and the welfare of all. Arguments from the right that our "freedom" requires want and anxiety, with minimal public provision, prove out to be pretty hollow.

"We must experiment boldly in order to win the power to change our economic and political system," argues Larry Stafford, Progressive Maryland's executive director. "The future of politics lies beyond the Democratic and Republican parties, and the ground is shifting in order to make that possible. It’s up to us to build the viable alternative." This is the second of two blogs on a Progressive Caucus strategy; the first part ran May 2.

Politics in the US are stymied by political parties that have surrounded themselves with legal protections to maintain their power, PM Executive Director Larry Stafford points out here. But neither party -- especially the Democrats -- is responsive to the people they are supposed to be working for. For Democrats, that's us working people -- and we are those people who have to transform the party or replace it, Stafford says. This is the first of a two-part analysis.

Our weekly memo, with organizing info from PM's expanding footprint in Maryland: Howard, Baltimore City, criminal justice/incarceration organizing project, Prince George's -- plus links to recent blog posts on the People's Action convention and other items.

"People of color and many other minority groups find themselves struggling to get people to understand their story... Sheriffs, mayors, governors, representatives, congressmen, presidents, and oil companies move forward on their agenda as if an entire group of people were non-existent. THEY DON’T HEAR US." Kimberly Riofrio, a Montgomery County activist in Progressive Maryland, defends a conscious and dynamic -- if sometimes uncomfortable -- awareness of diversity in our progressive movements.

A talk delivered by George Goehl, co-director of People's Action, to 1200-plus progressives from across the US at the PA founding convention Sunday night (April 23). Progressive Maryland is a state affiliate of People's Action, which has recently partnered in a newly strengthened organization with the Campaign for America's Future.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, as he always does, wowed the 1000-plus attendees of the People's Action founding convention Monday afternoon. PA's Libero della Piana wrote this account for Progressive Breakfast, the online PA blog.

Our national umbrella organization People's Action, newly consolidated, is having a founding convention early this week right in DC and our attention is on that. Plus upcoming events and the most recent blog posts with links.