Here's the Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo -- one stop activist shopping, with events calendar, activism opportunities and links to our recent blog posts.
Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for May 14 21 2018
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BUILDING POWER – Ten different canvass and phone banking opportunities around the state to build power and unite your neighbors for action in your community. And that’s just in May.
See the full events list – with links – on our Facebook page.
Why are we doing all this? To fix our broken politics in Maryland by electing people who will blow past the business-as-usual governance style with which way too many officials have gotten way too comfortable.
Progressive Maryland has engaged with and endorsed candidates all over the state, at every level. No coin flips here; many of the folks on our endorsement honor roll have answered our detailed questions on the record, and we like what they have to say. Check out their answers. Then get to work getting them elected.
OUR CHAPTERS AROUND THE STATE
Court Watch
We'll be doing the Court Watch the month of May!Â
Contact Qiana Johnson to sign up: [email protected]
Court watch is a court monitoring program comprised of volunteers who observe and evaluate the justice system and outcomes. This program tracks pre-trial services, bail amounts, trends in sentencing and provides a forum for feedback to facilitate systems advocacy change regarding Prince George's County criminal justice system. This program serves as a reminder to courtroom personnel that the public is interested in what happens in the courtroom and will hold the justice system and themselves accountable for fair justice in their community.Â
From Protest to Power Canvasses
All canvasses are from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. We will be talking to our neighbors about our endorsed candidates.
May Happy Hours
Between warm days canvassing, we will be cooling off with cold drinks during our two May happy hours. All happy hours are from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- Takoma Park Happy Hour, Republic, May 16, RSVP.
- Rockville Happy Hour, World of Beer, May 31, RSVP.
Candidate Forum – Sunday May 20th
Be sure to join us Sunday, May 20th for a panel discussion with the male candidates for the Frederick County Democratic Central Committee. 01:15 PM at C. Burr Artz Public Library – Downtown (Female candidate forum was May 6).
Take Action Anne Arundel County
Thursday May 17 at 7pm --Â Monthly Chapter Meeting: The Big Picture
- Take Action Anne Arundel County started the year learning about the state legislative session, conducting a survey of issues, and personally advocating for certain bills. We are participating in an endorsement process for county council and state races with Progressive Maryland. We have been hitting the pavement to talk to voters about their issues and to support progressive candidates. We are currently initiating our own survey for school board candidates.
- How does all of this work relate? Why are we putting our energies in certain places? Come join the conversation about the vision for what our county could look like next year and put your effort in the work that is going to make change happen.
- Facebook RSVP here
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Saturday May 19 at 10am -- From Protest to Power Canvass in Edgewater, State District 30/County District 7
- Join Take Action Anne Arundel County to talk to voters about the issues that matter to them and to advocate for endorsed progressive candidates
- This canvass will focus on Ben Jealous for Governor, Chrissy Holt for State Senate District 30, and James Kitchin for County Council District 7
- RSVP here
Sunday May 20 at 1pm -- From Protest to Power Canvass in Davidsonville, State District 33/County District 7
- Join Take Action Anne Arundel County to talk to voters about the issues that matter to them and to advocate for endorsed progressive candidates
- This canvass will focus on Ben Jealous for Governor, Eve Hurwitz for State Senate District 33, and James Kitchin for County Council District 7
- RSVP here
Saturday May 26 at 10am -- From Protest to Power Canvass in Shady Side, State District 30/County District 7
- Join Take Action Anne Arundel County to talk to voters about the issues that matter to them and to advocate for endorsed progressive candidates
- James Kitchin, PM endorsed candidate for County Council District 7 will be canvassing with our team
- This canvass will focus on James, Chrissy Holt for State Senate District 30 and Ben Jealous for Governor
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RSVP here
Lower Shore Progressive Caucus
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EVENTS FROM OUR ALLIES
DC LABORFEST is under way throughout May and has events, music and movies including in some Maryland venues – check out their complete schedule
Saturday May 19 Join Us for a CWA Day of action with Candidate for Maryland Governor Ben Jealous and Special Guest Actor Harry Lennix This Saturday at CWA Local 2108. 10782 Rhode Island Ave, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 Open to Community Free Event
Monday, May 21 -- Part of the LaborFest schedule: The Reel and Meal at the New Deal in Greenbelt shows “Dolores,” the inspiring biopic about Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers. At the New Deal Café, Roosevelt Center in Greenbelt. Optional vegan buffet meal ($14) at 6:30 and free film at 7, with discussion led by an organizer for jobs and justice in today’s different but difficult environment.
TUES May 22 TOWN HALL ON AMAZON HQ2 — Join residents of DC, Virginia, and Maryland in demanding an end to the secrecy surrounding the Amazon HQ2 bid and that our elected leaders fund communities, not Amazon! Message [email protected] if you’d like to volunteer for the event! 6:30-8:30 PM St Stephens Church 1525 Newton St NW
Tuesday, May 22 Greenbelt Climate Action Network co-sponsors "100 for MD Event" 7:00-8:30 pm Greenbelt Youth Center Multipurpose Room 99 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD More here: We are excited to announce that we're co-hosting the 100 for MD Event Series in Greenbelt with Food & Water Watch and 100% Renewable Maryland! RSVP
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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
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OUR BLOG POSTS IN THE PAST 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 published these blog posts:
May 08, 2018 The heartless heart of homelessness, and the remedies
Even if you're a rock-ribbed Republican, not a bleeding-heart like me, I don't get how you can be indifferent. Is there any doubt that the quality of life for all of us is diminished when a few or - as in this case - many lack a safe place to rest their head every night?
 May 07, 2018 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for May 7-14 2018
TODAY, MONDAY, MAY 7, IS CHARGED WITH EVENTS. So the Weekly Memo is going out early to alert our activists. MORE about the upcoming week will be added to this, our online Memo, as it comes in. Click here to catch up throughout the week.
>>REMEMBER – these blog posts are expressions of political opinion from our wide-ranging membership and circle of allies. They are not expressions of opinion by Progressive Maryland. Don’t be surprised if they sometimes vary in their political content. You might even disagree with them – a good reason to contribute a blog of your own. Send it to the moderator, Woody Woodruff, at [email protected].
>>Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace from June 2015 through December 2016 are all available with descriptions and links here. You can follow blogs for 2017-18 starting from here
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