Stop evictions? MD has the money PM Weekly Memo for Monday, August 9, 2021

Progressive Maryland joins our friends in the labor, civil rights, and social justice movements to memorialize Richard Trumka, the President of the AFL-CIO, who died last Thursday. He was a fierce fighter for working people and a powerful movement leader. Sadly we’ve lost him at a significant moment in the campaigns for the right to organize workplaces and for greater economic security for all Americans. Statement from the AFL . Mike Podhorzer, Special Advisor to President Trumka, lifted up this quote in his tribute to Trumka:  “There’s no evil that’s inflicted more pain and more suffering than racism--and it’s something we in the labor movement have a special responsibility to challenge. It’s our special responsibility because we know, better than anyone else, how racism is used to divide working people.” Let’s honor his legacy by staying committed to the struggle for racial and economic justice.

Stop evictions? MD has the money PM Weekly Memo for Monday, August 9, 2021

Progressive Maryland joins our friends in the labor, civil rights, and social justice movements to memorialize Richard Trumka, the President of the AFL-CIO, who died last Thursday. He was a fierce fighter for working people and a powerful movement leader. Sadly we’ve lost him at a significant moment in the campaigns for the right to organize workplaces and for greater economic security for all Ameicans. Statement from the AFL . Mike Podhorzer, Special Advisor to President Trumka, lifted up this quote in his tribute to Trumka:  “There’s no evil that’s inflicted more pain and more suffering than racism--and it’s something we in the labor movement have a special responsibility to challenge. It’s our special responsibility because we know, better than anyone else, how racism is used to divide working people.” Let’s honor his legacy by staying committed to the struggle for racial and economic justice.

Thank you for being part  of this movement.

In Solidarity,

The PM Team

Quick Actions:

• Sign and share the petition for Medicare expansion in the US Senate: https://p2a.co/ek0dB4H 
• Volunteer to support progressive candidates in next year’s election!
• Call Gov. Hogan (410 974-3901) - tell him to restore unemployment insurance benefits without work search requirements.
• Support our campaigns and our statewide organizing by becoming a full member
• Join us on Slack to continue the conversation 

Statewide Updates:

Healthcare Justice Campaign 

Medicare Expansion:

We have an opportunity to win a  game-changing expansion of Medicare benefits in the federal Budget Reconciliation process, which is unfolding now. Serious negotiations to add dental, hearing, and vision care to Medicare are in the works for what’s included in the final budget measure.  Here are two things that supporters of universal health care are doing:

--Signing the petition:  https://p2a.co/ek0dB4H 

--Joining the People’s Action national phone bank tomorrow evening, August 10 at 6:00 p.m:  Click here to RSVP. 

We’ll run through a brief training at the beginning of the phone bank session to review the issue,  the script, and how to use the technology. Thanks to everyone who has taken action so far! Winning will improve the lives of millions of people and bring us closer to a Medicare For All system. 

Questions? Contact Malcolm at [email protected]

Fighting COVID-19:

The rise in cases and hospitalizations over the past several weeks as described here https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/08/07/cdc-americans-vaccinated-covid-florida-worst-week-anthony-fauci/5514204001/  is cause for great concern, especially as schools, businesses, and employers make plans for re-opening in September. Maryland’s elected officials, especially Governor Hogan, should consider following the lead  of the state’s biggest jurisdictions  which have reinstated mask mandates to help curb the rapidly increasing spread of the Delta variant. Every effort must be made by local, state, and federal officials to address this ongoing pandemic. We need more resources and focus on  public education, strong and clear guidelines on preventing the spread; and a commitment from wealthy countries to free the vaccine and enable billions of shots that the world needs. People need housing securit and must be prote Please mask up, get vaccinated and urge others to do so. We have the means and the power to protect and save lives. Let’s use them. 

Local Chapter Updates:

Progressive Montgomery

Want to get involved with our local economic, health and environmental justice campaigns? 

Please contact Josh this week!

Progressive Harford County 

The New Era Project coming to Harford County is right around the corner. Reserve your spot at our event on Thursday, August 12 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Havre de Grace Colored School Museum & Cultural Center. We need bold progressives at all levels of government in Harford County and across Maryland. The New Era Project can train and fund campaigns to help make that happen.

Statewide Justice Task Force General Meeting

The Justice Task Force will be hosting a general meeting on Tuesday, August 10th at 7pm. Join us to hear some updates about our We’re Not Bluffing Campaign for police reform, plans for the next General Assembly, and how to get involved with our work. RSVP here to receive the Zoom link.

Progressive Baltimore County -- Contact Zach

Anne Arundel Fair Elections Taskforce

Join us on August 17th at 6:30pm for the next Fair Elections Taskforce Meeting by registering here.

State and National News:  

Economic Justice For Marylanders -- Eviction Protection Won’t Aid All Maryland: The new federal government order to protect renters from losing their homes only applies to communities experiencing high coronavirus transmission rates -- 14 of the state’s 24 jurisdictions, at least for now --and may not help all of Maryland — including large jurisdictions such as Baltimore and Montgomery counties, the Sun and Maryland Matters report. Tenant protections provided by Gov. Hogan’s state of emergency are set to expire in less than two weeks, and even though two tranches of federal money ($401 million and $352 million) were sent, the money is getting through the state bureaucracy very, very slowly. Rep. Steny Hoyer said “I urge Governor Hogan to extend the moratorium on evictions until Marylanders can get relief from the assistance that Congress has provided.“ Our national allies at People’s Action report that “[Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer is still calling on the Biden administration to put the screws on states to get that money flowing to landlords and renters.”

At the county level, see the info links here: Anne Arundel County: Housing assistance info here. Eviction help, click here. Calvert County: For general information on housing assistance and to apply for rental assistance click here. Charles County: For general information on housing assistance and to apply for rental assistance, click here. Prince George’s County: Housing assistance info here. To apply for rental assistance, click here. St. Mary’s County: For general information on housing, click here.  To apply for rental assistance, click here.

Get more information here about Maryland’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program  

Checks for the Child Tax Credit are still arriving in bank accounts of those households that have filed tax returns -- but up to ten percent of eligible households won’t get it routinely because they don’t file/don’t have to file. So they may not know about this important form of support.  Get the word out! Use this Non-filer Sign-up Tool Help Guide (PDF - English and Spanish). This guide tells people what to gather ahead of time and walks people step-by-step through filling out the Tool. 

The Green New Deal and public schools: To fill out the two-track strategic approach in the reconciliation package, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY) several weeks ago dropped a bill linking the Green New Deal to schools recovery and resiliency with a strong through-line of union empowerment. HR 4442 now has 40 co-sponsors, including Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin. Organizations including national Democratic Socialists of America are building a rapid-response strategic approach to get this in the reconciliation package. The organizing opportunities linking this national bill to our Blueprint for Maryland’s Future school improvement plan are unmistakable. Note: Rep. Kweisi Mfume on the Education and Labor Committee is not on board at last posting; he and other Md. legislators need to hear about this critical bill. A formal launch is scheduled tomorrow night (Tuesday) Aug. 10 with Bowman and supporters.

Events from Our Allies:

Monday, August 16 | 7pm Reel and Meal will feature A Thousand Cuts, a feature-length documentary distributed through PBS Frontline. The documentary and discussion afterward will be streamed on Zoom. Registration is required  A Thousand Cuts goes inside the escalating war between the government and the press in the Philippines, and follows Maria Ressa, a renowned journalist who has become a top target of President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on the news media. 

Progressive Maryland BlogSpace:

We value creating space for our members to express their thoughts on any issues related to our campaigns. Have an idea for a blog post? You can submit writing, film, graphic design etc. to be published on our website to the blog moderator, Woody, at [email protected].  

Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Monday, August 2, 2021

Maryland is still lagging in helping local governments get relief to those threatened with eviction as the moratorium on evictions expired at midnight Saturday. Gov. Hogan and the sometimes-contradictory federal program(s) do not help. Get the least confusing information and help here, in the Memo. And share it. Keep people housed in our communities.

Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Monday, July 26, 2021 

July 21, 2021 MoCo Council adds biggest county to those backing Medicare for All

Montgomery County Council passes a resolution calling on Congress to enact Medicare For All.

July 16, 2021 The War on Drugs is a war on people like me

"The War on Drugs has been with us for more than fifty years, and hasn’t been a war on drugs at all. It’s been a war on people: people like me, and my family. Black people.” 

July 13, 2021  Hogan admin stymied in attempt at early Unemployment Insurance cutoff

Enhanced unemployment benefits provided by the Biden administration will last at least well into August despite attempts by Larry Hogan to burnish his credentials as a standard GOP scourge of working families by unilaterally discontinuing their payment. Justice (and judges) prevail.

June 25, 2021 Unfinished business in the Assembly: where is the progressive impulse?

A former progressive member of the Maryland General Assembly asks: Why doesn’t more progressive legislation get passed in the General Assembly? 

June 23, 2021 How the War on Drugs has warped priorities and ruined lives for 50 years

We're passing the post on the 50th Anniversary of the start of the War on Drugs. After enduring 50 years of the War on Drugs and witnessing its devastating effects on our communities, we feel it is important to change this policy now and pursue a public health and harm reduction approach. Join us to make change in this crucial area.