Time to hit the home stretch. According to campaign legend, Labor Day Weekend is when most everyday voters look up from the grill and notice that there's an election in November. Somehow that seems unlikely in this election cycle. The intensity of feeling that has built up over the last two years has raised folks' appreciation for the importance of this midterm election.

There will be lots of expensive media, bankrolled by the 1 percent, trying to persuade everyone that everything is really not bad, that Larry Hogan has done a good job for a Republican (!) and that things are rolling along OK.

It shouldn't be hard to debunk that nonsense -- but it won't happen without work, without the clarity of alternatives to business as usual. That's why we do what we do. Join us.

 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo Sept 4 2018

We’re opening this short week with Ben Jealous’s Labor Day observations on the power of organizing:

Today marks the end of a long weekend -- and unfortunately, the traditional end of summer.

But who can you thank for this long weekend, and, in fact, every weekend? Labor unions.

[Yesterday was] Labor Day, and before it became about hot dogs, family picnics, and one last visit to the pool, it was created to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the American worker. As a former union member of the Communications Workers of America, and the grandson of an American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) family, I know the power that unions have to transform lives and families. In fact, the day we walked out of poverty was the day our family became a two union household.

Both my grandparents belonged to AFSCME, and it was their union pensions that put me through college. It's why I joined the union movement so young -- and it's why I know we can be doing more.

In this time when the president, the Supreme Court, and Congress are attacking unions, our states have to stand up for them.

We should be using project labor agreements and encouraging young people to find a trade and a union that supports them in it. Careers like these should not be found through luck, but through support that begins as early as elementary school.

I'm proud to have the endorsement of strong unions, including the Maryland and DC chapters of the AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 3, Baltimore Teachers Union, Maryland Postal Workers Union, CWA, SEIU, UNITE HERE! Local 7, UFCW 27, UFCW 400, UFCW 1994, ATU 1300, Amalgamated Transit Union International, and countless other organizations and activists fighting for workers in Maryland. And I will keep fighting every day for a stronger economy built with labor unions and working families.

--Ben Jealous https://benjealous.com/

[Sept. 15 in Montgomery County, Ben and others discuss drug decriminalization. See more below; read details here.]

Next: thanksthanksthanks to Elizabeth Dueweke, PM stalwart activist and deft digital person, who wrangled last week’s Memo while your moderator was on travel.

ACTIVISM STATEWIDE

General Election Canvasses in Anne Arundel, Frederick and more – get the details and join up here.

Saturday, Sept. 8 -- Register voters at the Frederick in the Street Festival – follow the link for details.

FROM OUR CHAPTERS AROUND THE STATE

Progressive Prince George's

The Mass Liberation program continues with Mass Liberation Mondays 6:30-9 PM at the Prince George’s office and Participatory Defense Community Meetings Saturdays at 1 PM, Oakcrest Community Center.

PMD Montgomery

Frederick County Progressives

Saturday, Sept. 8  Tabling at In the Street

FCP will be hosting a table at this year's In the Street event starting at 10 AM. We're looking for folks to staff the table in 2-hour shifts of 2-3 people.

Take Action Anne Arundel County

TONIGHT Sept. 4 County Council Meeting -- Issue & Action: Say No to Resolution 30-18 Anne Arundel County Council Chairman Michael Peroutka is sponsoring Resolution 30-18, a resolution for recognizing and declaring the humanity of pre-born children.

Planned Parenthood Maryland is organizing testimony at tonight’s (September 4) council meeting. See Facebook Event here.  

Show your support for PP and wear pink or purple. 

Sign up for public testimony by 6:30 pm. Anne Arundel County Council meeting starts at 7 pm. Council meetings are held at 44 Calvert Street in Annapolis.

Be prepared for a long wait to testify. This resolution is the last item on the agenda.

Chapter Events:

Thursday September 20 at 7pm -- Education, Immigration & Canvassing 

Take Action Anne Arundel County has been researching and planning local issue campaigns. Our first action is focused on Funding Education. The Education Lockbox Amendment is on the November 6 ballot. Voters will be deciding whether the state constitution is amended to require the state to use casino revenue to supplement the education budget. We all thought this was decided years ago but in actuality there was never a law in place requiring the state to use the casino funds specifically for education. We need the majority of registered voters to VOTE YES. Are you in? We need volunteers to help get the word out to registered voters.

Anne Arundel County is moving to an elected school board for the first time.  Take Action Anne Arundel County plans to have Candidate Forums for Board of Education candidates in County Districts 4, 5 and 7. We are looking for volunteers to help organize these forums. If Education is a concern for you, join us! 

Take Action Anne Arundel County will be kicking off canvassing events for the General Election beginning in September. We are looking for a Canvass Captain, canvass hosts, canvassers and phone bankers. If you want to support getting progressive candidates elected, WE WANT YOU! We will be talking about our slate of PM endorsed candidates during our monthly meeting. 

RSVP here

Other local events

Friday, September 7 at 7pm - Film High Tide in Dorchester -- I have personally seen this film. Amazing first-hand stories from residents and scientists.

The Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis are partnering with Anne Arundel Group of the Sierra Club to show the film High Tide in Dorchester.  See more about the film and watch a short trailer here. 

Dorchester County in Maryland is already experiencing the future of climate change. This low-lying county on the Eastern Shore is the fourth largest of Maryland's 23 counties by land area, but it is destined to drop to the 14th largest by 2100, or sooner, as waters rise and erosion worsens. 

We will hear from candidates who are running for office in Annapolis about their views on protecting our climate and environment.

Annapolis Friends Meeting House, 351 Dubois Rd, Annapolis.   

--Claire Miller

Progressive Howard County

Progressive HoCo’s site furnishes very detailed information on candidates in county elections.

Talbot Rising

Saturday, September 15, Please attend Talbot Rising’s LAST PUSH General Meeting,  from 10-12 at the Easton Library to get plugged in. Judy Wixted, Queen of Democratic GOTV, will share the Democratic Party’s analysis and strategy of what it will take to win in November, and have a schedule of phone banking and canvassing you can sign up for. See more in the Sept. 3 Talbot Rising Newsletter.

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus has a new blog post refuting misconceptions about gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous.

EVENTS FROM OUR ALLIES

Wed, Sept 5, 2018 Greenbelt Climate Action Network presents Community solar – a new way to support local, clean energy – 7-9 PM Greenbelt Community Center, Room 114 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD   https://www.facebook.com/pg/chearsorg/events/  Community solar projects are accepting customers now and spots are filling up fast. How is it different than buying wind power, or other clean energy options? Find out your options and all the latest on this brand new program that’s rapidly changing how we buy solar power in Maryland.

 For more info, contact Lore Rosenthal, Greenbelt Climate Action Network, [email protected], 301-345-2234

Thursday September 13• Film: Reinventing Power: America’s Renewable Energy Boom. Reinventing Power takes us across the country to hear from the people making our clean energy future achievable. It underscores that we don’t have to sacrifice jobs for a clean environment.  This 50-minute Sierra Club film will be followed by discussion led by Dr. Al Bartlett, co-lead of the Sierra Club's campaign for 100% renewable energy in Maryland by 2035.  Encore Theater, Riderwood Village Retirement Community, Calverton/Silver Spring, , , 7:15 pm.  To register and for directions: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7010Z000002B1LLQA0.  Contact: Jim Henkelman-Bahn ([email protected], 301-445-1752).

   
NOTE: Wednesday, October 3, • “Re-inventing Power” will be shown at Greenbelt Community Center, Room 114, 7 pm.  
https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7010Z000002B3YaQAK. Contact: Lore Rosenthal ([email protected], 301-345-2234).  Co-sponsored by the Prince George’s Sierra Club and the Greenbelt Climate Action Network. 

Sat, September 15, Discussing Drug Decriminalization: Cannabis to Opioids – a featured speaker is Ben Jealous, gubernatorial candidate. Presented by Drug Policy Alliance  10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT Montgomery College Germantown Campus 20200 Observation Drive Bioscience Education conference room 151 Germantown, MD 20876. More info and RSVP here

Saturday, September 22 -- MD Poor People’s Campaign has partnered with the River Road UU Congregation and DoTheMostGood (DTMG) to lead a nonpartisan Democracy Bootcamp at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation from 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM.
Participants will learn skills that can enable and support our democracy. Ashwani Jain, former White House staffer, will be the keynote speaker, along with Danielle Blocker from the MD Poor People’s Campaign. Learn from Organizers How to Take Effective Actions -- This is in preparation for Voter Registration and Canvassing in Montgomery County on September 29.
Please RSVP to ensure adequate provisions. For questions contact Vonna Heaton at [email protected]  

 Baltimore comrades, Check in on Max Obuszewski’s highly useful calendar and tip sheet at http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

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. You know you meant to do it last week and now here you are again...

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:

September 03, 2018 Organizing is the secret sauce for moving from grievance to governance

Regaining democracy's people power -- after the Right's 40-year game plan has brought us today's Trumpster fire -- takes work, but we know how to do it. James Mumm of People's Action walks us through the plan to "move from grievance to governance, and from protest to power." It's a plan that works in large part because it doesn't depend on the 1%'s money but the 99%'s mobilization, starting at the local and state level in the pattern followed by Progressive Maryland and the other state affiliates of People's Action.

August 31, 2018 Discussing Drug Decriminalization from Cannabis to Opioids: An Upcoming Forum

Drug decriminalization in Maryland and across the US has great promise for easing both the huge public cost of mass incarceration and the social and individual impacts that drugs and their consequences have. Veronica Wright outlines her introduction to the issue and how decriminalization -- with other social provision -- has worked well abroad and in other states, and can work in Maryland. She has initiated a forum on the topic Sept. 15 at Montgomery College/Germantown.

August 30, 2018 Conservative push for school vouchers harms our students

Private school vouchers for Maryland students, a project of Gov. Larry Hogan that Assembly Democrats have (minimally) funded, has severe consequences for student learning, as Mathew Goldstein outlines here. The "facts" presented in classrooms and textbooks by these (mostly religious) private institutions are "alternative facts," to say the least.

August 21, 2018 Years of GOP votes brought the Shore no help. Hogan's no different.

The Lower Shore is one of the most impoverished areas of the state, after decades of sending GOP legislators to Annapolis, a Shore progressive writes. Larry Hogan fits that mold.

August 20, 2018 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for August 20-27 2018

Posted by woody woodruff · 12:19 PM

Our local chapters around the state are gearing up for a big progressive push between now and the November general election -- registering new voters and contacting members of our community who may have become jaded about participating in what looked like a rigged game. We can beat the business-as-usual politics that have Maryland locked up and build a progressive state for the middle class and working families, not for the rich. Read on and dig in with us.

 >>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