It’s Election Day in more places than you might think tomorrow – some folks will be GOTV-busy in Virginia, lending a hand to competitive progressive candidates in NoVa, others focused on Annapolis or Frederick municipal elections (see below) or others around the state. And MoCo has a big Council vote on a $15 minimum wage tomorrow, as well. Find out about all this, and more...

It’s Election Day in more places than you might think tomorrow – some folks will be GOTV-busy in Virginia, lending a hand to competitive progressive candidates in NoVa, others focused on Annapolis or Frederick municipal elections (see below) or others around the state. And MoCo has a big Council vote on a $15 minimum wage tomorrow, as well.

A fizzy event looms this weekend, Andy Harris trying to explain to his Town Hall audience why a tax plan that makes the rich richer at everyone else’s expense is the stroke of genius that he and Paul Ryan claim it is.

More below on all of these, plus a full calendar of other events and links to the most recent blog posts.

Statewide Action: Health Care

Tues Nov. 7 Legislative Visit with Senator Cardin  -- The Maryland for Guaranteed Healthcare group will be meeting with Senator Ben Cardin's healthcare legislative staff in D.C. to discuss current healthcare fights, and the need for a single payer healthcare system. RSVP here for this group: http://www.progressivemaryland.org/nov7cardinhealthcarevisit

Statewide Action: GOP Tax Plan

Sat Nov. 11  Andy Harris Tax Plan Town Hall, 4-7 p.m. at Wicomico High School Auditorium, Salisbury -- Andy Harris is hosting a town hall meeting next weekend to answer constituent questions about the newly-introduced Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and other topics under consideration in Congress. All residents of Maryland’s First District are welcome to attend the event and ask questions! http://www.progressivemaryland.org/harristownhallnov11

FROM OUR CHAPTERS AROUND THE STATE:

Progressive MoCo

From this morning’s (Nov. 6) Union City, email newsletter of the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO:

Turnout urged for MontCo $15/hr vote tomorrow: The Fight For Fifteen has been working around the clock to pass a strong minimum wage bill in Montgomery County. The final vote for a $15-dollar-an-hour minimum wage is set for tomorrow (Tues, Nov. 7) at 10:30 a.m. at the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD). “Anyone who can join in support should come out,” urged labor ally Jews United for Justice (JUFJ). Here is a link created by JUFJ listing the ways to be involved and more information about the Fight for $15 in Montgomery County…

From the Progressive MoCo team: After delivering over 200 postcards to Councilmember Sidney Katz and texting over 1,500 people in District 3, our fight is coming to the final moment: the vote on the $15 minimum wage. The Montgomery County Council will vote on Bill 28-17 to raise the minimum wage from $11.50/hr to $15/hr by 2020 on November 7th. Get more details on the bill. Will you join us on November 7th for this historic vote in Montgomery County?

Details: Meet before the news conference at 9 a.m. in front of the Montgomery County Council office (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD). If you can’t make the news conference, join us for before the vote at 10:30 a.m. at the same location.  RSVP  Contact: Justin Vest, [email protected]  And stay in touch with us on  Facebook and Twitter for more updates. Or visit at PMD Montgomery

Progressive Prince George’s

Wed, Nov. 8  “Greens at the Chaddsfords” -- County planners present an update on the Zoning Rewrite, a wholesale revamping of the county code that says what can be built where. 7-8:30 p.m. at Chaddsford Community Center 7211 Chaddsford Drive Brandywine, MD see MAP.

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.

Meetings - every 4th Thursday via conference call - RSVP Belina Wimbish-Haile [email protected]

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].

Progressive Howard County

Wed Nov 15 Progressive HoCo chapter meeting: 7-8:30 p.m. at Howard County Central Library -- Warfield Room -- 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy Columbia, MD 21044  A representative from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) will speak about organizing around affordable housing issues.  Please RSVP here.

Frederick County Progressives

Tomorrow, November 7, is Election Day in Frederick – FCP has put together candidate information for Frederick municipal elections at this link, with questionnaire responses.

Take Action Anne Arundel County

Monday November 6 - 20th Rally for a Safety Study at Cove Point Join We Are Cove Point for the weekly protest at the Governor's Mansion in Annapolis.

Tuesday November 7 - Annapolis Mayor and City Council Elections - Make sure to vote if you live in Annapolis!  Gavin Buckley, Rob Savidge, Ellie Tierney, Kurt Riegel, Rhonda Pindell Charles, Marc Rodriguez, Shanika Henson, Sheila Finlayson, Ross Arnett all need your support on election day.

Friday November 10, Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis will be screening AWAKE: A Dream From Standing Rock at 7PM at the Annapolis Friends Meeting House.  Information on their website and Facebook page.

 Friday November 18, Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis will be hosting a discussion on Healthy Soils: Implementing the Maryland Healthy Soils Program at 1:30 at the Annapolis Friends Meeting House.  Information on their website and Facebook page.

Friday December 1, Free Screening of “13th” and Panel Discussion in Annapolis at the Maryland Hall for Creative Arts. RSVP for tickets. 

Talbot Rising

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

 EVENTS FROM OUR ALLIES

Tues November 7: Kickoff Event for Maryland Peace Action -- 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., Busboys and Poets
5331 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville, MD, 20781 RSVP here  Maryland’s local Peace Action groups are joining together to enhance our power state-wide, under the name Maryland Peace Action.  Speaker is David Swanson,  author, activist, journalist and radio host. He is director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Suggested donation of $10.

Thursday, Nov. 9 MAGLEV discussion 7-9 p.m. at Parkdale High School – Del. Alonzo Washington is messaging constituents “Please join me and the District 22 Team for a Community Meeting to discuss the MAGLEV high-speed train proposal on Thursday, November 9th from 7-9 p.m. at Parkdale High School (6001 Good Luck Road, Riverdale, MD).”

 Mon Nov. 13 Progressive Neighbors Democratic Primary Forum: Montgomery County Executive candidates – Silver Spring Civic Center, 1 Veterans Plaza, 7 p.m. Confirmed candidates Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich, George Leventhal. Updates at www.progressiveneighborsmd.org

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:

November 03, 2017 Guaranteed Health Care Digest: "Tax Reform" Hazardous to Health Care

The GOP "tax reform" plan that dumps still more money into the hands of corporations and the rich pays for it by taking money away from working families. Here is what this bill means for the US and for Maryland, the impact on health care and opportunities to fight back.

November 02, 2017 Maglev? Hyperloop? How about fixing what we've got?

The concrete achievement of a really useful intercity rail system is in reach for Maryland if it defers the maglev and hyperloop dreams in favor of the needs of today’s household travelers.

November 01, 2017 Prince George's co-op movement kicked off in Seat Pleasant; time to join in

Prince George's residents are building power and regaining control of democracy by pooling resources to focus on change. The first Prince George's Co-Op meeting laid the groundwork and a grassroots, self-funding movement for popular empowerment is under way, as you will read here.

October 31, 2017 What do we mean by “affordable housing” in Howard County? Are the right people controlling that decision?

From a purely social justice point of view, the supply of affordable units should depend on the number of families and individuals in need. Add to that the history of Columbia, where all types of housing were intermingled in an effort to consciously avoid housing segregation and to allow people to live near where they work.  We know what we need, but who is making those decisions? Progressive HoCo activist Dave Bazell explores need vs. greed.

October 30, 2017 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Oct. 30-Nov. 5

More discussions are emerging around the state to build a progressive agenda for the 2018 General Assembly session beginning in January. Criminal Justice, social provision and education will all be on the table, and if we are not seated at the table, we wind up being dinner. It’s an election year so don’t let the well-paid business lobbyists dominate the conversation.

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 starting from 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...