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Thanks so much for your warm welcome and the energy you imparted to us on our PDA California Pre-Convention Roadshow to bring “Healthcare NOT Warfare” to the California Democratic Party (CDP) Convention. All of the PDA events were well attended and the participants attentive and ready to act.
At the mosque in Corona, the Teamster’s Hall in Orange, St Ann’s in Santa Monica, and the grand old Unitarian hall in Santa Barbara, the PDA National team gathered steam along the way, with union organizers, local favorite candidates and office holders, and progressive icons, adding to the voices and sentiments of the leaders amongst us, as we spoke truth to power everywhere along the way.
Literally the moment our van pulled into the Convention Center area in Sacramento, we dispatched some of us to immediately join in a demonstration with the California Nurses Association (CNA) in favor of Medicare for All HR 676 (US) and SB 810 (Calif) healthcare reform. While others greeted those arriving at Registration, yet others were sent to represent PDA at the various caucus meetings, including the largest and most raucous of them, the Progressive Caucus, where PDA along with progressives representing a large number of groups statewide gathered to carry out plans consistent with our “inside the party” half of our “inside/outside strategy”.
Progressives and the “grassroots” scored impressive “victories” at the convention by winning election of Hilary Crosby, herself a community organizer and financial expert as Controller for the CDP, choosing John Burton as the new CDP Chair, staging successful alternative fundraising and consciousness raising events outside the usual insiders big bucks and “dog and pony show” affairs, and we stayed until the last gavel, to guarantee that the important business of formulating policy by passing our resolutions took place with reasoned and civil debate and voting by attendees. These last convention duties were carried out fairly by outgoing CDP Chair Art Torres, and Resolutions Co-Chairs, Inola Henry, and John Hanna, and we passed important statements confirming the CDP’s commitment to Medicare for All Single Payer healthcare reform, calls for ongoing accountability of crimes committed by the Bush/Cheney administration, and opposition of the death penalty.
The proceedings concluded as we started with a PDA gathering to “de-brief” and share ideas for activism, and take handfuls and suitcases full of signs, stickers, and the ubiquitous “Healthcare NOT Warfare” flyers with us to continue our work in our communities as the movement continues onward. PDA National invited all to attend our Tuesday night conference calls for the various Issue Organizing Teams (IOTs) and our Thursday night organizing calls — see PDA Event Calendar: https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/309/mtglist.asp?formid=meet&mtgview=L ),
and of course we invite all to seek out their local PDA Chapter Leaders (or become one yourself!) to get “in the loop” on local Chapter meetings and political actions.
Again, as PDA California State Coordinator, I would just like to thank all who worked so hard to make this year’s tour and convention another major success for progressive Democrats statewide, and to thank you for all the work you are doing at home to help in building community awareness and a progressive governing majority.
Si se puede,
Dr Bill
Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots PAC that works both inside the Democratic Party and outside in movements for peace and justice. Our goal in 2009: Work with and increase the progressive majority in Congress as we build on our 2008 electoral successes. PDA’s advisory board includes seven members of Congress and activist leaders such as Tom Hayden, Medea Benjamin, Thom Hartmann, Jim Hightower, and Rev. Lennox Yearwood.
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