Progressive Democrats Sonoma County

Guests: Tim Carpenter, John Nichols, Jim Hightower, Ariel Dorfman
Tim Carpenter (Progressive Democrats of America National Chairman), John Nichols and Jim Hightower on the unstoppable Occupy movement; Ariel Dorfman on his new memoir, “Feeding on Dreams: Confessions of an Unrepentant Exile” — about his exiles, returns, and vanquishing silence.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA presents an evening with:

JOHN NICHOLS, Washington correspondent for The Nation magazine,

MICHAEL LIGHTY, Policy Director of the California Nurses Association,

and NORMAN SOLOMON, Co-chair of the national Healthcare NOT Warfare Campaign.

WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:30.

WHERE: Guzman Hall, Dominican University; 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901.

Go here for a campus map

This is a rare opportunity to see these three dynamic leaders and speakers together in one room. Join us for an evening of community and celebration in support of Healthcare NOT Warfare!

No entry charge. Donations accepted. Wheel-chair accessible.

Cosponsored by the Expressions Program of the Humanities Department, Dominican University.

An Evening with:

JOHN NICHOLS
Washington correspondent for
The Nation Magazine

MICHAEL LIGHTY
Policy Director of the California
Nurses Association

and
NORMAN SOLOMON
Co-Chair of the national
Healthcare Not Warfare Campaign

On September 1, 2011, at a special meeting in Sebastopol, Progressive Democrats Sonoma County voted to endorse Norman Solomon for Congress.

Solomon expressed deep gratitude for the endorsement, calling it “a big boost for our grassroots campaign to ensure that this region continues to have strong progressive representation in Congress. The Sonoma County chapter of PDA is known for its strength of commitment and depth of community roots. I feel honored by the county chapter’s support, and I look forward to working together as our campaign keeps gaining momentum.”

By Donna Smith, National Co-chair, Healthcare Not Warfare

In more than 60 locations from Maine to California, the 170,000 registered nurse members of National Nurses United will be hosting events aimed at healing the damage done on Main Streets all over America by Wall Street’s special interests.

Read the Full Story & Find Locations Here

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CLICK HERE to read report

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CLICK HERE to read the report

Norman Soloman – Donna Smith – and Tim Carpenter of Progressive Democrats of America join Thom Hartmann. The “Healthcare not Warfare” campaign is raising awareness about our deteriorating healthcare system that’s bankrupting millions of Americans and leaving them sick with nowhere to go. And while this is going on – our nation is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on endless wars in the Middle East. So the choice is simple – do we keep funding “black hole” wars – or start making Americans healthy again? Please sign “Healthcare not Warfare” petition at http://bit.ly/jZlPGZ

May 11, 2011

Letter delivered to Rep. Woolsey’s staff at May18 Brown Bag Lunch Vigil

Dear Representative Woolsey:

On behalf of the undersigned members of the Progressive Democrats of America, Sonoma County, we are writing to express our adamant opposition to the proposed free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. Contrary to President Obama’s campaign pledge to overhaul President Bush’s failed trade policies, he is now proposing three disastrous NAFTA-style agreements on which you may soon be asked to cast a vote. We strongly urge you to oppose these deals.

April 18, 2011

Dear Representative Woolsey,

It is time to begin the “safe and orderly withdrawal” of troops and contractors in Afghanistan. The best way to effect this is by enacting HR 780, Rep. Barbara Lee’s “Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act.”

This is legislation whose time has come, and your cosponsorship can lead to the end of America’s longest war, with its tragic loss of life and debilitating loss of money that can better be spent here at home. Thank you for cosponsoring this vital legislation.

Progressive Democrats Sonoma County
Press Release
May 16, 2011

Santa Rosa, CA – Members of Progressive Democrats of America have been petitioning congressional members to enact a jobs bill that will help the millions of unemployed workers across the country. Progressive Democrats, Sonoma County chapter is pleased to see Representative Lynn Woolsey’s announcement that she is cosponsoring H.R. 870, the Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act, introduced by Representative John Conyers, Jr., D (MI-14) in the House of Representatives on March 2, 2011. As of today, there are a total of 15 cosponsors, all Democratic Congress members.

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Join local PDA members as we welcome PDA Advisory Board member and honored guest Lynn Woolsey, Healthcare NOT Warfare co-chair Norman Solomon, PDA Advisory Board member and Director of Administration and Public Policy for the California Nurses Association (CNA)/National Nurses United (NNU) Michael Lighty, along with Tim Carpenter, Conor Boylan, and Dr. Bill Honigman of the PDA National team for the last leg of the PDA California Healthcare NOT Warfare Tour. Celebrate with us as we honor Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and her six years with PDA.

Read the Rest Here & RSVP

Moderator: Kurt Bateman, IOT Co-Coordinator and Director Single Payer Action Network (SPAN) Ohio

Lead Report: Dr. Deborah Richter has practiced family medicine in Cambridge, VT, for 13 years. She is past president of Physicians for a National Health Program and is current president of Vermont Health Care for All. The co-author of At the Crossroads: The Future of Health Care in Vermont, she will provide an update on Vermont and explain what PDA folks can do to help going forward.

Political Commentary: Steve Cobble, PDA co-founder and PDA Advisory Board member, with his perspective from Vermont Governor Shumlin’s meetings in DC.

CLICK HERE to listen to audio recording of this IOT call.

Join the PDA Healthcare for ALL Issue Organizing Team (IOT). Learn more here

UPDATE: Michael Lighty WILL be with us in Santa Rosa on April 28. Along with Rep. Lynn Woolsey, he will be joined by Norman Solomon, Co-Chair of the Healthcare Not Warfare Campaign and Tim Carpenter, Conor Boylan, Dr. Bill Honigman and Steve Cobble of the PDA national team. Space is limited. RSVP required: http://www.pdamerica.org/events/view/pda-roadshow-is-coming-to-santa-rosa

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The Week in PDA
by Conor Boylan
April 17, 2011

The week culminates in Earth Day, but there’s plenty of action before then, as our largest Issue Organizing Team and one of our most active IOTs hold their calls this week.

Click Here for details.

Earth Day 2011 is Friday, April 22, and PDA is joining with our allies at Million Letter March and Citizens Climate Lobby in an effort to send one million letters to Congress demanding effective climate legislation.

We’re savvy enough to know that this Congress is not interested in effective climate legislation, so we need to show them there is broad support for it while we build a movement for change.

Read the Rest Here and Take Action

By Donna Smith, PDA Healthcare NOT Warfare Campaign Co-chair
March 24, 2011

This time we’re off to California with events throughout the state in advance of the Democratic Party state convention. Full details will follow, so for those of you in California, plan to spend some time on Healthcare NOT Warfare activities, and let’s spread the campaign ever wider.

For the past couple of months, PDA has been on the road doing the person-to-person, mind and heart work of organizing those who support our Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign.

Read the Rest Here

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For a schedule of all of the upcoming PDA IOT calls, click here

The PDA Stop Global Warming Conference Call held March 16th, 2011. Tim DeChristopher is the guest speaker on the call.

Click here to listen to recording of the call

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March 16, 2011
Santa Rosa, CA

Dear Representative Woolsey,

Since January 2010, the Brown Bag Lunch Vigils have been out in front of our representatives’ and senators’ offices, on street corners, and in parks to get the word out to our community that this country can give everyone access to healthcare, make jobs available to those who need them, stem the increase of carbon in our air, and correct the balance of power and wealth between those who have and those who have not. The common thread among many of our goals is that naysayers must be able to step out of their comfort zones and understand the terrible effects these problems have on ordinary people.

That’s no easy task, even for the most enlightened of us. Something that helps people see the importance of making sure that others in our country can take care of themselves—or receive help when they can’t—is seeing a goal laid out in print in a piece of simple legislation.