Progressive Democrats Sonoma County

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

April 22, 2011

I’ve been remiss in not calling attention to the budget proposal from the Congressional Progressive Caucus. It’s not going to happen — but then neither is the Ryan plan. And unlike the Ryan plan, it actually makes sense.

Read the Rest 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

Filmmaker Saul Landau & journalist Norman Solomon in Person. Monday, April 25, 7:15 p.m. San Rafael.

Filmmaker Saul Landau will present a special screening of his award-winning 1980 documentary Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang and participate in a discussion with author and activist Norman Solomon. Winner of a television Emmy and the George Polk Award for investigative journalism, this poignant and potent political documentary followed an investigative reporter as he exposed the health hazards that our government had suppressed after the nuclear tests of the 1950s and 60s. Camera: Haskell Wexler, Zack Krieger. Directors: Saul Landau, Jack Willis. (US 1980) Film 60 min. plus discussion.

Event flyer attached. Download the PDF, copy and distribute.

Attachment	Size
May1st2011 flyer[1].pdf	1.97 MB

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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.

In response to the Japanese nuclear disaster and our own community needs, this forum will feature these expert panelists: Robert Gould, MD, President SF Physicians for Social Responsibility; Barbara Rose Johnston, PhD, and Senior Fellow, Center for Political Ecology; and Norman Solomon, activist and author.

When and where:
Monday, April 18, 7-9 p.m.
Guzman Hall, Dominican University
50 Acacia Avenue, San Rafael
Campus Host: Green MBA Program

This event is free and open to the public.

More Info Here

3rd and Santa Rosa Ave., 10 Santa Rosa Ave (Map)
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Monday, April 18th, 12:00 PM

Click Here for more Info

Sonoma Plaza (E. Napa Rd. & Broadway), Sonoma Plaza
Sonoma, CA 95476
Monday, April 18th, 5:00 PM

Click Here for More Info

PDSonoma GuestBlog
By Will Shonbrun

In the fall of 2008 a giant mud ball – created by Wall Street financial schemers and irresponsible big bank mortgage lenders, hit the fan – and it splattered on just about everyone in our country and even globally. The result of these frauds has resulted in double-digit unemployment and millions of home foreclosures. In order to stanch an economic meltdown and crash that threatened to reverberate at home and internationally the Bush Administration instituted bailouts for some of the largest banks and investment corporations. It was a necessary action agreed upon by a majority of the most respected, credentialed and acclaimed economists.

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

April 13, 2011 | By Solomon for Congress

Norman Solomon—the North Bay political activist who has been a leader of the region’s Green New Deal commission and the national Healthcare Not Warfare campaign—announced on Wednesday (April 13) that he has filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for Congress. He said that his name will be on the June 2012 ballot if Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey decides not to seek re-election.

Read the Rest Here

Who should replace Rep. Lynn Woolsey if she retires in 2012?

There’s a poll at the end of this article that you might want to participate in:

http://www.watchsonomacounty.com/2011/04/washington/huffman-builds-war-chest-for-congressional-bid/

San Francisco Labor Council Resolution – Adopted unanimously March 28, 2011

Support April 9-10 Rallies and Marches:
Oppose the Wars against Working People
at Home and Abroad

Whereas, the wealthy and corporations now in control of our country continue to take more, while we get less, continue to destroy our environment, exploit our labor and reduce our services for ever-increasing profits, using half of our Federal tax dollars for military purposes, and our youth, under an economic draft, as cannon fodder to invade and occupy other countries, and

Whereas, the price of wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and now Libya is creating a permanent war economy draining the US of trillions of dollars that could be used for jobs, education, and social services, draining funds at the state and local level, while providing a convenient excuse for draconian cuts in services and extreme austerity measures resulting in the decimation of collective bargaining agreements now being carried out in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and other states.

Therefore be it resolved, that the San Francisco Labor Council join the Bay Area Chapter of US Labor Against the War, and hundreds of social justice organizations, nation-wide, calling for an immediate end to these wars, and endorsing the bi-coastal marches and rallies occurring on April 9th in New York City and April 10th in San Francisco, sponsored by the United National Antiwar Committee.

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YOU ARE INVITED .....

SATURDAY AFTERNOON with NORMAN SOLOMON, JIM HIGHTOWER and FRIENDS
A fundraiser for the Norman Solomon for Congress Exploratory Committee

Join NORMAN SOLOMON and special guests including national radio commentator, author and progressive populist JIM HIGHTOWER, Chair of the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party KAREN BERNAL and former KPFA “Morning Show” host AIMEE ALLISON for this festive gathering!

Music provided by BRUCE BARTHOL, original bass player for Country Joe and the Fish and long time songwriter for the SF Mime Troupe
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Saturday, April 16
1:00 – 3:30 pm
Program at 1:30 pm

French Garden Restaurant and Bistro
8050 Bodega Avenue
Sebastopol, CA 95472

After gaining a majority in the House of Representatives last November, the Republican party within months launched a full-on assault on workers’ rights and labor unions in state after state around the nation.

Read the Rest and LISTEN TO AUDIO here

By Melissa Byrne, Online Campaigns Coordinator
StrengthenSocialSecurity.org
March 29, 2011

Today’s the day! We need you to call your Senators and demand that they vote for the Sanders/Reid Social Security Protection Amendment.

Call Today: 1-866-251-4044 ACT NOW! Your voice needs to be heard.

Senator Sanders and Majority Leader Reid are leading the Senate to protect Social Security from drastic cuts.

Their amendment simply says: Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries should not be cut and Social Security should not be privatized as part of any legislation to reduce the Federal deficit.

Read the Rest Here

CLICK HERE to read daily updates

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

UPDATE: Mix and mingle with NORMAN SOLOMON and Special Guests including national radio commentator, author and progressive populist JIM HIGHTOWER & KAREN BERNAL, Chair of the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party.

Event Details & RSVP Here

New Events added to Norman Solomon for Congress Exploratory Committee Events Calendar . Check back often for updates.

If you are unable to attend an event for any reason, please consider making a donation to support a progressive champion!

Would you like to host a house party for Norman? Click here to get started!

The House of Representatives voted on HConRes28 “Directing the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan.” 93 voted aye.

If you see your Representative below, please contact and thank him or her. If not, contact him or her ask why not, and express your support for a rapid, responsible withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Read the Rest Here