Progressive Democrats Sonoma County

Originally published by the Press Democrat
by Norman Solomon

On a recent day in Petaluma, two very different events spotlighted grim results of upside-down priorities from the federal government.

Upwards of 600 people gathered for an early breakfast at the Veterans Memorial Hall to raise money for the Committee on the Shelterless (COTS), a nonprofit organization that last year sheltered nearly 2,000 individuals, served more than 127,000 hearty meals and distributed 800,000 pounds of food to the needy.

We heard moving stories about — and from — people whose lives have been transformed by active compassion, generosity and their own hard work. But, as speakers lamented, COTS must turn away many who need help.

Read the Full Story Here

Dear Friends,

The United Farm Workers are now in their 8th day of their 187-mile journey from Madera to Sacramento. This march is intended to put pressure on Governor Brown to pass new legislation to protect farm workers. Since Governor Brown vetoed the Farm Worker Protection Act just two months ago, THREE farm workers have died in the fields. Sadly, this kind of information rarely makes the news cycle.

We have a wonderful opportunity to show solidarity with our farm worker brothers and sisters in Sacramento as they complete their historic march. There will be a UFW bus caravan leaving from Santa Rosa this Sunday, September 4, and arriving at Southside Park in Sacramento where we will greet the marchers. We will all take the final steps to the Capitol together and join a huge rally in support of Farm Worker Protection. After the rally, the buses return to Santa Rosa. Here are the details:

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

A day after President Obama urged fellow Democrats to go along with “trimming benefits” for Social Security and other safety-net programs, North Bay congressional candidate Norman Solomon called for “an all-out defense of Social Security.”

Read the full press release here

Reports on the Congressional Progressive Caucus Listening Tour and actions taken as a result. Future CPC Listening Tour events updated.

Report on current status of the Korea Free Trade Agreement and the urgency of calling your congress member now.

Click Here for a recording of the call.

In the Tank? Jobs, the Economy, and Our Future

Thursday, June 30, 6:30 – 9:30 PM
San Rafael City Council Chambers
1400 – 5th Ave., San Rafael

Don’t miss this important discussion on the national budget. The expert panel will address war funding and austerity, threats to retirement benefits, media disinformation, and attacks on workers’ rights. The panel includes Norman Solomon, author, columnist and media critic, Joshua Holland, senior editor at AlterNet who wrote “The 15 Biggest Lies about the Economy,” and Lisa Maldonado, Executive Director of the North Bay Labor Council, AFL- CIO. Co-sponsored by Progressive Democrats of Marin, Democracy For America-Marin, the Marin Peace and Justice Coalition, The Social Justice Center of Marin and The Peoples’ Budget.

For more information: Dan Monte, danmonte33@gmail.com or 707-393-1948.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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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.