Workers Solidarity Network Workgroup

We are still collecting signatures and will have petitions for people to sign at the October meeting in support of the Driscoll Berries Boycott. We are planning on presenting our petitions to a local grocery the week following our October meeting, with a written request that they not stock Driscoll's Berries.

Members of the Workgroup attended the Diversity Training that Mike Munoz presented, and had a great discussion afterwards. We are also sharing information and support on regional and local grievances and possible informational pickets that members are involved in, as well as the threat of federal legislation on Right to Work. 

Community Town Hall on healthcare--all are invited

 

The public is invited to a Community Town Hall on current and future healthcare in California.

Attendees will find out how the Affordable Care Act (also called Obamacare or the ACA) changed healthcare options for Californians and what challenges are ahead for getting all Californians the healthcare coverage they can afford. The speakers will explain what options are possible and will explore what single payer would mean for California. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentations.

Speakers:

Henry Abrons MD, retired pulmonologist and critical care physician; Physicians for a National Health Program

Jen Flory, Esq., lawyer and lobbyist; Western Center on Law & Poverty; specialist in the Affordable Care Act and Covered California

Refreshments will be available. Donations welcomed.

American Legion Hall (map)

4561 Greenstone Road

Placerville, CA 95667

ALMOST over the finish line--tell Gov. Brown sign AB249

Money Out of Politics workgroup

AB249 – ALMOST over the finish line! AB249 has finally passed both the Senate and Assembly with bi-partisan support. It is awaiting Governor Brown’s signature to go into effect in time for the 2018 elections. 

Unfortunately, his support is no sure thing; he has vetoed at least three campaign finance bills in the past. With an Oct 15 deadline, Friday, Oct 13 will be the last day to encourage him to sign.

So, the push is still on to show grassroots support for AB249 so that Governor Brown feels the pressure. Citizens standing up and taking action is the ONLY reason the bill has made it this far. Big Money has tried hard to derail this bill and keep the status quo.

What Progressives can do:

1.    Call Brown’s office, ask him to sign AB249. Toll free number, 877-257-9661. No message machine, so call between 9-5, M-F and talk to staff to leave your message. Keep trying until you get through (and you can call more than once).

2.    Make an official comment on Gov. Brown’s webform. Here’s how to do it; there are several steps to follow.

3.    Sign the petition to Gov. Brown (sign this version, even if you have signed other petition versions in the past.)  

4.    Ask your spouse, friend, neighbor to call, comment, and sign petition too. Every call, signature, and comment helps!

Here is just one of many good articles in the press about AB249:

California bill takes aim at dark money in politics — will Jerry Brown sign it?

San Jose Mercury News, 10/1/2017

Our November meeting is a celebration!

Where were you on November 9, 2016? It’s one of those days that will forever live in all of our memories. It is also the birthday of El Dorado Progressives!

On November 9, 2016, the day after the election, most of us were feeling confused, anxious, apprehensive, powerless, and maybe even isolated. Then we found each other, and we found our voice and our power. Well, it’s been a year so our next meeting, on Nov. 12, is a party: EDP First Anniversary Celebration Potluck Fundraiser.

We have much to celebrate on our journey.  Bring your favorite potluck dish, and your memories of the past year to share!  If you have pictures or video of events that EDP has been involved in, please upload them here, or send by email to eldoradoprogressives@gmail.com by October 20th,  so that we can put them into our slide show in time for the Potluck.   Bring your favorite stories of shared activities. Bring some new friends, too!  We are offering tickets through Eventbrite for this fundraising event.

SPACE IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 180 RESPONDENTS, SO PLEASE GET A TICKET BY CLICKING THE EVENTBRITE LINK.

This is a potluck, so you will need to bring a dish to share. EDP will provide non-alchoholic beverages. ALSO, IF YOU CAN, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN PLATE, GLASS, AND CUTLERY--WE ARE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE USE OF DISPOSABLE ITEMS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT!

Potluck arrangements

If your last name begins with:

A – E           Bring appetizers (cheese, crackers, hummus, meatballs, etc.)

F – L            Bring salads (any kind—veggie, fruit, jello, pasta, etc.)

M – O          Bring a “main course” (casserole, vegetarian, or meat-based)

P – S            Bring a dessert

T – Z            Bring bread or a starchy side dish based on grains, rice, potatoes, or noodles.

Dishes should serve four to six people. Please put your name on the bottom of your dish. Paper plates, cups, napkins and eating utensils will be provided along with coffee and tea.

Thank you for being an El Dorado Progressive. Though times are dark, we need to celebrate the light!

Sunday, November 12, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Shakespeare Club (map)

2940 Bedford Ave

Placerville, CA 95667

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TRUMP'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO END DACA

From WeAreHereToStay.org

September Meeting

El Dorado Progressives General Meeting

Sunday, September 10, 2017, 3 to 4:30 p.m.

El Dorado County Fairgrounds

100 Placerville Drive, Placerville, CA 95667

In the Organ Room

Come early to sign in, sign various petitions--and to snack and chat.

Healthcare Workgroup

The Healthcare Workgroup will be having its monthly meeting on Monday, September 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the El Dorado County Office of Education, 6767 Green Valley Road at Missouri Flat, Placerville, Room B2. You're invited to come 6:30 to share a snack and conversation before the meeting. We hope you'll come find out what we're planning to educate our community about regarding access to healthcare, what is at stake, and what our options are.

Our next Healthcare Rally will be Friday, September 15th in Downtown Placerville, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., meeting in the parking lot by Cozmic Cafe on Main Street. All are invited to help show our community we care about healthcare and want it improved, not taken away.

The Reproductive Healthcare Subgroup will meet September 18th at 6:30 p.m. in the Raley's Placerville (166 Placerville Drive) meeting room to discuss how to distribute teen wallet cards on reproductive services in our area.

We STILL Have a Dream

We had an impressive turnout at the August 28 candlelight vigil in solidarity with Charlottesville and Heather Heyer. A very long line of sign-carrying marchers stretched from Benham Park to the Courthouse on Placerville’s Main Street. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a Dream” speech was read aloud on its 54th anniversary. Songs were sung. Candles were lit. The drivers of passing cars honked in support. It all began with de-escalation training and discussion at the park beforehand. All around it was a successful showing and effort. Congrats to EDP!

Boycott of Driscoll's Berries: Workers Solidarity Workgroup project

The Workers Solidarity Network Workgroup has started a campaign in support of the Driscoll's Berries Boycott, in solidarity with Al Rojas of Sacramento LCLAA, and organizer/activist Fatima Garcia. We will have petitions at the EDP General Meeting on September 10. Please sign! Our next workgroup meeting will be at Totem Coffee, 312 Main Street, Placerville on September 24th, at 4pm. We will be finalizing plans to take our campaign into the stores of El Dorado County. We welcome all to participate! 

Help Pass AB249! Money Out of Politics Workgroup

By now, all ED Progressives should have heard of the California Disclose Act, AB249 (formerly AB14). What you may not understand is how important passage of this bill is to holding clean elections in 2018. If passed, it goes into effect January 1, 2018 and will be in place for the 2018 elections. Affecting only ballot measures, it requires that the true funders over $50,000 of political ads will be disclosed on those ads, in legible font. Remember in 2016 we had no less than 17 ballot measures for voters to figure out? And 95% of the time, whoever spends the most money, wins. Is this what we call democracy?

We have until September 15 for the bill to pass. It now faces a vote on the full Senate floor and then goes back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote. It requires a two-thirds majority vote--very hard to achieve. After that, Governor Brown has until October 15 to approve.

AB249 has support of over 300 organizations and leaders, including California Democratic Party, and the Justice, Green, and Peace and Freedom parties. Also, League of Women Voters, Common Cause, and other “good government” organizations.

Who isn’t supporting it? The California Republican Party has not stepped up for transparency and disclosure, unfortunately. But several free-thinking individual Republican representatives are considering supporting the bill.

Though it seems a no-brainer (who wants to go on record to continue deceiving and confusing voters??), this bill will pass ONLY WITH THE LOUD SUPPORT OF GRASSROOTS CITIZENS. Over 90,000 Californians have already signed petitions in support (including over 45,000 paper petitions).

What can EDP folks do in the next one-and-a-half weeks to get this vital bill passed?

1. Go to www.yesfairelections.org and sign the AB249 petition, even if you have signed it before. (This triggers an email to your representatives).
2. While at the website, sign up to volunteer (consider training on CallFire to make phonebanking calls to Clean Money supporters in key districts).
3. Go to facebook.com/California Disclose Act and sign the AB249 petition, even if you have signed it before.
4. Call your Assemblymember/Senator and demand he support AB249. While all three ED County representatives are Republican, Assemblyman Kiley (District 6) is open-minded and considering supporting the bill. Assemblyman Bigelow (District 5) and Senator Gaines (District 1) just need to know their constituents are demanding transparency.

Please join the small but mighty EDP Money Out of Politics activists in passing AB249!