New Workgroup Forming: Affordable Housing and Homelessness

This topic emerged as a priority at our January planning meeting. Therefore EDP is joining forces with the EDC Democratic Party to work with our county agencies and the nonprofits serving the homeless. There is a lot of important work going on among all those entities, including the development of a five-year county strategic plan. The EDP workgroup’s focus will be to address the issue of homelessness through community education, advocacy, and fundraising. Special thanks to Daniel Del Monte, EDC Deputy Director of Community Services, who spent time educating us about the activities of the county. Supervisor John Hidahl, District 1, is the liaison to the County EDOK/Continuum of Care Organization.

Help Wanted: we are looking for people with grant-writing skills to assist nonprofits.

Contact Jamie Beutler at beutlerjamie@gmail.com or Maureen Dion-Perry at dionperry@att.net to get involved.

Healthcare and Reproductive Health Workgroup

We are working on community education through house parties and presentations at clubs and organizations. Special thanks to Paul Burke and Leisa Faulkner, Foothill Progressive Alliance, who hosted a great house party that was stimulating and fun. There were around 50 participants. Would you like to host one? We are scheduling house parties now for April through June. Let us know if you are interested. Special thanks to Rene Line, who is our lead on healthcare house parties. She has had one and can support you to hold your own.

A number of members of the workgroup are training to lead the discussions about What's Going on with Our Healthcare and the case for single payer. Special thanks to Jen Flory, a group member who is a lawyer with the Western Center for Law and Poverty and keeps us up to date on healthcare happenings. We continue the distribution of our wallet cards with birth control resources in our county. We work with Valerie Belnap RN, the EDC public health nurse with high schools, to distribute the cards in English and Spanish to teens and uninsured people. You can pick up cards at our monthly meetings or order them online on our website.

We meet on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30 pm. Next meeting April 22. Contact Maureen Dion-Perry at dionperry@att.net or Margaret Madams at margaret@madams.com for location details.

Special Healthcare Event: Healthcare at the Crossroads

Healthcare at the Crossroads presentation by Dr. Ed Weisbart of Physicians for a National Healthcare Plan on Sunday, April 14, 6pm at Cool Hall, 1701 Hwy 193, in Cool. Please bring a side dish to share. Dr. Weisbart has traveled from Missouri to do a series of talks throughout Northern California on the state of our healthcare. He brings a unique perspective and knowledge that audiences across the ideological spectrum will appreciate.

Civil Rights Now! Workgroup News

Book Drive Expansion

After a successful book drive and donation to the EDC Library, the workgroup is expanding on the project by looking to gather children’s books, poetry, and other works to add to the collections of school libraries in EDC.

Solidarity

In the aftermath of the recent shootings/terror attacks at two New Zealand mosques, we have begun reaching out to our local muslim community to see if there are any ways we can assist them.

Next meeting: Sunday, April 28. Contact Mike or Melinda for details.

Michael Saunders, miachoftheshire@gmail.com

Melinda Velasco, velamar333@gmail.com

Special Event: Letter Writing Party to keep the pressure on McClintock

Hello Writers!

On April 16 we are joining with Sierra Forward to write "Letters to the Editor" to our local publications. This will be one way that we can continue to keep the pressure on McClintock. And it is a great way for all of us to contribute now, prior to the campaign.

We will have clear messages, sample letters, and talking points to assist you. Pens, paper, etc., will be provided but you may want to bring your laptop. Our hostess, Gina Abrams, is graciously providing refreshments.

When: Tuesday, April 16 from 10a to 12n

RSVP to ml.elliott@sbcglobal.net to get the address.

EDP CLIMATE JUSTICE

Please enjoy this great summary of Climate Change Science

https://www.pbs.org/video/decoding-the-weather-machine-vgqhot/

Workers Solidarity Workgroup News

The happy diners at the EDP table.

On the evening of March 9, a group from the EDP Worker Solidarity Network and the El Dorado Progressives sponsored a table at the fundraising dinner of Coalition of Labor Union Women with NorCal Resist. Large quantities of spaghetti were consumed. Excellent desserts were entered for a dessert auction. Our table raised the most donations and we were able to have first pick at the dessert table.

We were given a very warm welcome and felt very much at home at the IAM Local Lodge 946 Union Hall.

The next EDP-Workers Solidarity Network Meeting will be held on April 1, 6 pm. at 3221 Gerle Ave, Placerville (link).

Scott and Heather Schroeder, schroeder.scott244@gmail.com

The GREEN NEW DEAL

At a packed EDP General Meeting at Placerville Town call on March 10th, Sarah Saunders gave us an enlightening talk on the GREEN NEW DEAL. You can see her presentation slides at the link below.

Click here for Sarah’s GREEN NEW DEAL presentation slides.

If you have questions or want to volunterr, you can contact Sarah at cmyst123@gmail.com

March EDP General Meeting: Protecting Our Environment

Sunday, March 10

Placerville Town Hall

549 Main Street

3 pm Social Snack & Chat (please bring snacks to share and your own cup)

3:35 to 5 pm Presentations on Green New Deal and Protecting the Environment: Political Action & Personal Responsibility

5 to 5:15 EDP Member Annual Meeting

5:15 to 6 pm EDP Protect Our Environment Workgroup meeting

Open to the public—invite a friend!

El Dorado Progressives General Meeting

Parkland, One Year Later

Sunday, February 10, 3:30pm
Town Hall, 549 Main St., Placerville
 3pm       Chat with friends, make new friends, eat, drink, nosh, etc.
3:30 to    Meeting
5pm  
 
The theme of our February General Meeting is "Parkland, One Year Later." Come down and get an update on the student movement that formed out of the tragedy on 2/14/18 and on the progress toward sensible gun control.

Speakers will include Kathleen West from Folsom Foothills Moms Demand Action and Annabel Maguire who went with seven other El Dorado County students to join in the March for Our Lives in Washington, DC. 

We’ll also have an update on local issues, and our own Sean Frame will introduce himself as a candidate for Congress in 2020.