Combined MeetUp/Meeting for MCPA, DFMC, PDA, and more.

Combined MeetUp/Meeting for MCPA, DFMC, PDA, and more.
Progressive Coalition Meeting to plan future events and actions.

Please join the Progressive Victory Meetup to stay involved with the combined meetup events we've held since 2003. See: http://www.meetup.com/progressive-victory/  

7 PM Tuesday February 1st
Saigonese Restaurant,
11232 Grandview Ave
Silver Spring (Wheaton), MD 20902
Public Transportation: Short walk from Wheaton Metro (red line)
Google Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11232+Grandview+Ave+Silver+Spring+MD+20902

Report on progress in our county and state on Healthcare, the Environment, Education, Labor, Transportation, Energy and other issues. We're building up our coalition and lobby efforts on the state and national level, planning special events, forming a steering committee, and working on meetings with legislators, and other organizations.

Please join the Montgomery County Progressive Alliance Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/mcprogressivealliance
If you're on Facebook, please join the MCPA group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3401340272&ref=ts

1. MCPA: The Montgomery County Progressive Alliance is a result-oriented coalition working on local, state, national and international issues. MCPA includes more than 1,000 local activists, mainly in and around Montgomery County Maryland. The organization began in 2003 when Democracy for America Meetup members reached out to other Meetup groups and other groups. In 2004, 100s of Montgomery County for Kerry members and local Progressive Democrats of America members joined the MCPA. MCPA adopted a mission statement, organized special events, and has held meetings nearly each month since 2003.

2. DFA/DFMC: Democracy for America emerged from Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign in 2004, and has organized grass-roots activists to support socially progressive, fiscally responsible candidates. DFMC is Democracy for Montgomery County, a local DFA-inspired organization which is not directly or legally affiliated with DFA. DFMC has organized events and meetings; and endorsed and organized volunteers for several candidates. DFMC is currently seeking additional steering committee members. Please contact me, mikehersh@mikehersh.com if you're interested. You can sign up for DFA here: http://democracyforamerica.com/session/new

3. PDA: Progressive Democrats of America began just after the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Bringing together people from the 2004 Kucinich and Dean Campaigns with other progressives, PDA adopted an "inside/outside strategy" uniting activists working inside the Democratic Party with those working in peace and justice movements. PDA's core issues include clean, accurate and transparent elections; environmental protection; single-payer healthcare; economic and social justice; and peace. See: http://www.PDAmerica.org You can sign up for PDA there.

Other organizations working in our area:

PWG: The Progressive Working Group is a coalition promoting progress and reform, economic fairness and equality, protecting the environment, and more. PWG is not part of the MCPA, but the MCPA is part of the PWG which currently includes: Audubon Naturalist Society, CASA of Maryland, Democracy for Montgomery County, Equality Maryland, Health Care Now, Montgomery County Progressive Alliance, Montgomery Health Care Action, PeaceAction Montgomery, Peace and Justice of Prince George's County, Progressive Cheverly, Progressive Democrats of America (Maryland), Progressive Neighbors, Save Our Votes, and Upcounty Action. PWG will focus on 2 or 3 issues during the 2011 session. Progressive organizations are welcome to join PWG. Please contact Wally Malakoff malakoff@starpower.net for more information.

NOW: The National Organization for Women has been advancing womens' issues including general progressive causes for decades. See: http://www.now.org/ for more information. Contact Montgomery County NOW membership chairperson Jeannette Feldner lj.feldner@verizon.net to join. Men as well as women are welcome to join NOW.

OfA: Organizing for America emerged from President Obama's campaign in 2008, and is organizing grass-roots activists to support the Democratic National Committee/Obama agenda. OfA is sponsoring local efforts in each congressional district which are not directly or legally affiliated with the DNC. OfA is currently sponsoring phone banks, organizing meetings, and building a "rapid response" media effort. Please contact Jon Randall jrandall39@comcast.net for more information. See http://www.barackobama.com/learn/about_ofa.php

MoveOn is a national political action organization and has a local council in Silver Spring and elsewhere around Maryland. Local MoveOn members have cooperated with MCPA on town halls, vigils, phone banking, and other actions. See http://www.moveon.org to join your local council.

To have your organization or events listed here, please contact me.

Thanks for reading down this far, and hope to see you at the meeting and future events,

Mike Hersh, Meetup Organizer
Chairperson, MCPA and DFMC
Maryland State Coordinator, PDA
Steering Committee, PWG