What: Boulder County Canvass Kickoff

When: 10:30, Saturday, May 15th

Where: Collyer Park, Longmont, CO 80501

We the People Are!

Make Your Voice Heard!

February 20, 2010:

Communitywide Forum

Duane Physics G2B47, Colorado Ave,

Across from Folsom Field CU, Boulder

Join Boulder County Democrats, elected officials, activists and professionals in the field in exploring currentissues of utmost import. Core Democratic Party values and key policy recommendations must be clearly defined and voiced so that the will of the voter can be represented effectively by our elected Democratic officials. Help us determine or 2010 BCDP Platform. Together we can empower the will of Democratic voters tohelp drive our state and federal legislative agenda.

For further information email: platform@bouldercountydems.org

We the People Are!

Make Your Voice Heard!

February 20, 2010:

Communitywide Forum

Duane Physics G2B47, Colorado Ave,

Across from Folsom Field CU, Boulder

Morning session:

9:30-10:30 AM: The Economy

10:40-11:30 AM: Health Care

11:40 AM-12:30 PM: Healthy Democracy

Join Boulder County Democrats, elected officials, activists and professionals in the field in exploring currentissues of utmost import.  Core Democratic Party values and key policy recommendations must be clearly defined and voiced so that the will of the voter can be represented effectively by our elected Democraticofficials.  Help us determine or 2010 BCDP Platform. Together we can empower the will of Democratic voters tohelp drive our state and federal legislative agenda.

For further information email: platform@bouldercountydems.org

…but characters of all sorts are invited to join us at The Dickens Tavern on December 13th.

What: Holiday Party with Jake Williams

When: Sunday, December 13th from 4pm to 5:30pm

Where: The Dickens Tavern, 300 Main St. in Longmont

RSVP: Send an email to Jenn at jenn@jakewilliams.org

Happy Holidays! On December 13th, please join me in celebrating the season, enjoying great free food and supporting two great causes.

As we approach the start of the new year, it’s time to look forward to a better Colorado – where the security and dignity of employment is within reach for all, where each of us has access to quality health care, where we can offer every kid a quality public education, and where we always protect our environment. These are the goals of our campaign for the State House of Representatives, but there are many Coloradans among us who have more immediate needs.

The Inn Between of Longmont [i] is an organization that provides transitional housing and services to a diverse population that includes single and two parent families, teen parents, individuals exiting domestic violence relationships, persons with physical and/or mental disabilities, single adults, seniors, and teens unable to live at home for a variety of reasons. They truly help people in our community every day, and they need your support.

Celebrate with us on December 13th at the Dickens Tavern and bring along a suggested minimum donation of $25 for our campaign and/or a non-perishable food item, personal care product or cleaning supply (visit theinnbetween.org to see the “Wish List”) to support the Inn Between of Longmont.

[i] The information contained in this invitation is in no way meant to state or imply that the Inn Between endorses our campaign for the State House of Representatives.

Members are asked to weigh in this subject at our monthly meeting.  Feel free to bring your ideas, questions, and opinions on this blog, or at Front Range Community College on May 6.

Here is the langauge below:

EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSEMENT FORM:

WHEREAS:  Our economy is in shambles and working people are struggling to make ends meet while bankers and failed financial institutions are being bailed out at tax-payer expense.

WHEREAS: Unions have historically been one of the few legal and democratic vehicles for workers to advocate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.

WHEREAS: According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, unionization raises wages for minority women more than education, seniority, and job training combined.

WHEREAS: Workers who belong to unions earn, on average, 30% more than nonunion workers and over half of all Americans say they would join a union today if they had a fair chance.

WHEREAS: Every 23 minutes a worker in the U.S. if fired or otherwise discriminated against for trying to form a union and during organizing drives, 91% of employers force their employees to attend mandatory closed-door anti-union meetings on paid company time.

WHEREAS: In 2005 alone, over 30,000 workers received back pay from employers that illegally fired, coerced, bribed, or otherwise discriminated against them for their union activities.

AND WHEREAS: Under our broken labor laws, penalties against Employers who engage in anti-union activity is minimal and in 2005 the median time between the resolution of an unfair labor practice charge against an Employer was 659 days.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT: We, the undersigned organization, urge our Colorado decision-makers to support the Employee Free Choice Act as the most significant and necessary piece of labor legislation since the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.  This is a historic opportunity to restore balance in the workplace and protect the right of Colorado workers to pursue the American Dream.

Organization:______________________________________________________

Officer’s Signature:_________________________________________________

Date:_________________________

Furthermore, I am willing to: (please check all that apply)

____Write a personal letter to the Senator ____Write a letter to the Editor

____Speak publicly on this issue to the media ____Join a delegation to lobby decision makers on EFCA

____Come to rallies or demonstrations in support of EFCA

a. CU Regent Joe Neguse and the Future of Higher Education in Colorado

b. Discussion and Debate of the Employee Free Choice Act

II.  Activist Items

a. Cinco de Mayo at Roosevelt Park

b. Death Penalty

c. March in Greeley

d. Immigration Legislation in Colorado

III LAD reaches the 21st Century?

I. 

a.

When: May 6, 2009 from 7-9pm

Where: Front Range Community College (East Building – Community Room) 2191 Miller Drive, Longmont, CO

 What:

Please join the Longmont Area Democrats and CU Regent Joe Neguse to learn about and discuss the future of higher education here in Colorado. The state legistlature initally looked at cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from our world renowned institutions such as CU and CSU.  Come and hear from the 2nd Congressional District representative Joe Neguse about the value of these insitutions and the financial peril they find themselves in almost every economic downturn.

b.  But first … the Longmont Area Democrats have been asked to endorse the Employee Free Choice Act.  Everyone is encouraged to discuss and debate the merits of this piece of federal legislation on May 6.  You may also post on this website your questions, concerns, and options (if you have them).

NOTE: If you wish to make an announcement at LAD, please contact me beforehand and we will work to make sure that some time is set aside (keep it topical).  You can email me at jonathan.singer@gmail.com

II

a. Cinco de Mayo … on Dos de Mayo

Longmont Area Democrats are going to be hosting a voter registration table at Longmont’s Cinco de Mayo Celebration. 

When: May 2, 2009 12p-6p

Where: Roosevelt Park

What: Voter Registration

Why: Just because the Presedential election is over doesn’t mean that people haven’t moved, turned 18, or changed their party affliation (talk to Arlen Specter).  Please help us register new and old voters alike.  If you are interested in helping for an hour or more email Jonathan Singer at jonathan.singer@gmail.com or call him at 303-875-4727.  Visit http://www.longmontcincodemayo.org/ 

Also, there will be plenty of exciting food, music and cultural events that are fun for the whole family.  If you can’t volunteer, stop by our booth and say “hi!”  

If you don’t think them Democrats are cool enough, you can also volunteer for the general event with Marja Johnson at mjohnson@bouldercounty.org

b. Death Penalty 

Right now the Colorado State Legislature is debating the creation of a cold case unit with the funds used for the death penalty.  I have received several emails from Longmonters supporting  this issue.  The LAD has not endorsed this but it merits consideration.  If you support this legislation let your State Senator know ASAP as the Senate adjourns in about a week!  Below is the body of an email sent to me.

 ”Right now, Colorado has a backlog of more than 1,400 unsolved murders that can’t be investigated for lack of funding.

 But there’s a bill moving through the state legislature that would change that. House Bill 1274 would repeal Colorado’s death penalty law and shift the cost savings into solving the backlogged cases.

 Our state Senator, Brandon Shaffer, needs to hear from you on this critical bill. So please take a minute and call or email him and ask him to support HB 1274 to help solve cold cases and put an end to the death penalty in Colorado.

His contact information is (303) 866-5291 and his email is brandon@brandonshaffer.com

Thanks for your time and consideration for this important piece of legislation. ”

c. Unity March on May 2 (Just in case Roosevelt Park isn’t exciting enough).

Several LAD members will be carpooling up to Greeley on May 2.  If you are interested, please email jonathan.singer@gmail.com.

Join May 2 Unity March in Greeley!

Reconstructing Our Communities Uniting Our Families Unity March! Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 Starts at the Island Grove Park – 514 N. 14th Ave, Greeley, Colorado Respect for Human Rights! Just & Humane Immigration Reform! For a better Greeley, in a better world! For More Information: alfrentedelucha@gmail.com, 970.388.0834 or 303.887.2795 Denver! Meet at one of these points to Caravan or take a Bus to Greeley at 9:30 AM, Saturday, May 2nd, 2009! Aurora—16th & Dallas or Denver —12th & Mariposa (Lincoln Park) You are welcome to bring Food or Donations for Greeley families affected by ongoing immigration Raids! Denver Contacts: Homero 303.437.7805 & Nacho 720.621.7468

d. Immigration Legislation

As some of you may know Bob Norris has been working with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.  He is encouraging folks to call their state reps to defeat SJM 09.

FACT SHEET:

Senate Joint Memorial 009

“Memorializing Congress and the Federal Government to

Make Changes to and Enforce Immigration laws”

The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition

STRONGLY opposes this Memorial

What does this memorial propose?

1. SJM 009 urges greater involvement by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Colorado state and local law enforcement agencies along with a significant expansion to Colorado’s immigrant detention capacity.

Why is this memorial harmful?

1. Expanding the role of local police officers in immigration work damages community trust in law enforcement. As the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police note in their statement on immigration, when local law enforcement becomes an immigration law enforcement arm, there is a sharp decline in immigrants reporting crimes, due to fear and a lack of trust of the police. This lack of reporting leads to less safe communities for all Coloradans.

1. Deputizing state and local law enforcement as immigration agents leads to discriminatory policing. In early April, 2009, the Congressional Judiciary Committee investigated 287(g) programs after several reports, including recent findings by the Government Accountability Office, revealed serious concerns with how law enforcement agencies were abusing the program in its implementation. 

Expansion of beds for immigrant detention is neither a cost effective nor humane solution in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform. Those being held in immigrant detention have not been charged with a crime but, rather, a civil violation. They are awaiting the US government’s decision on whether or not they are lawfully in the country. In the absence of meaningful reform to our immigration laws, the state of Colorado should consider more humane and cost-effective alternatives to mass expansion of immigrant detention.

Get the facts by clicking the link below and reading the legislation verbatim.

 http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/CLICS2009A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/504C1671A2BC3C0C8725753E0054CF90?Open&file=SJM009_01.pdf

(1) Invoke a Terrifying internal and external ememy.

(2) Create a Gulag.

(3) Develop a thug castle.

(4) Set-up an internal surveillance system.

(5) Harass citizens’ groups.

(6) Engage in arbitrary detetion and release.

(7) Target key individuals.

(8) Control the Press.

(9) Dissent equals treason.

(10) Suspend the Rule of Law.

For more detail go to: http://www.huffington.com/naomi-wolf/ten-steps-to-close-down-a_b_46695.html

The Associated Press reported that consumer advocate and 2004 independent presidental candidate Ralph Nader is suing the Democratic Party, contending that Democratic officials conspired to keep him from taking votes away from nominee John Kerry. The lawsuit also alleges that the Democratic National Committee conspired to force Nader off the ballot in several states.

President Bush vetod the S-Chip expansion bill, the bill would have expanded the health care for children from approximately 6.6 million children to 10 million. The existing program is a state and federally funded program that supplies health care benefits to low and moderate income families with children. The cost for the program would be 35 billion over 5 years, or 7 billion per year. The Adminstation is now spending over 12 billion per month on the war on terrorism. Congress will attempt to override the veto in the next few days.