I. Upcoming Meeting May 6 at Front Range Community College
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.
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Join May 2 Unity March in Greeley!
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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
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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
