DFA Memberships and Stories

By DFA

Last night, I spoke to Ari Fertig at DFA in Vermont. He told me about a couple of new things they are doing, and I wanted to pass this info on to you.

You can now Share your stories of activisim on the DFIA web page at http://www.dfalink.com/group.php?id=508!

Below are two great examples of stories. They can be in depth or they can be short and sweet. Please pass the volunteer stories link on to your group.

Example one: The Canvass that Almost Wasn't

Last weekend I went canvassing for John Pavich, who is running for Congress against Republican incumbent Jerry Weller. I had seen the notice about the canvassing date several times, but the location was pretty far away from me, so I wasn't planning on going. But since my DFA group had just adopted John's campaign I decided I better email the notice to our group members. While I was doing that I noticed that there was a person you could call if you wanted a ride. Well, a ride made all the difference! Having a ride helped me recruit a friend to go as well, and we ended up having a carfull going down for the canvassing. As we chatted in the car, it turned out that the person giving the ride had been volunteering with the campaign for over a year, and was able to answer many questions that we, as new comers, had about the campaign. At the end of our successful day of canvassing, topped off by Oreo cookies and sodas at the campaign office, we all exchanged emails and promised to keep in touch about carpooling for future Pavich events.

Because of that one little thing -- an email that turned into a ride that turned into our own "inside track" on the campaign -- we were able to be the "boots on the ground" for the campaign and to lay the groundwork for future volunteer efforts. This is what grassroots is about -- people helping people to reach out to their neighbors, one door, one vote, one ride at a time.

Sandra Verthein
Chicago, IL

Example two:

Volunteer experience with Dave Patlak for US Representative 18th Congressional District of Florida  We went canvassing, tons of fun, very friendly people, and the Dems we visited were pumped for the election. Unfortunately I had to run for my life from a dog I didn't see!

Franco Caliz-Aguilar
Miami, FL

DFA Link is having a membership drive contest!

Invite your Friend and Win a DFA T-Shirt!

Over the last two weeks, DFA activists all over the country have been working hard to grow our online community at DFA-link.  Together, we're building an extensive network of progressive activists. We're connecting people, events, candidates, and groups and making a difference in elections in every state.  We can't stop now. That's why we have extended our summer membership drive until the last day in August.  Please take a minute and invite your friends to join DFA-Link today:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/membership

There are prizes! Today, Patrick Schmitt (13 recruits) and Ken Leach (12 recruits) are battling it out for top recruiter in the nation.  But to win a t-shirt you just have to beat the top recruiter in your own state, in some cases that may only be five or six new recruits.  You can do that!

The fastest growing local groups will win a free DFA banner! Broward County DFA (17 recruits) is on the heels of Democracy for NYC (19 recruits). Will they over take the largest local group in the country?  Can brand new T-Town DFA (11 recruits) jump three spots and beat out Philly for Change (15 recruits)? You have the power to put your group in the top five. Invite your friends, family, and co-workers right now:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/membershipdrive

November is right around the corner.  Now, more then ever, we need to bring new members into the DFA-Link community and get them active.  Have fun.  Be creative.  Make your invites personal.  You'll never know who might want to join if you don't ask. The future of America -- and the chance to win a cool t-shirt -- is in your hands.

Good luck and Check out the live stats and see where you group ranks right now at http://www.dfalink.com/stats_groups.php

  What I Missed While on Ragbrai

By Sam Garchik

I missed Mohammed's run for governor, the GOP SoS candidate quitting, and a fight at the Register about whether or not Ragbrai is news. However, I got back around the same time as Nussle and Flow, which is covering Nussle's Ragbrai ride in the same fair and balanced manner we have come to expect from this site. He's on Day 2 today, so stay tuned as Jimmy's ride across Iowa gets the honest coverage it deserves.

Meanwhile, John Edwards' Pac is having another one of those on-line vote things. Candidates Braley and Boswell are featured, and more info on them and the rest of the candidates can be found here.  Make sure to vote for them. They need all the help they can get.

Finally, Chris Woods points out the political soapbox schedule at the state fair. Let's hope no one gets the "Art Small can speak, but only during the big veteran's day parade and only if he stands next to the army band," treatment.

  Act Now to Stop Drilling in Gulf of Mexico!

By Alana Stamas, Iowa PIRG Field Organizer

Over the last few weeks, thousands of you have made calls and signed petitions calling on Congress to protect our beaches from off-shore oil and gas drilling.

We need your help again. The Senate is planning to vote TODAY on a bill that would allow new oil and gas drilling in eight million acres of the eastern Gulf of Mexico near Alabama and Florida's shores. The bill would do absolutely nothing to reduce our dependence on oil by making our cars go farther on a gallon of gas or generating more clean, renewable energy.

Unfortunately, due to pressure from the oil industry, many Senators have indicated in the last few days they plan to vote for this drilling bill.

You can help us stop drilling off our country's coasts by calling your Senators. Please call your senators today at 202-224-3121. Just tell the operator what state you live in, and they will connect you.

Here's a sample message you can leave:
"Hello, my name is ____ and I live in _____. I'm calling to urge Senator ____ to oppose the Martinez-Domenici drilling bill to allow new off-shore drilling off the beaches of Florida and Alabama."

To report your call, click here, or paste this link into your web browser:

http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=831&id4=ES

Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this message to them.

BACKGROUND:

Our coasts and marine waters are destinations for thousands of vacationing families each year, sanctuary for fish and wildlife and a critical part of America's "sea to shining sea" natural heritage. They are the economic lifeblood for thousands of tourism and fishing communities, providing billions of dollars of economic activity and millions of jobs.

Oil and gas drilling would ruin our coasts and beaches. From 1990-1999, 1.8 million gallons of oil were spilled from offshore drilling platforms and pipelines in U.S. waters--an average of almost 500 gallons a day.

Additionally, each offshore operation produces 214,000 pounds of air pollutants each year, and tens of thousands of pounds of mercury have been dumped around Gulf oil rigs.

There are cheaper, cleaner, faster, and longer-term energy solutions like efficiency and renewables that will start saving consumers and businesses money today and protect our coastal waters, beaches, and economies.

Adopting both energy efficiency and renewable energy programs would decrease natural gas prices by $2.05 per million cubic feet, or 37%, in the first year.

Meanwhile, offshore oil and gas would typically not be available for at least seven years. But we can immediately start saving money and energy by increasing the efficiency of our cars, appliances and buildings, and growing the amount of energy we generate from renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

Unfortunately, on Thursday, June 29, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 232-187 to repeal the 25-year ban on new off-shore drilling and bring new drilling and spilling to our coasts.

The issue now moves to the U.S. Senate. Last week Senators Mel Martinez (FL) and Pete Domenici (NM) sided with the oil industry and announced a bill that would allow new oil and gas drilling in eight million acres of the eastern Gulf of Mexico near Alabama and Florida's shores.

The bill would do absolutely nothing to reduce our dependence on oil by making our cars go farther on a gallon of gas or generating more clean, renewable energy.

Please call your senators today at 202-224-3121. Just tell the operator what state you live in, and they will connect you.

Here's a sample message you can leave:
"Hello, my name is ____ and I live in _____. I'm calling to urge Senator ____ to oppose the Martinez-Domenici drilling bill to allow new off-shore drilling off the beaches of Florida and Alabama."

To report your call, click here, or paste this link into your web browser.

http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=831&id4=ES

Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this message to them.

Sincerely,

Alana Stamas
Iowa PIRG Field Organizer
AlanaS@iowapirg.org
http://www.IowaPIRG.org