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Sunday, December 20
Howard Dean Still Fighting for Real Health Care Reform (and Winning)
by
Trish Nelson
on Sun 20 Dec 2009 01:00 AM CST
Howard Dean Still Fighting for Real Health Care Reform (and Winning)
 Basically,
everything passed in today's (Saturday's) manager's bill (Reid's
amendment) is the Democrat's response to Howard Dean's call to improve
the legislation.
Democrats responded to Dean's public criticism with an improved Senate bill, according to Bernie Sanders, who was seen on C-Span by a friend of Blog for Iowa, Tom Slockett of Iowa City. Here's what Sanders said:
To address the problem of 60 million Americans not having regular access to a primary health care doctor, he [Dean] got:
An additional $10 billion dollars over the next five years for community health centers. This will provide an additional 10,000 communities access to community health centers. It will fund the development of an additional 20,000 primary care doctors, dentists, and nurses. He is working with Jim Clyburn in the House and predicts that the $10B will be increased to $14B in the conference committee with the House.
It increases the federal payment for Medicaid for people under 133% of the poverty level.
It will immediately upon passage bar pre-existing conditions for children (previously didn't kick in until 2014)
Generally speaking, Dean's criticism has resulted in giving the House bill a lot more clout and it is a much better bill than the Senate bill.
[Go Dean, go Deaniacs!]
Now this from: DemocracyforAmerica.com
"To be clear, I'm not giving up on health-care reform." ~ Howard Dean, M.D., for the Washington Post, December 17, 2009
Previously this week, the [dysfunctional corporate] media was filled with reports that Washington insiders called Governor Dean "irrational"... and... "irrelevant to the entire healthcare debate." D.C. insiders [the dysfunctional corporate media] want to frame the fight for real healthcare reform as Howard Dean vs. the White House. But this isn't about Dr. Dean and it isn't about the White House. It's about Americans vs. Insurance Companies and Governor Dean is working to make sure Americans win. [Much
of the wailing and gnashing of teeth had to do with the fact that many
in the media simply reported it wrong, and painted Dean as giving up on
health care.] Italics BFIA's.
Washington politicians are working hard to throw Dr. Dean under the bus. What they don't seem to understand is that Governor Dean speaks for you and me.
CONTRIBUTE $30 TO GET HOWARD'S BACK AND FUEL OUR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL REFORM
Click on this link to read the full text of Dr. Dean's statement in the Washington Post and find out exactly where Dr. Dean stands. Health-care bill needs major improvement to be worth passing
But where are we now, and what do we do next?
Here's how Health Care for America Now sums things up.
In the last week, the public health insurance option Majority Leader Reid put into his merged bill was stripped out, and a "compromise" allowing people over the age of 55 to buy into Medicare if they chose was added and then also stripped to appease Senators Joe Lieberman. 1 2 The leadership and the White House accepted these changes in order to move forward, and they have introduced a bill in the Senate that reflects this. 3 4
The compromise, which took away the best way to truly hold the insurance companies accountable, provoked an angry reaction from health reform supporters.5 Frankly, we're angry, too. The new bill released today does include a number of new, tougher insurance reforms, including a patients' bill of rights, restrictions on how much insurers can spend on administration and profit, and an attempt to hold down insurance premium increases.
Right now, the Senate bill looks like it will pass the Senate next week and move into conference with the House, which has a much better bill that it passed last month.6
We need to make sure that the final bill that goes to President Obama's desk provides good, affordable coverage and holds insurance companies accountable.
Here's what must be fixed:
1. Make health care affordable
The Senate bill does not make health care affordable at work, and would encourage employers to hire part-time workers and offer bare-bones benefits. We need the final legislation to do what the House bill does - require all but the smallest employers to contribute a fair amount to good coverage for their workers.
And for those people who are self-employed or in between jobs, both bills need improvement on affordability. The Senate bill doesn't do enough to make coverage affordable for low-and-moderate income families and the House falls short for middle-income families. The final bill should combine the best of both.
2. Hold insurance companies accountable
The final bill must include strong consumer protections and insurance regulations for all consumers, and give the federal government responsibility for running the new insurance marketplaces. Generally, the House bill is better, but we need Congress to pick the strongest provisions from both bills to be sure that everyone with insurance benefits from strong consumer protections.
The final bill should also give us the choice of a national public health insurance option that's available on day one.
3. Fairly finance health care reform
The Senate bill taxes the health care benefits of millions of workers to pay for health reform. There's a better way to pay for health reform that won't raise premiums and out of pocket costs. By contrast, the House bill asks those who can most afford to pay their fair share to finance reform, as President Obama promised during his campaign.
The final bill should ask the richest to pay their fair share for reform, instead of taxing our health care benefits.
[Note from BFIA: Another thing that needs fixed: Women are mad that the 60th vote needed for passage out of the Senate, delivered by Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska, was won at the cost of tighter restrictions on insurance coverage for abortions. Nelson has said he will take his vote back if this gets changed in conference committee later. According to the New York Times today, "under the deal worked out with Mr. Nelson, health insurance plans would not be required or forbidden to cover abortions, but states could prohibit the coverage of abortions by plans that are offered for sale through new government-regulated marketplaces."]
What's next?
The reason that conservative Democrats like Ben Nelson and Independent Joe Lieberman have been able to hold the bill hostage to their demands is that Republicans have insisted on filibustering the bill every step of the way, requiring all 60 Senators who are part of the Democratic caucus to agree. That will continue this week, with the next 60-vote motion happening on Monday and perhaps two more 60-votes motions occurring during the week.
After the Senate passes their health care bill, it will head into "conference" with the House bill. There, leaders from each branch of Congress, as well as the White House, will work to resolve the differences between the two bills and come up with something that can pass and be sent to the President's desk.
Conference is an opportunity to stand up for the three priorities listed above, and make sure the final bill guarantees us quality, affordable health care, with the choice of a public health insurance option. The legislation that comes out of the conference will be sent to both houses of Congress for a final vote, and will require a majority in the House and 60 votes one more time in the Senate.
What can be done?
In the coming days, we'll be asking you to let your Senators, member of Congress and President Obama hear from you. We'll be rolling out with a campaign to stand up for the fixes we must see to get the best bill possible to the President's desk. We'll be asking you to take part, raise your voice, and help us fight for what we believe in.
It's been a tough week for health care reformers, there's no question. But we need to get ready, because it's not over yet.
As President Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, and difficulty." This last week has been painful and difficult, and there's a lot of effort ahead. We'll all be taking this time over the holidays to recharge for the coming fight.
Health Care for America Now
Sunday, December 6
No More Compromising on Health Care - Call on Senators to Reject All Public Option-Weakening Amendments
by
Trish Nelson
on Sun 06 Dec 2009 05:00 AM CST
No More Compromising on Health Care - Call on Senators to Reject All Public Option-Weakening Amendments
 Reports from The Hill are that Democratic Senators are preparing to offer a "compromise" amendment to the healthcare bill as soon as next week that would destroy the public option.
It's likely to include every one of the insurance industry's greatest hits - a trigger, state-based co-ops, and could even replace the already bad Opt-Out clause with an even worse one that would require states that want a public option to Opt-In instead.
And what should come as no surprise to anyone, they're likely to still call this new sell-out to the insurance industry a "public option."
No matter what they call it, enough is enough. It's time to stop negotiating with defeat and reject all amendments which weaken the public option.
CALL ON SENATORS TO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND REJECT ALL AMENDMENTS WHICH WEAKEN THE PUBLIC OPTION
Some Healthcare Heroes have already decided whose side they're on. Speaking for the American people, here's what Senator Sherrod Brown said about these last-minute attempts to kill real reform:
"We've compromised the public option three times - maybe four depending on how you define it - and this bill's not going to continue to become more pro-insurance-company. End of story."
Senators Bernie Sanders and Roland Burris have made similar statements, but these three Senators can't stand alone. They need us to back them up. Every member of the Democratic Caucus needs to know where we stand.
America stands with Healthcare Heroes who fight for a public option, not Insurance Industry Senators who care more about the insurance interests who fund their campaigns than providing every American real healthcare reform.
We're done negotiating. Enough is enough. The public option in the current Senate bill is our final compromise.
ADD YOUR NAME RIGHT NOW
Don't sit these final weeks out no matter how frustrated you are with Democrats in Congress.
We've worked too hard - invested too much - to let them screw this up.
Make sure your voice gets heard. Please add your name right now.
Thank you for everything you do,
Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America
Wednesday, September 23
2009 QC Earth Charter Summit - Local Foods
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 23 Sep 2009 01:33 PM CDT
2009 QC Earth Charter Summit
Building a Local Foods Movement
By Caroline Vernon
You’re invited to attend!
The 2009 Quad Cities Earth Charter Summit
“Building a Local Foods Movement”
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 9am-3pm
Augustana College - Wallenberg Hall
Local Food is the theme of the 2009 Earth Charter Summit, focusing on PACG’s Local Foods Initiative - Our goal is to promote and assist in the development of a healthy, sustainable, local food supply for our region, emphasizing sustainable agricultural practices.
The summit will include local and regional speakers and informative workshops focusing on our effort to develop a working partnership between individual citizens and those working within an institutional framework. There are opportunities for everyone on every level to become involved in the Healthy, Local Foods movement. People in communities all across our country, and in the world, are mobilizing around this effort.
Workshops include:
· Community Gardens
· Local Food Coop
· Farm to Cafeteria
· The Economics of a Local Food Supply
· Information for Food Services, Municipalities, & Legislators
· Reducing the Carbon Footprint of our Diet
· The Importance of SEEDS in a local Foods movement
Keynote Speaker:
Kamyar Enshayan
Director, University of Northern Iowa Center of Energy and Environmental Education
Enshayan launched Buy Fresh, Buy Local in Iowa and worked with Iowa communities to start chapters.
Recipient of the 2008 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award from Practical farmers of Iowa.
Augustana’s Food Service will be providing a delicious, healthy, local foods lunch!
Cost to attend the Summit is only $10 /$5 for students—scholarships are available
REGISTER TODAY!—Through our website: qcprogressiveaction.org or Call PACG at 563-676-7580, or REGISTER at the door!
Wednesday, April 1
The Birth of Blog for Iowa: 5 Years Ago Today
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 01 Apr 2009 05:00 AM CDT
The Birth of Blog for Iowa: 5 Years Ago Today
 4/2/09: UPDATE
FROM ALTA PRICE, Owner of BFIA: Alta was no doubt frivoling away her
time yesterday on health care reform or some such triviality, making
her birthday blog post entry late! Today we are delighted to add
Alta's remembrance to the compilation.
After
Howard Dean dropped out of the Presidential race, the thousands of
committed activists inspired by his candidacy had to find an outlet for
that passion, a way to preserve our community, and meaningful ways to
apply our newly acquired online skills. We were delighted when we heard
that the Dean for America community would continue, but of course with
a new name.
When the new name – Democracy for America - was
announced, in March of 2004, I got an email from Eric Davis, an
Illinois super-volunteer I had met when I was in charge of recruiting
Illinois volunteers to come to help out in eastern Iowa for the Dean
campaign. Eric told me he had purchased the domain name
democracyforillinois, and suggested I acquire democracyforiowa. Of
course, I had never bought a domain name, and had only the vaguest idea
what he was even talking about. But Eric directed me to GoDaddy and I
bought the domain names.
Of course at that point I had no idea
what to do with them! So I sent out an email to the Iowa
super-volunteers letting them know what I had done. Linda Thieman
emailed me back with a short message asking “have you decided what to
do about web-hosting?” I answered “what’s web-hosting?” and that was
the start of a very productive exchange (mostly Linda knowing what to
do and me saying that sounds great!) that led to the creation of Blog
for Iowa. Happy belated B-day, BFIA!
Alta Price
~~~~~ 4/1/09: Note from BFIA Editor, Trish Nelson: For Blog for Iowa's 5th birthday, I asked some of the original Deaniacs and posters to write a few words to commemorate the occasion. BFIA's founding Editor, Linda Thieman, starts us off with a look at how it all began.
It’s hard to believe that Blog for Iowa got up and running five years ago today. We were born out of the glory and the defeat of the Howard Dean presidential campaign. We were there at the birth of the modern-day progressive movement. And we emerged intact from the local Dean Meet Up organizations.
In Storm Lake in NW Iowa, where I ran our local little Dean Meet Up, we had a wonderful Dean staffer named David who worked tirelessly for the cause. He attended every Meet Up and acted as our "resident expert." Then, after each meeting, he and I would stand and talk for ages, full of the excitement of it all.
The day after Dean’s caucus defeat, David said to me excitedly, “Did you hear? We came in third?” And I was sort of like, “Um, yeah. I know. Dean got third.” And David said, “No! Buena Vista County came in third in the state—the third-highest county for Dean!” That was remarkable for this conservative county in the 5th district, and due, I think, entirely to David and his organization of the university students in Storm Lake and the Dems in the surrounding small towns. After such a showing, David was disappointed when the Dean campaign did not retain him, but quickly got a job driving around some unknown guy named Obama who was running for U.S. Senate in Illinois.
Well, after the defeat, we pressed on. Dean for America morphed into Democracy for America. Through several conference calls for Iowa Meet Up leaders, I had met Dr. Alta Price of Bettendorf, and once our beloved gov withdrew from the race, Alta contacted all the state Meet Up leaders to try to get a chapter of Democracy for Iowa going. The cornerstone would be Blog for Iowa, which I volunteered to run. Well, the local Meet Ups were happy remaining local and a statewide organization never did get off the ground even after years of trying. But Blog for Iowa thrived, with people like Alta and Molly Regan over in Eastern Iowa promoting it with buttons and in parades and through e-groups.
I stayed with BFIA for two years and then came back to run the blog for three months last fall while we transitioned editors from Sam Garchik to Trish Nelson. Yeah, I got to run Blog for Iowa when Barack Obama won the presidential election. I tried not to let on, but I was a total nervous wreck, afraid that once again the dream would be yanked away from us.
But it wasn’t. For once, it actually wasn’t.
Linda Thieman writes the Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story chapter book series for ages 7-10.
~~~~~Molly Regan is a tireless progressive activist in the Quad Cities. She has been a trusted poster and supporter of Blog for Iowa from the beginning.
Howard Dean is the reason the Blog For IOWA exists.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 was the date that thousands of Dr. Howard Dean admirers gathered around the country to celebrate the 5th Birthday of Democracy For America. In Scott County, IOWA, 15 people showed up from members of the local Quad-City DFAers to county Democrats as well as members of QCA for Change. Those from QCA for Change are part of the larger group America for Change which is an outgrowth of President BARACK OBAMA's candidacy.
We spoke how we first heard of and encountered Dr. Dean and of how he changed our lives. One couple, Lou and Joe Waechter, who have been helping getting Democrats elected for over 50 years, still had that look of glee in their eyes as they told of seeing the good Dr. for the first time. It was during Howard Dean's campaign that the internet was first used extensively to keep in touch with the voters. We all benefited from his famous "You Have The Power" encouragement.
President BARACK OBAMA was elected at least in half because of the 50 State Strategey that came out of Howard Dean's foresight to create Democracy For America and the DEAN DOZEN. We all owe Dr. Dean much for his vision of the future and what it can and should be like for those of us who love justice and progressiveness. Thank you, we are eternally grateful to you Dr. Howard Dean for creating Democracy For America.
Happy birthday, DFA! Happy birthday, Blog for Iowa!
Molly Regan
~~~~~Dave Leshtz was a staffer for Howard Dean's campaign in Iowa. He has run the Prairie Progressive, a newsletter for Iowa's Democratic left, for a really long time.
Five years? It doesn't seem possible. I remember how happy I was - after the excitement of the early blogging days, hours of obsessively watching The Bat, and seeing unexpected people (Leonard Boswell?!) jump online - when Blog for Iowa was born, a lively and lovely child of the ground-breaking DFA blog. Though up and down over the years, BFIA has remained indispensable, and I'm pleased that it's found new energy and vigor. May it always inspire us, as Jesse Jackson used to say, to be close enough to serve but far enough to challenge.
David Leshtz
~~~~~
Dennis and Robin Roseman are hard working former deaniacs and democratic party activists who have run the DFA meet-ups in Johnson County since the presidential campaign ended.
Thank you Blog for Iowa for 5 years of thoughtful commentary on important political events here in Iowa and across the nation. BFIA is an important part of the progressive movement in Iowa where our voices can be heard and our views discussed. BFIA began small but over the years has become a place to go to get out information and action alerts and to find out what others in the progressive community here are doing. BFIA nurtures us and renews our hope and commitment to the causes we care about. Thank you Alta Price for your creativity in getting BFIA started and your strong support through the years. Thank you Linda Thieman, Sam Garchik, and Trish Nelson for the heavy lifting, and to all the others who have contributed their articles over the years.
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Blog for Iowa, Happy Birthday to you…..and many more!
Robin and Dennis Roseman
Co-Chairs, Johnson County Democracy for America
~~~~~Dave Bradley (Iowa's Jim Hightower) has posted on BFIA and his LTEs and guest opinions can be found in the paper as often as he is eligible to publish. Dave and his progressive activist wife, Carol, live in West Liberty.
Happy birthday, BFIA! Thank you for being one of the modern extensions of Tom Paine. There must always be people willing to put those in power under a spotlight and be willing to stand up to them when they are wrong. If the government of the people is to survive, then there must be knowledgeable people watching those who wield power. Here's to another five good years!
Dave Bradley
~~~~~
Sam Garchik stepped up to take over as editor of Blog for Iowa when it needed to be adopted. Sam served ably as editor until returning to school for a graduate degree shortly before the November election.
Five years after Blog for Iowa's birth, the site continues to be a fantastic resource. Back in 2004, no one really understood what a blog could be or what it should look like. Blog for Iowa, created by Linda and sustained by myself and Trish and lots of contributors, continues to offer quality content and useful links.
According to Technorati, there are between 77 and 184 million blogs in existence. I imagine few have the staying power of this one. Happy Birthday, Blog for Iowa! Mike Carberry is an energetic activist who is on a first-name basis with our hero, Howard Dean.
It was the Dean For America campaign that really cemented my career in political and environmental advocacy. Blog for Iowa was the backbone for the DFA campaign in Iowa. Blog for Iowa was then and continues to be the voice for progressive action here in Iowa. I couldn't do my job nearly as well without BFIA. Happy 5th birthday to Blog for Iowa and here's hoping to many successful years to come. Thanks for being the progressive voice for Iowa.
Mike Carberry, Green State Solutions: Director
Tuesday, July 22
DFA Training Academy Coming to Des Moines in Feb/March 2009!
by
Sam Garchik
on Tue 22 Jul 2008 06:00 PM CDT
DFA Training Academy Coming to Des Moines in Feb/March 2009!
By Sam Garchik
I got an email from Jeff Goetz in Des Moines. He said that he was
working on getting a DFA traning in Des Moines in March 2009. This is a
fantastic opportunity for anyone in the region.
I attended one in Cedar Rapids in the Spring of 2007. I learned a lot
about how to run a campaign and build a campaign plan. Do not miss this
opportunity.
Jeff said that he is in the process of organizing a committee to get it off the ground.
If anyone in the Des Moines area is interested in helping, you can
contact him at jeffreygoetz3@mchsi.com or home phone 515/279-7888, work
phone 515/246-5817 or cell phone 515/710-1988.
Thanks, and please help Jeff get this going!
Tuesday, April 1
Republican Senator Jim Inhofe is afraid of you
by
Sam Garchik
on Tue 01 Apr 2008 05:00 PM CDT
Republican Senator Jim Inhofe is afraid of you
By Charles Chamberlain, DFA
Last Thursday, DFA members nationwide took action and raised over $21,000 for Andrew Rice and his campaign to unseat Republican extremist, Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe. Now, Sen. Inhofe is running scared.
His campaign knows Sen. Inhofe will never win on the issues or by defending his extremist record and ridiculous statements. So instead, they attacked you, the so-called "far-left". Here is an excerpt from their fundraising message on Friday:
Just yesterday, a group founded by Howard Dean called Democracy for America (DFA) sent a fundraising email to liberal activists nationwide calling my friend, Senator Jim Inhofe, a "Republican Extremist." I hope that, like me, you laughed at this kind of over-the-top language, especially since it comes from a group that thinks America isn't even a democracy.
What's not funny is this far-left group's fundraising potential. They've timed their message just three days before the end of a critical quarter. With the help of DFA and many other liberal groups fundraising on his behalf, Senator Inhofe's likely opponent hopes to impress his liberal counterparts in Washington, New York, and San Francisco so he can attract even more out-of-state dollars.
That's right, we've got them worried. Now, let's double your impact. Contribute $20.08 to Andrew Rice right now.
www.actblue.com/page/supportandrew
According to Sen. Inhofe's campaign, we're "pouring tens of thousands of dollars into [Oklahoma] so [we] can distort Senator Inhofe's record. Outrageous lies are being spread and partisan negative attacks are being launched"
They go on and say they are worried that "liberal groups like Democracy for America may succeed in their efforts to demonize Senator Inhofe."
They're afraid of the power of millions of voices calling for change. They are afraid that Andrew Rice will win and deliver real results for Oklahoma and America. Sen. Inhofe is afraid of you. Contribute $20.08 today and remind him why.
www.actblue.com/page/supportandrew
Working together, we will elect a progressive Congress.
-Charles
Charles Chamberlain
Political Director
P.S. If you missed Jim's endorsement message from Thursday, I have included it below so you can learn more about both candidates in this race and why it is so important that we elect Andrew Rice in November.
Tuesday, October 23
Controversial Rabbi Michael Lerner to Speak at Spiritual Progressives Conference Nov. 3rd in the Quad Cities
by
Caroline Vernon
on Tue 23 Oct 2007 05:23 PM CDT
Controversial
Rabbi Michael Lerner to Speak at Spiritual Progressives Conference Nov. 3rd in the Quad Cities
By James Lee
As
the Election Season closes in on the Quad Cities, people are looking at the
vast challenges facing our country and questioning how
individual citizens can make a difference. According to
national polling, over 70% of Americans feel that our nation is on the "wrong
track". Organizers of the
Spiritual Progressives Conference feel the answers to many
of our concerns and worries are rooted in our values, faith and spirituality.
Quad
Cities Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG) in conjunction with Churches
United of the Quad Cities, Democracy for America–Quad Cities,
Davenport Unitarian Church,
Edwards Congregational-UCC, First Congregational-UCC, Network for Spiritual
Progressives, and a host of other supporters are
sponsoring a Spiritual Progressives Conference on November 3, 2007. The theme of the conference is: Living our Faith:
Integrating Values and Politics in the Heartland.
PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE
The purpose of this conference is to promote the voice of progressive
people into the national conversation on issues of values, faith and spirituality.
The conference is
designed to dig beneath the surface of controversial national issues &
public policy debates to get to the core of how we decide what makes our
society a healthy place to live.
It is our hope that the conference will help the public better
understand how to more effectively integrate progressive values with political
action that can create positive change in our nation.
Conference organizers assert that progressives have
been the social innovators who have initiated changes in our society that have
given us more freedom, liberty, and equality. Progressives believe in
continually improving our society in order to assist as many people as possible
to achieve a better life for themselves, their families and the community as a
whole. During this time of national
drift when confusion seems widespread over what America represents and truly
believes, progressive people must amplify their voices in the public conversation
on what we value as a nation.
We reject the tactic of using religion and spiritual traditions
to be a divisive force in our nation; pitting one group of Americans against
another group. We believe that ethics and morality cannot be claimed
as the property of a single religion or political group, but must be understood
in the context of furthering the well being of all humanity, present and
future. The conference will cover three main
areas:
1) Promoting a conversation on Progressive Values, Faith & and Spirituality
2) Organizing Progressives for political action
3) Creating healthy personal & inner lives for progressive people
The key-note speaker,
Rabbi Michael Lerner, will examine the question of how our values are translated
into political action. Rabbi Lerner is an internationally
renowned social theorist, theologian, editor of Tikkun magazine, and author of The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our
Country from the Religious Right. He has a PhD from the University of California,
Berkeley and is
the founder of the Network for Spiritual Progressives.
Faith, values, and spirituality play an important role in responding to the many challenges we
face in our country today. The primary focus of
this conference will be to explore how our values, faith, and
spirituality can direct political action and transform our nation and our world. In so doing, this conference will be
addressing the most serious issues facing our
communities such as affordable, quality health care, the war, and global warming
to name a few.
Conference
workshops include topics such as "Challenging
the Misuse of God and Religion by the Religious Right", "Global Consciousness
and Ecological Sanity", "Our Common Values" and "Grounding Justice Work in
Spiritual Practice".
To learn more about other workshops which will be presented at this conference,
click here. To download the flyer to print (double-sided to conserve paper) go to our home page: www.qcprogressiveaction.org.
The Conference commences at 9:30am with a spiritual reflection on the state of
our world. Rabbi Michael Lerner will
speak at 10:15am. Workshops will continue throughout the day.
At 2:30pm Rabbi Lerner will be part of a panel discussion with local leaders on
the state of values and spirituality in our nation. Lunch will be served and
the conference will come to a close at 3:30pm.
This
event is open to the public; seating is limited. To Register, contact PACG at 563-676-7580 or go to our website for more information: www.qcprogressiveaction.org.
Event times and places
Interfaith
Service
The
conference begins with an Interfaith Service led by Rabbi Lerner on Friday evening,
November 2nd, 7pm at the Unitarian
Church, 3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, Iowa.
Spiritual
Progressives Conference
On
Saturday morning, November 3rd, the Spiritual Progressive Conference
will be held at the First Congregational Church-UCC, 2201 Seventh Avenue, Moline, IL 61265. Registration
starts at 9:30AM. Book Signing with Rabbi Lerner
Saturday evening, November 3rd, 5:30pm at Borders Bookstore, 4000 E 53rd St in Davenport.
Thursday, September 13
"Tell the Truth" Picket & Rally
by
Caroline Vernon
on Thu 13 Sep 2007 12:49 AM CDT
DFA National Action:
Ask the Media to "Tell the Truth" about the War
The following Media Advisory was sent to all local media in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas of Eastern Iowa:
Scheduled Event -- Davenport, IA
Event: "Tell the Truth" Picket and Rally
Participating Organizations:
Democracy for America - Quad Cites and the Peace Forum of Progressive Action for the Common Good
Contacts: Alta Price: - 563-332-5051, 563-505-2996
Monica Kurth - 563-271-9332
______________________________________________________________________________
Following the Sept. 11 anniversary, we Americans demand that this president do what he has never done since he seized the office -- tell the truth.
The facts are clear: Iraq had nothing to do with Sept. 11, which even the Bush administration has admitted. Yet White House officials and many media pundits still continue the false position that the war in Iraq is "fighting terrorism."
Quad Citians will be participating in a "Tell the Truth" rally on Thursday, September 13th from 4:30 to 6pm asking Clear Channel WOC Talk Radio 1420 AM to TELL the TRUTH about the Iraq war.
We are asking 1420 AM (Rush Limbaugh and Jim Fisher) to tell the truth about the failure of Bush's "surge". We will also call on Clear Channel to return Progressive radio to the Quad Cities.
What: Clear Channel and WOC picket
When: Thursday, September 13, 2007, 4:30 PM
Where: Quad Cities Radio Group
3535 E Kimberly
Davenport IA 52807
A majority of Quad Citians are against this war - the same is true nationally.
Last year, the Quad Cities lost Progressive radio immediately after the 2006 elections. We believe this is no coincidence given the shift in power as a result of the last election, and the rising tide of opposition to the war. The American people want our troops home and out of harm's way.
We demand that Clear Channel and WOC Talk Radio "tell the truth!"
America has never been told the truth about the Iraq war. Stop telling us that "Iraq will stabilize" when (pick one) Saddam Hussein is removed, Iraq has a constitution, Iraq has an election, Iraq has a security force, the troop surge has done its job. Stop telling us that "freedom is on the march" when we can see with our own eyes that Iraq remains a quagmire of corruption, sectarian fighting, death and destruction.
The truth is what the Government Accountability Office recently reported -- that the Iraqi government met three of 18 benchmarks, partially met four and failed to meet 11.
The truth is -- America had no business invading Iraq post 9/11.
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