Trish and Ellen Step Down from RR
By Iowa RR
Greetings, everyone!
After four years of building and nurturing the Rapid Response list-serve, we have decided to step down from our positions as Iowa Coordinators. We will remain on the list as active members.
We are proud of our accomplishments and appreciate the hard work and progressive activism of the members of this list.
Rapid Response will live on in the capable hands of Dave and Carol Bradley who have generously agreed to take over as moderators/coordinators. So, please don't go anywhere and stay tuned for LTE campaigns for progressive local, state and national candidates.
If you would be interested in helping grow the RR list by recruiting new members, Dave and Carol would appreciate any help or volunteers.
Contact Dave and Carol at dlbcab@hotmail.com.
Thanks, everybody!!
Trish and Ellen
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Friday, April 25
Trish and Ellen Step Down from RR
by
Sam Garchik
on Fri 25 Apr 2008 09:40 AM CDT
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 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 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. 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 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.
Thursday, July 19
Help build the RR list at District 2 workshop
by
Sam Garchik
on Thu 19 Jul 2007 05:22 PM CDT
Help build the RR list at District 2 workshop By Rapid Response District 2 Rapid Responders, If you are
planning to be in attendance at the District 2 workshop July 28 in
North Liberty (details below), please consider volunteering to help
recruit members to the Rapid Response list or to help out with
sign-ups at the table. If you can help,
shoot us an e-mail or see Dave or Carol Bradley at the workshop. We
need lots of fresh letter-writers for '08! Thanks in advance if you can help out, Trish and Ellen Here's the info: http://www.idp2nd.org/ The 2nd District Democrat Off-Year Workshop will be held on July 28, 2007 at the North Liberty Community Center at 10:00AM The Registration fees are $10.00 for the Workshop, plus $10.00 for an optional Lunch. There is a Reception with Cash Bar at 5:30PM. Dinner at 6:30PM is $40 if purchased separately, or $30.00 with Workshop Registration. See the DETAILS and REGISTRATION FORMS above for further information. (address: 520 W. Cherry Street, North Liberty, IA 52317-9797). Attached is a map from the Rand McNally website that shows how to get to the Community Center via IH 380 or Highway 965. Wednesday, July 11
Call To get Sicko in Iowa
by
Sam Garchik
on Wed 11 Jul 2007 09:11 AM CDT
Call To get Sicko in Iowa By Rapid Response Two items: (1)
There was an article in the IC Press-Citizen the other day that the
local theatre managers had reported receiving only "a few" calls about
SICKO. Are we going to stand for having to go to Cedar Rapids to see
SICKO? Or be relegated to the last ones to see it by the time they
bring it to Iowa City? Or have to watch it online? How ridiculous is
this? Is this Iowa City, last bastion of Iowa's liberals, Iowa's
progressive activist pride and joy? No outcry, no nothing? Let's get to work! Please call or write and pass this on. Thanks. Trish and Ellen The Coral Ridge number is 625-2100. The Sycamore number is 358-6773. If you want to contact the folks at Marcus I read online that there are only 11 movies showing on 22 screens in our area, yet Marcus is saying they don't have enough screen space. Petrick
said Marcus, which owns or operates 500 screens in the Midwest, will
focus right now on larger blockbusters such as "Transformers,"
"Ratatouille" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." "When
additional prints become available and when we have play time
available, we anticipate that Marcus Theatres will play 'Sicko,' just
as we've played other Michael Moore films," he said.
Thursday, June 7
The Progressive Iowa Network Organizing Summit
by
Caroline Vernon
on Thu 07 Jun 2007 01:20 PM CDT
The Progressive Iowa Network
Organizing Summit Saturday, June 9, 2007 Iowa City Public Library Agenda: 1. Welcome 2. Introductions 3. Why a Progressive Network is important for Iowa 4. Democracy for America – Support for Iowa’s Progressive Network 5. 2007 Iowa Legislative Review (Legislators) 6. Overview of Top Progressive Legislative Priorities (Progressive Activists) 7. Envisioning Progressive Power in Iowa (Ed Fallon & Denise O'Brien) 8. Break 9. Top Progressive Legislative Issues - Workshops VOICE (Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections) CAFO/Farm Bill Health Care Media Reform Fair Share 10. Lunch 11. Workshop Reports 12. Progressive Iowa Network – Next Steps 13. Democracy for Iowa – Administrative overview 14. Adjournment Please note: If you are interested in discussing potential state-wide initiatives that will pressure our Congress to end the war in Iraq, please come to this event. Peace groups can strategize during the workshop hour (#9) and also report back to the larger group after lunch. This will be an excellent opportunity for all of us to be united for peace. We will start gathering at 9am - coffee and bagels / breakfast treats. The summit will begin promptly at 9:30am. Please let us know if you intend to come: Please RSVP: http://www.dfalink.com/event Monday, June 4
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) - Update
by
Caroline Vernon
on Mon 04 Jun 2007 09:30 AM CDT
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) - Update
By Caroline Vernon This Saturday, June 9th, progressive leaders, legislators and activists from various organizations across Iowa will come together for the first DFA-Iowa Networking Summit. We will be gathering at the Iowa City Public Library from 9am to 3pm (the last hour will be devoted to DFA-IA administrative business). Some of our great leaders who will be in attendance include Charlie Chamberlain from Democracy for America, Ed Fallon, Denise O’Brien, and Senator Joe Bolkcom, just to name a few… Once again, the purpose of this gathering is to establish a Progressive Iowa Network which will serve to better unite progressives across the state in order to support each others efforts around important issues, particularly if we hope to be more effective moving into the next legislative session. Besides providing an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow progressives, one direct benefit of an Iowa Network would be the enhanced ability to articulate our progressive world view by creating a state-wide echo chamber that will carry our unified message to all Iowans. As previously indicated, we have identified 5 issues in Iowa that require urgent action: 1. VOICE (Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections) 2. CAFO regulations / Farm Bill 3. Fair Share 4. Healthcare 5. Media Also, due to the recent vote on the Iraq supplemental bill, it is our hope that peace activists from across Iowa will take advantage of this opportunity to come together to discuss potential state wide initiatives that will effectively pressure those in Congress who voted for the bill. In addition to addressing the above issues, we are tracking organizations by their particular area(s) of focus. This list has also evolved since my last blog: 1. Policy / Research 2. Lobbying 3. Media & Blogs 4. Grassroots Organizing These 4 areas have been added: 5. Direct Action 6. Education 7. Funding (to identify potential sources of funding) 8. Political Campaigns (organizations who can be involved with campaigns) We are working on compiling a comprehensive list of all participating organizations, including contact information, primary areas of focus and primary issues of concern. If you or your organization will be attending the summit, we ask that you submit your information using the example below (4 stars = primary focus) Example: Organization: Progressive Action for the Common Good Address: 3707 Eastern Ave, Davenport, IA 52807 Contact Information: (name/position/phone/email): Caroline Vernon, Organizer, 563-676-7580, carolina1961@gmail.com. James Lee, Executive Director, 563-650-3922, jlee6367@yahoo.com Areas of Focus Rating Issues Rating Policy/Research VOICE **** Lobbying ** CAFO/Farm Bill *** Media/Blogs Media ** Grassroots Organizing **** Fair Share ** Direct Action *** Healthcare *** Education ** Funding * Other: _Peace _ **** Poltical Campaigns Please send the above information to carolina1961@gmail.com by Thursday, June 7th so we can be sure to include your information in the hand-out. It is important to note that we encourage ALL progressive organizations to attend this meeting and become part of the network even if we may not be focusing on your specific issues at this time. The goal of the network is to create a framework designed to support all progressive initiatives. We need everyone’s participation in order to succeed. If you have any questions, please call Caroline Vernon at 563-676-7580. Hope to see you Saturday! |
Iowa Sites Child & Family Policy Center - Iowa Genetic Engineering Action Network Iowa Citizen Action Network - ICAN Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility Iowa Public Interest Research Group Midwest Environmental Justice Advocates Progressive Action for the Common Good Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa QCAD (Quad-Citians Affirming Diversity - GLBT) Iowa Blogs The Deprogrammer (Quad Cities) Iowa True Blue (Gordon Fischer's Blog) Iowa Voters for Open and Transparent Elections Political FalloutFight Iowa Rapid Response Network - Iowa
Iowans for Better Local TV
Air America
The Counterpoint
National FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
Media Matters for America
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