Tricounty DFA Update: Big Meeting Wednesday! Autumn Action!
Hello Everyone and Happy Labor Day!

In this holiday update:


1. Glens Falls DFA Meeting Wednesday: DFNY Spitzer Endorsement and Autumn Action
2. Gillibrand On WAMC
3. Washington County HQ Gala Opening
4. Preston Jenkins Fundraiser
5. Tabling At Farmer's Market
6. Labor Day Reflections
7. Dean On Olbermann
8. Friday Film Fest

1. Glens Falls DFA Meeting Wednesday: DFNY Spitzer Endorsement

This is a reminder that Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area will be holding its September DFA-Linkup or "meetup" next week on Wednesday, September 6th at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe on Elm and Exchange Streets in downtown Glens Falls. For directions or info go to: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=10954

As we all know, voting integrity is a major DFA issue. Eliot Spitzer's position on this was unclear. However, this week, Spitzer endorsed the progressive voting option, Paper Ballots/Optically Scanned, known as PB/OS. With PB/OS we can be sure our votes are actually being counted.

This has been holding back a DFNY endorsement-- that is coming next week, and all our local groups have been invited to join in with our local endorsements on the 6th. So we will be discussing if we want to do an endorsement Wednesday.

To read the official DFNY Press Release on Spitzer's endorsement of PB/OS go to: http://www.dfalink.com/uploads/files/84544f7452a9244a/Spitzer%20PB_OS%20release%208-31-06.pdf

Autumn Action

We have to start thinking about what we can do to help the candidates we back get elected-- especially, how do we connect with voters to get them to actually go vote?

The answer is the Neighborhood Network, a modern plan to reach out engage voters by contacting our neighbors with a simple question; what's the most important issue to you? The state party is asking for our help with the Neighborhood Network; so we'll be talking about this more at our next meeting; we may also have a special guest from the State Committee.

Again, To RSVP: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=10954
For directions: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Exchange%20Street++Glens%20Falls+NY+12801&hl=en

2. Gillibrand On WAMC

Kirsten Gillibrand will be featured on WAMC’s Roundtable (90.3 FM) with Alan Chartock next week.
There will be three appearances on:
* Tuesday Sept. 5th, 10:50 am: Intro segment
* Wednesday Sept 6th, 10:50 am: Iraq
* Thursday Sept. 7th, 10:50 am: Iraq continued, and energy independence

3. Washington County HQ Gala Opening

From our Washington County Democratic Chair Sheila Comar:

"On Saturday, September 9th, at 143 Broadway in Ft. Edward there will be a grand opening of the Washington County Democratic Headquarters. Tim Merrick, David Carter and our local town candidates will be there plus Denise King from the NYS Democratic Party. It’s from 10 am to 12 noon and there will be refreshments."

It's also possible Kirsten Gillibrand will also attend.

4. Preston Jenkins Fundraiser

From Our Saratoga County Chair Larry Bulman:

“Come one come all to a Dinner with Preston Jenkins, cpa
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR SARATOGA COUNTY TREASURER

Prime rib buffet!
Donations: $35

WHEN: Friday, September 8th, 2006
TIME: 7:00 PM
WHERE: THE RACINO
DIRECTIONS: Take I-87 to exit number 13N- towards Saratoga Springs
Follow US-9 North for approximately 2 miles.
Turn RIGHT onto CRESCENT AVE.
Follow CRESCENT AVE. for approximately 1 mile.

The Saratoga Gaming and Raceway entrance is located on the left.

Please make checks payable to:

TheCommittee to Elect Preston Jenkins
PO Box 1104
south Glens Falls, NY 12803

Please RSVP by Tuesday, September 5, 2006 by contacting mary meade at 307-1855.

For more information, please call Mary Meade, 307-1855, Mary jenkins, 793-1130 OR Larry Bulman, 792-9157.

5. Tabling At Farmer's Market

We will again be tabling again at the Glens Falls Farmer's Market from 9am (or maybe earlier), until about 10:30am to 11am this Saturday. (Some of us will be going to the opening of the Washington County HQ in Fort Edward.) We've been getting a pretty good response on this, so if you have a free couple of hours, please come and help.

For more info or to help: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=11210

6. Labor Day Reflections

In honor of Labor Day a recent, and landmark piece by Howard Meyerson from the Washington Post, which is itself a reflection on an equally important piece in the New York Times is not to be missed. Observes Meyerson:

"wages and salaries now make up the lowest share of gross domestic product since 1947, when the government began measuring such things."
"Clearly, globalization has weakened the power of workers and begun to erode the egalitarian policies of the New Deal and social democracy that characterized the advanced industrial world in the second half of the 20th century."
"For those who profit from this redistribution, there's something comforting in being able to attribute this shift to the vast, impersonal forces of globalization. The stagnant incomes of most Americans can be depicted as the inevitable outcome of events over which we have no control, like the shifting of tectonic plates."
"Problem is, the declining power of the American workforce antedates the integration of China and India into the global labor pool by several decades. "

It is, as we all might expect, about politics, not only within our country, but within the Democratic Party. We have to reverse government support of pro-Walmart union busting economics that have marched continuously without a break since Ronald Reagan smashed the Air Traffic Controller's Unions nearly 25 years ago. A link to the original Times piece is also below.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/29/AR2006082901042.html?nav=hcmodule
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/business/28wages.html?ex=1157342400&en=0d05be8d165dc601&ei=5070

7. Dean On Olbermann

Governor Dean, still the clearest and the most forceful and forward lookng speaker of all our national leaders was recently on Keith Olbermann's show and it was almost as much a corker as Olbermann's Edward R. Murrow style dismissal of Donald Rumsfeld: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WYoQMGw4YE

8. Friday Film Fest

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe Friday Night Progressive Film Festival Continues on Friday, September 8th at 8pm with

CONTROL ROOM (2002) Jehane Noujaim 86 min.
A rare film that is both timely and timeless: timeless because it explores the ancient and complex relationship between the Western and Arab worlds, timely because it reveals how satellite television has changed the way wars are reported – from news providers, driven by the patriotism of their audiences, to Army information officers, driven by military objectives. Control Room explores how Truth is gathered, presented, and ultimately created by those who deliver it. Official Selection - Sundance

Thanks Everyone! Hope you all are having a great holiday today and are staying dry! See you all Wednesday!

Larry Dudley
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 4:02 PM